Modifying VG10 (EOS 5) grip for use on T90

[mugget]

Hi all,

I have a T90 on the way along with a VG10 grip. Why that grip with a T90 I hear you ask? Well...

http://www.vp7.de/grip/t90grip.html

So does anyone have more info about the modifications for the grip? I picked up this one for $1.90 so I'm ready and keen to start modifying!

I know the T90 is already a rather large body, but I'm used to the Canon 1 series digital cameras and the extra height will actually be helpful for the way I shoot (handheld panning with the base of the camera on my shoulder).

I will post back when the gear arrives and the modifications begin.

 

[AgX]

I see this for the first time. But all information is in that text. Though more easy would be to just attach a appropriate cable to the grip and use the cable release socket of the T90 instead.

Maybe though the author considered a cable irritating in the vicinity of the release button of that new grip.

 

[AgX]

The new grip also has a "setting" wheel. This will be useless, unless one modifies the T90 to accept that new wheel in parallel with the original one.

 

[mugget]

Hmmm... I was hoping that all the info wasn't on that page. (There isn't much there.) I guess it's a bit of a freeform modification depending on what parts you have on hand. Hopefully I will be able to add some details and rectify that situation.

 

[AgX]

Well, all that guy did was glueing three contacts to the bottom of the original T-90 grip and connecting them in parallel circuit to the cable release socket of the camera.
He also glued appropriate contacts to that new accessory grip. If you connect everything right and to the release switch at that new grip you will end with the same functions at that grip as on the original release or a Canon cable release.

 

[benjiboy]

Canon made a vertical shutter release button for the T90 that screwed into the cable switch socket they occasionally appear on Ebay at exorbitant prices because they are now very rare, but I never found a need for one I have managed to operate my T90 without one for the last 20 odd years without one somehow, and will continue to do so.

 

[Andrew K]

I'm a former Canon factory tech. To wire up the shutter button would be easy - as suggested above just wire the grip up to the remote switch.

All you need to do is work out which is the common pin, which activates switch 1 (meter) and switch 2 (fires the shutter) and wire up accordingly.

You could also wire up the dial, but you will need to remove both the top and bottom covers to access the wires that run to the command dial, and then you need to run some very fine wires down next to the wind motor thats in the grip and down onto the dial on the grip - probably more toruble than it's worth.....

And I was never a fan of the screw in shutter release button that went into the remote socket - they always seemed to stick..

To be honest the easiet thing to do would be to buy a New F1 with a power winder or motordrive....

 

[AgX]

As indicated above, using a connecting cable would make life much easier.
I would wire up a release cable to the accessory grip, having it run through an open or partly open battery compartment lid (I guess there is such) and fastening it with tape.

In use of that grip, one would see if the whole is working fine with that cable solution, and in this case make a dedicated hole for the cable at the new grip, and let the cable run through this, otherwise install a dedicated plug/socket as shown in that link you provided.

 

[mugget]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. Just thought I would follow this up...

Once I looked at everything I saw there's no way to make the grip work without cutting up the camera body. That was not going to happen so I just modified the grip so it would fit on the T90. No buttons or controls work, but what I mainly wanted was some more height in the actual camera. It doesn't seem quite as tall as the 1D series cameras as I remember, but it's much better now.


HACKED by mugget, on Flickr

It fits pretty neat, just a bit of a gap on the right hand side there.

Having the portrait shutter button would have been cool, but no big loss. I probably wouldn't have even used it anyway. I only use the grip with the 85-300mm lens, I take it off the camera the rest of the time.

Hopefully this will give some ideas to people who are having trouble holding the T90 in the "shoulder mount" type position.