Customer Reviews

Sony VG-B30AM Vertical Grip for Sony Alpha Digital SLRs

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Although mostly plastic, this is a very nicely made grip that attaches solidly to the body. There's also a nice storage place for the battery cover of the camera (which you must remove to use the grip).

The grip has three prime values:

First, you can double up your batteries, using two at a time. Considering how long the Sony battery lasts, I think this will be of little value to most.

Second, held in the traditional horizontal manner, it makes the grip longer. This is not only nice for larger hands, but for anyone using a longer, heavier lens. Additionally, it allows you to use an optional hand strap. However, my preference has always been to us this with a traditional shoulder strap attached to the side. This way, it places the strap to the side while holding the camera or tripod mounted horizontally (my most common orientation), and about as out of the way as possible.

Last, the vertical orientation is very nice with this grip, as far as the button locations and feel in general. This is particularly nice for people with hand or wrist problems.

So, what keeps this from being 5-stars? Price. Although I like everything about the grip, it doesn't give me anything unique, and is at a considerably higher price than most competitors of equal quality.

I couldn't wait to get the vertical grip for my Alpha 300; I had one on my old Olympus E-10 and loved it. This one is even better. With a smart storage spot for the camera's battery door on-board the grip, you will never lose it.

It provides even better grip than the camera body alone, which is partly why I bought it (I have large hands), and makes vertical photography a cinch. With two infolitium batteries on board, I spent an entire week in Toronto visiting family and taking over a thousand shots; and still had 98% left on the second battery. It's amazing what the grip does to your battery capacity.

I only wish it came with the vertical grip hand strap; which is an extra $50 and also worth the money.

I highly recommend this grip, and am very happy I finally purchased it.

I'm new to the DSLR prosumer products and picked this up at the same time I bought my first DSLR.
Since buying the camera and accessories in September 2008 I've taken over 5,000 shots of sporting events, outdoors activites, animals, and lots of interior activities. This vertical grip allows you great control of the camera in either horizontal or vertical usage.
Having the two batteries internal means you can shoot all day long without ever worrying about a dead battery, and the change up from a single battery to adding this is a 60 second operation.
The Vertical Grip also comes with mounting screws for tripod/monopod with I have used on both vertical and horizontal sides, for both types of pods.
For my taking the sporting event shots, this has been a great asset to me in allowing me to control the camera and get some wonderful pictures. I highly recommend this for anyone who may be doing extended shooting.

One of the best purchases I've made. Works great and looks professional with my Sony DSLR camera. Controls are at your finger tips and makes it easy on your hands and wrists for verticle shots. No reason to ever remove it from your camera because it does handle very nice with minimal additional weight. You can take pictures for an extended period with the extra battery storage (no more worry if you have enough battery left for weddings or sporting events). A must have for the person that takes a lot of pictures. Can't say enough about this verticle grip. Buy one and make picture taking easier.

The product that got delivered to my door was some cheap Chinese imitation of Sony's official grip. The Chinese grip is made of plastic and feels cheap. The batteries won't stay in place and opening the hatch is like openimg a jack in the box. The grip can only take 2 batteries, but came with 4 batteries and a remote. I still haven't figure out whether they are rechargeable or not. There are switches on the grip that are not clearly explained in the manual.

The grip does work (I haven't had any troubles...yet), and for the price I paid ($70) it is definitely a cheaper alternative. But this isn't what I ordered and there is another listing on amazon for this Chinese grip selling for $40!

This is a good quality grip but over-priced for what it is. The fact that it holds two batteries sounds nice, but a single battery lasts so long that it is hard to imagine cases where you would need an extra in-camera battery; carrying that extra battery everywhere just adds a little more weight to what you carry. I bought the grip in hopes that it would alleviate some shoulder issues I have by letting me keep my arms positioned the same way for vertical as for horizontal shots. However, the trade-off is that you have to carry a significantly larger and heavier camera body, in addition to your lenses. For my shoulders, the disadvantages of the extra size and weight out-weighed the advantage of easier vertical shot handling. Also, I use a Black Rapid R-strap, whose fastener digs into your hand when holding this grip for vertical shots. In sum, the disadvantages for me were greater than the advantages.

This addition to a Sony DSLR is very helpful and a good product. The additional capability of having the shutter, wheel, and AV and AEL capabilites while the camera is fantastic and well worth the money. I didn't think I would use it that much, but I was wrong. Once you have that ease and comfortable grip vertically, you don't even hesitate to take those shots any more. I recommend this product and the seller. I got the product quickly and exactly as advertised. (I do suggest that you by the origional Sony relacement batteries instead of cheap copies. This takes to batteries which makes the camera last twice as long, but it also works with one battery).

Very Handy, Give you option to have 2 batterys for longer and more battery Life, So I Reccomend buying another battery when you buy this. Theres a special on bag that comes with free batter which also i purchased.
Shows you on your sony also the battery life on both batterys.ables you to take photos holding camera at angles, and balances out the weight. Way Cheaper here then from [...]. Only Buy Sony Batterys because i heard that aftermarket batterys sometimes dont read in this. I would reccomend this to any one with a Sony DSLR Alpha Series. i Have the 350A.

This add-on really does help when holding the camera vertical. The ability to hold an extra battery really helps, too.

After shooting my first swimsuit competition with my new Sony A350 SLR, I discovered that nearly all of my shots needed to be composed in potrait mode to capture the full length and beauty of the girls. Without the vertical grip, this was a pain. My next shoot was done with the grip and it made all the difference in the world! No more carpal tunnel from holding the camera in an awkward position for me. The unit is also, sturdy, ergonimically friendly and holds an addition battery so I can go on shooting as long as the girls want me to ;-)