Italy Trip, take battery grip yer or no??

[rickp]

I'm off to Italy for about 8 or 9 days. We'll be going to Venice, Florence, Rome and a few other small places.

I'm planning on traveling as light as I can. All I'm taking is my 5D2, flash, 25-105mm, 16-35mm f.28, a tripod that will be strapped to my backpack, a monopod, that fits in the backpack. I'm also taking a couple of ND filters, a CPL and I'm taking 3 mem cards. That's pretty much it.

So this is my question, should I take my battery grip. I'm thinking NO, for reasons of weight and size, also I don't think I'll really need what it can do for this trip. So what do you guys think? Is there a reason I should take it with me? Am I missing a consideration that I should take it?

Please let me know.

Thanks
R.

[eileenr]

How many batteries are you going to bring? One reason you might consider bringing a grip... and the carriage that holds AA batteries, is if your LP-E6 batteries run out of juice / outright malfunction on you, you can more easily and cheaply buy AA batteries in Italy than Canon ones.

[waywardfool]

x10....the AA adapter saved my bacon a few weeks ago...I had resigned myself to carrying an expensive rock, then remembered the AA cartridge with lithiums in my bag.

[glewart]

I don't think you will be too happy carrying all that excess weight from the battery grip especially if you are planning on walking through the streets to get better shots, which I think is the better opinion. And when you choose something like a photography walk, going light is the only way to go. Just bring the battery adapters and I do not think they will be a burden compared to the grip.

[Glort]

I'd Ditch the Monopod and take the grip.
Or take them both. It's not exactly the size and weight of brick your talking about.

[JimKarczewski]

Take it. Its not like you are hiking the alps where 1/2 a pound is going to make it feel like 20lbs.... And the AA adapter is a great save your a$$ if need be..