Adding one-handed stills and video controls plus a camera support and handhold, the $140 GP-VPT2BT Wireless Shooting Grip from Sony will start preorder this January 16th for delivery by end-of-month.
It will be compatible with most new Sony Alpha digital cameras provided they are current in firmware.
The cable-free system will communicate wirelessly through Bluetooth to control the camera, even remotely. The GP-VPT2BT can switch between stills and movie modes through dedicated PHOTO and MOVIE buttons.
Alongside a “Flip” button for a selfie mode, the handle also has one-touch access to horizontal and vertical axis locks plus cradle-switch zooming.
No word on power nor the C1 button, though the latter is generally programmable for frequently used settings like ISO, bracketing and image quality.
The GP-VPT2BT Wireless Shooting Grip will support, so to speak, the Sony Alpha 9 II, Alpha 9, Alpha 7R IV, Alpha 7R III, Alpha 7 III, Alpha 6600, Alpha 6400, Alpha 6100, RX100 VII and RX0 II models.
Sony sent us this note regarding required firmware (Windows here and firmwares for Macs here): “ILCE-9 requires firmware v6.0; ILCE-7M3/ILCE-7RM3 require firmware v3.0 or newer; ILCE6400 requires firmware v2.0 or newer. ILCE-9M2, ILCE-7RM4, ILCE-6600, ILCE-6100, RX100M7 require no update.”