is a reviewer covering laptops and the occasional gadget. He spent over 15 years in the photography industry before joining The Verge as a deals writer in 2021.
I was stoked to learn that the recently announced Sony A7 V had improved ergonomics. Just like I was happy to first hear that Sony’s flagship A9 III and A1 II cameras got new ergonomic grip designs before that. I actually bought an A9 III to replace my aging A9 II for my wedding photography. But Sony’s ergonomic improvements have disappointed me time and time again, both in my personal cameras and ones I’ve tested for The Verge.
The new designs seemed good at first, with the A9 III and A1 II featuring slightly taller grips with better rounded contours, but they just aren’t comfy enough for pro cameras designed to be used for hours on end. And the new A7 V, the camera designed to appeal to a wider audience, is the weakest of all the new ergonomic designs. Its grip isn’t as tall or contoured as Sony’s pro flagships, despite Sony being known for putting many of the same exact features and designs from its highest-end cameras into much more affordable models.
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1 / 6 Left: the original Sony A1 with the old grip design. Middle: The A9 III with revised and slightly better design. Right: The A7 V and its slightly revised but barely improved grip.
I’ve been railing against this niche nuisance for years now. And I give Sony credit for at least starting to pay attention to it in 2023 with the A9 III, but it just isn’t doing enough. My A9 III feels slightly better to use than my original A1 that I pair it with for weddings, but no matter which I use it’s almost a guarantee that after a 10-hour wedding the middle joint of my middle finger is going to hurt. As I’ve written about before, I nicknamed this the “Sony knuckle” with my fellow wedding photographers who also shoot with high-end Alphas and go home with at least a tiny bit of pain and discomfort after a long day (compounded further for anyone working a double, triple, or the dreaded quad over a weekend).
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