Best Battery Grip for Sony A7 II, A7S II and A7R II in 2022

If you’re looking to get a battery grip for your Sony A7 II, A7S II or the A7R II, you have plenty of options to choose from.

The official, Sony battery grip, is not the cheapest one, so we had to look at third-party options that cost less, and wrote what (if any) drawbacks you should expect.

All grips in this guide are compatible with every A7 II model.

Best Sony A7 II, A7S II and A7R II Battery Grips:

• Sony VGC2EM Grip
• Meike MK-A7II Grip
• Powerextra VG-C2EM Grip

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1. Sony VGC2EM Grip

This is the official Sony VGC2EM grip that costs over $300.

It’s the heaviest of all 3, made of the best material, and is also the most durable. Not to say the other two aren’t, but you’ve got one less thing to worry about with it.

It’s easier to both see, and press the buttons on the Sony grip, especially if you can’t always look at what you’re pressing. While the design matches the original A7 II much more nicely, this alone is definitely not worth the extra price.

All in all, if you have enough money and want the best, this is an easy choice.

You can buy it at Amazon or see more reviews here.

2. Meike MK-A7 II Grip

For the price, you can’t find anything better than the Meike MK-A7 II grip.

It’s lighter, mostly because it’s made out of plastic, but still feels durable and not like it’s cheaply made. Again, it’s not as good as the one above, but it’s not bad at all.

The battery tray is a single unit, so it’s slightly more annoying to put the 2nd battery in (first one is okay). This is a small issue, one that will you take a few seconds more than with the official grip.

To top it off, Meike includes a wireless remote control that works flawlessly. For less than $100, this is an excellent combo deal.

You can buy it at Amazon or see more reviews here.

3. Powerextra VG-C2EM Grip

The Powerextra VG-C2EM still made it on our list, even though we prefer the Meike as our third-party grip.

Design wise, they’re both very similar. The main difference is that the Powerextra costs almost half as much as Meike, so if you’re looking for the absolutely cheapest option, this one is unbeatable.

With all of these 3 grips, the more you pay, the more you can expect. Usually, the sweet spot is in the middle (Meike), but we can safely say that they all feel good in hand and work well with all Sony A7 II models.

It all comes down to your budget and how often you intend to use the grip.

You can buy it at Amazon or see more reviews here.

3 Advantages of a Battery Grip

Why get a battery grip in the first place?

• Battery grips add stability and size to your overall camera setup. If you find the A7 II camera too small/light with your lenses, and/or often shoot sports and wildlife, it will help a lot
• You can insert 2 batteries and simply double your shooting time.
• Vertical photography is easier thanks to another shutter button + extra buttons/dials

The obvious improvement is the added size and stability, especially when using bigger lenses. If you are into sports/telephoto photography, your overall system will balance much better, allowing you to get less blurry shots.

The second, and probably the most important, is the fact that you double your shooting time. Mirrorless cameras are known for lasting much less than DSLRs. With a battery grip, you simply insert 2 x NP-FW50 (A7 II compatible) batteries and can get well over 1000 shots with a single charge.

Lastly, shooting in vertical is much easier since the grip itself has an extra shutter button, as well as other important dials and buttons you can find on the camera itself.