The Bloog

The D300, unlike previous bodies, has a different way of attaching to the optional MB-D10 battery grip. Instead of using the old system of removing the battery door in order to allow for the insertion of the optional grip into the battery slot, the D300 allows for the battery pack to attach to the body directly by connecting to a couple of contacts on the bottom of the D300 body that are normally hidden under a rubber cover.

Until tonight, the rubber contact cover used to rest in a little pocket of my camera bag, hidden between a variety of rarely used small plastic accessories. Tonight, however, I noticed something that made appreciate the new battery pack even more. The (ingenious) Nikon people took in consideration the fact that in order for the battery grip to be attached to the body, the rubber contact cover must be removed from the body and stored somewhere so it can replaced at a later time. So what better place to store the rubber cover than in the battery grip itself?

If you look closely, the MB-D10 has a little slot where the rubber cover fits perfectly, and not by accident. Like this, if you ever need to remove the battery grip and want maximum protection for the body, you won’t need to look for the (lost) rubber cover through your bag, or, worse, remember that you actually left it home. Just remove it from the battery grip (assuming that you placed it there originally) and cover the contacts on the body. Really simple and very practical. Good job Nikon!

The MB-D10 Battery Grip slot for the body's rubber contact cover.

The MB-D10 Battery Grip with the rubber contact cover in its dedicated slot.