Sony introduces new affordable camera grip but it skips one big feature

Sony has introduced a new accessory for its popular lineup of mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The new Shooting Grip With Wireless Remote Commander delivers a built-in remote alongside integrated controls for various common photography tasks, such as zoom, recording, and other custom functions. Just by looking at Amazon, it’s easy to see that the market has been flooded with third-party accessories that carry much of the same functionality, so it only makes sense that Sony would roll out its own alternative to compete with the other alternatives out there.

However, Sony did skip one notable feature that we would’ve liked to see. Head below for full details.

Sony intros handheld system for its popular cameras

While not the most friendly name, the Shooting Grip With Wireless Remote Commander from Sony does deliver some functionality that shooters have been clamoring for in a first-party accessory. The grip is compatible with Sony’s Alpha α9 II, α9, α7R IV, α7R III, α7 III, α6600, α6400, α6100 and RX100 VII and RX0 II cameras, delivering functionality to many of its most recent releases.

Sony’s new GP-VPT2BT grip connects wirelessly to deliver various functions, leaning on Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi. On the user-facing side, there are dedicated buttons for photo and video recording, a lock switch, C1 button, and more.

However, you will not find any stabilization here, which is certainly a disappointment. There are plenty of alternatives out there from various third-party manufacturers that will deliver this functionality, but it certainly would’ve been nice to see Sony make the jump here. As such, Sony sees the use case as so:

Ideal for many different types of content creation ranging from vlogs to travel photography / videography to simple everyday use, the new grip offers optimum stability and comfort combined with cable-free connectivity and a reliable dust and moisture resistant design.

Availability and pricing

Sony is slated to retail its new Shooting Grip With Wireless Remote Commander for $140. It will ship in North America “later this month.”

9to5Toys’ Take

It’s nice to see Sony stepping up its first-party offerings with a new accessory that works with a wide range of cameras. However, the lack of image stabilization here really goes to show that they weren’t willing to dive in with a full feature set at an affordable price. You can find a number of alternatives at varying price points for sale that deliver this functionality. Hopefully, this will be the start of Sony introducing even more accessories designed to make vlogging all the more easier and enjoyable in 2020.

Source: Sony

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