Wow am I glad I bought this battery. A friend who has a similar camera said I wouldn't need this but I found that it adds more stability to the camera as a thumb rest when shooting, an added bonus to the extended battery run time you get from this battery over the original that comes with the camera. I can shoot for hours with this baby before having to recharge it. Pair this with the optional battery charger and you are set for long days of shooting. I hardly ever use the original battery anymore.JVC BN-VF823U 2190-mAh Rechargeable Data Battery for JVC MiniDV and Everio CamcordersGet more detail about JVC BN-VF823U 2190-mAh Rechargeable Data Battery for JVC MiniDV and Everio Camcorders.