Sony Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

i bought this grip to allow me to shoot action portraits during my son's college soccer games. the grip is solid and comfortable. the overall weight is a little on the heavy side to shoot freehand, but i shoot with a monopod so its not a factor.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

The VG is fantastic. It has not left my camera since I got it. Aside from the obvious use for portrait shooting, it gives the camera a better feel and balance in landscape also.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

This makes shooting portraits a lot of fun. I am a portrait and wedding photographer with the majority being portraits. The grip serves as a useful counterweight for long lenses and is very comfortable to hold. The design layout is intuitive..you will instantly know how to change settings just as you would in landscape position.

Here's the flaw. The only downside I have encountered is battery compatibility. For some reason the unit will not allow the camera to function if a certain battery is not in battery holder 1. It displays a message reading "InfoLithium battery required". All my batteries are Sony originals. I love this grip but I will be sending it back to Sony for an exchange.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

The vertical grip for the Sony a700 is a must, it completes an already excellent camera. Although a little heavy it balances the camera and extends number of exposures to a point where you shouldn't have to worry about your batteries.It makes shooting much more comfortable especially when using long lenses. Having controls readily available when shooting in the portrait mode is also a real plus. I also have a vertical grip on my a200 and wouldn't be without on any camera I have in the future.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

I used this grip all through my trip to Maui. Very useful in the battery life department, it proved its worth when I didn't get the usual awkward pose while shooting in the vertical position. Even better....it's contoured to your hand, and has all the controls right there. Darn near perfect to me.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

I like the way this grip balances the weight of my Sony A 700 and lenses. I just wish it were a little less bulky. I realize the design was penned to be able to hold two batteries and that is an extremely useful feature. Overall I am very pleased and I suspect I will forget about the bulk as I have a chance to use it more. I bought my first Minolta 35mm camera in Vietnam in 1968 and am delighted that first Konica and now Sony have extended the product line.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

I use this grip on extended trips when I know I'll be out for a few hours. Allows for extensive use with minimal weight increase and dual controls so you aren't fumbling around.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

I love the Sony Vertical Grip DSLR-A700. It has changed my camera totally, I can do things I was able to do before. The power pack last longer with out having to stop and change battiers and with the controls set up I can turn and shot quicker.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

Glad I got this. I came close to not buying this, but now it will never leave my camera. It makes the camera feel right - substantial. I was worried I would be constantly removing my rc0 130-14 Hexagonal Quick Release Plate (Flat Bottomed), but it still feels fine with it attached.
One small drawback is the camera tips over easily when setting it on a flat surface with the added height.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

If you shoot a lot of vertical shots this is indispensible. It makes the camera and lens balance perfectly, especially when using a heavier lens. It is also so much more comfortable than shooting vertical without it. All of the important buttons are located on the grip to make changing settings easy and comfortable.

The only complaint I have is about the on/off switch. I don't like the way it is designed. The knob is very small and I imagine that someone with very large hands might have some difficulty in turning it.

Otherwise, I love it and would buy it again. I won't ever buy another camera without buying the vertical grip.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

The VG-C70AM makes a great camera even better. It balances the handling of the camera with a long zoom such as the 70-200/G mounted. Attached to an A700 this grip allows access to all the controls in both the horizontal and vertical shooting positions. Since it contains an extra battery there is almost no need to worry about swapping out batteries. I'm usually at about 1600+ shots with 25% or more on the second battery left.
The only downside to the grip is the location of the selector wheel. I shoot a lot in S mode. From rubbing on my clothing the control wheel sometimes moves the shutter speed from what I had seledcted. This can be easily avoided by turning the grip off, but then you loose the vertical release button. I would dock it a half star but after you experience it a few times you learn to check your settings or turn the grip controls off. Hopefully the long anticipated replacment for the A700 will take the same grip.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

Vertical grip is something you can cheap out at. If you do portraits, this is a must. If you dont, you will still appreciate how it helps you balance out your camera. I have own mine have never taken it out of the camera since day 1. Although I hold only 1 battery, it makes the camera feel stable and sturdy. Highly recommended!
With this grip, all buttons and dials remain same positions.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

Easy to install. (Probably easy to uninstall too, but it's not been off the camera since I bought it.) Comfortable to hold and matches the A700's ergonomics perfectly. Love the 2-battery system (it uses whichever battery is weaker until it's dead, then switches to the other one).

My only problem is that I'm not yet in the habit of switching my grip, as opposed to rotating the camera into hands top & bottom position. I need to shoot a night of basketball to make new habits.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

Provides necessary controls when shooting verticals.
Can carry extra battery for longer shooting.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

Product makes taking side shots a breeze. All needed controls are easily at your disposal. No Negatives.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

I love the grip. Balances well on the A700 and makes taking portraits so much easier. I'll always be buying the matching grip with a dSLR from now on.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

Very good, the product is fantastic and surpassed my expectations.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

My first grip that I had used was for Minolta Maxxum 600si. Since that time I have always been buying Minolta/Konica Minolta/Sony cameras with vertical grips only. I have to say that this grip is the best one of the breed! It provides not only excellent ergonomics but all controls which may be necessary during extended shooting in the portrait format. Especially useful is the multi-selector - even though the 7D's vertical grip has a dedicated button for choosing AF sensors it does not provide the same flexibility as the control pad on the body. Now this shortage has been fixed! Sure, there are few controls that are present on the body only (metering mode selector, drive mode button, etc.) but these are not changed very often so that is not an issue.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

After long photo shoots holding my camera vertically, I finally broke down and bought the grip for my A700 and I'll never take it off now. Shooting mostly portraits, mostly with the camera vertical, being able to hold the camera with a normal grip has made my life so much easier. The placement of the controls on the grip are close enough to the placement on the camera itself, that I was working normally within 5 minutes. The only downsides are the cost and the weight, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Comments about Vertical Grip for the Sony DSLR-A700 Digital Camera:

The vertical grip makes life so much easier. I was developing tendonitis in my right arm from reaching overhead. Now I don't have to do that.