Sony A7III Battery Grip and Grip Extension Guide

Welcome to my Sony a7III battery grip and grip extension guide. If you are looking to extend the battery life of your a7III, or simply improve the ergonomics by adding a grip extension, then this guide will show you all the options available.

Please note that although this guide is for the a7III, because both the Sony a7R III and a9 share the same camera body as the a7III, all battery grips and grip extensions included here will work on all three cameras, unless stated otherwise.

Contents

Sony a7 III Battery Grips
Sony a7 III Grip Extensions

Sony a7III Battery Grips

If you want to double the battery life of your a7 III and at the same time improve the ergonomics and make shooting vertical more comfortable, then you’re going to want a battery grip. Here are your best options for the Sony a7 III.

Sony VG-C3EM Battery Grip

The Sony VG-C3EM battery grip has been built from the same materials as the a7 III, a7R III and a9, and it is also weather sealed. The grip holds two NP-FZ100 batteries to double your shooting time and can also be charged via the a7 III’s USB port.

The grip features a shutter release button for when you are shooting in the vertical position, an AF joystick and also four programable buttons.

You will need to remove the battery door from the a7III in order to attach the grip, but this is easily done thanks to a small catch on the door itself. You can also safely store the door within the column of the battery grip itself, so you don’t need to worry about losing it.

The battery tray does unfortunately feel rather cheap and flimsy, otherwise this is a fantastic grip if not somewhat overpriced. I’m using it on my own a7III, a9 and a7R III and find that as well as extended the battery life, it also helps with the ergonomics enormously. Read my Sony VG-C3EM Review for a closer look at this grip.

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Meike MK-A9 Pro Battery Grip

If the official Sony VG-C3EM battery grip is a little too expensive, then thankfully the Meike MK-A9 Pro battery grip offers a lower cost alternative. The grip is very similar to the Sony VG-C3EM, yet it’s almost a third of the price. The grip itself doesn’t feel quite as nice as the official Sony grip, but surprisingly the battery tray feels like it has been better built.

The button layout is practically the same, but it is missing the lock dial on the shutter button, so you’ll need to be careful not to inadvertently press this when shooting in horizontal orientation. The buttons do feel a little softer than those on the Sony grip and camera body, but they still provide sufficient tactile feedback.

Meike also trumps the Sony grip by providing a remote control that works up to 100 meters with a 2.4Ghz wireless transmission. It can be used to control the shutter in Bulb mode or set interval time shooting (time-lapse).

A lot of people will purchase the Sony simply for continuity reasons (myself included), but if this doesn’t bother you then you certainly can’t go wrong with the Meike MK-A9 Grip.

Despite its product name (MK-A9), this grip is compatible with the a7 III, a7R III and the a9 (I have tested it myself on all 3 cameras). Read my full Meike MK-A9 Pro Battery Grip Review for a closer look at this grip.

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Vello BG-S6 Battery Grip

The Vello BG-S6 battery grip for the Sony a7III, a7R III and a9 is only available in the US market. The grip offers a comfortable, extended, rubberized, non-slip grip, and a shutter release button for vertical use. It also provides front and rear dials, C1 and C2 function buttons, AF-ON and AEL buttons, and a Multi-Selector Joystick, so you still maintain full functions of the camera while shooting vertically.

Unlike both the Sony and Meike battery grips, I’ve not used this one myself so can’t comment on the quality of the grip itself. However, if you check the reviews on B&H Photo is sounds like it’s a fairly decent grip and a good alternative to the higher priced Sony grip.

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Sony a7III Grip Extensions

The Sony a7III certainly has a lot of technology packed into a very small body, which is great for travelling light but some may find that it’s not the most comfortable camera to work with, especially if you are coming from a much larger SLR. Thankfully however, as well as the battery grips mentioned above you can also add a grip extension to help improve the ergonomics of your a7 III, here are some of the most popular options.

SmallRig L-Bracket

As well as offering easy mounting to tripods with the Arca-Swiss compatible mounts, the SmallRig l-bracket also doubles up as a grip extension, giving you somewhere to place your pinky finger if you are fed-up with it hanging off the bottom of your a7 III. The l-bracket is very well made, and includes a magnetic allen key housed on the bottom of the grip for easy attachment.

You can easily access all of the cameras ports and battery compartment with the l-bracket attached. My only gripe is that you have to really tighten the single fixing screw for a secure fit to the camera body. Still, this is my l-bracket of choice that I’m currently using. I’ve also written a short review of the SmallRig L-bracket.

The SmallRig l-bracket is compatible with the Sony a7 III, a7R III and the a9.

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Really Right Stuff L-Bracket

The RRS L-Plate has been designed to fit the Sony a7 III perfectly. You are still able to access all of the cameras ports, and just like the SmallRig l-bracket there is also a magnetic storage space for the included allen key. There is space to rest your pinky finger, and the l-bracket is fully arca swiss compatible. However, unlike the SmallRig l-bracket, you will need to remove the battery door to attach it.

The only real downside of the RRS bracket is the price, at around $200 it’s 3-4x the price of the SmallRig! Still, if you want the best then this is it.

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Sony GP-X1EM Grip Extension

The Sony GP-X1EM increases the height of the built-in grip on the a7 III and gives you somewhere to rest your fingers. The grip is very well made from aluminum and rubber, and it also matches the same color and texture that you will find on the a7 III. The grip is also supported on the Sony a7R III and a9.

Unfortunately the GP-X1EM will block access to your cameras battery door, so you will need to remove the grip extension in order to change the battery. This isn’t ideal but since the new battery in the a7III lasts so long, it shouldn’t prove to be too much of an inconvenience for many Alpha Shooters.

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Meike MK-X1EM Grip Extension

The Meike MK-X1EM is very similar to the Sony GP-X1EM grip, but it costs half of the price. Just like the Sony grip, you will also need to remove the grip to gain access to the battery.

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Lennon Gecco LB3 Quick Release Plate Hand Grip Extension

The Lennon Gecco LB3 combines a grip extension and a traditional arca swiss plate. The grip is attached via the a7III’s tripod socket and provides somewhere for you little finger to rest. Both Sony and Meike also offer similar grips but they need to be removed to change the battery. The Lennon grip however also includes an unlock button so that you can change your cameras battery without removing the grip itself. There is also an additional side plate (Lennon LB2) that can be purchased to turn the grip into an L-bracket.

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If you have your own experience with any of these battery grips or grip extensions, or you know of another grip that should be included here, please do leave a comment below.

Finally, if you are on Facebook then our friendly Facebook Groups are a great place to share your images or ask any questions you may have. We have niche focused groups for landscape, portrait, wildlife, sports, wedding, macro, street, and video shooters, as well as a generic group for everything else.

Happy shooting! 🙂