While I agree with the previous reviewer that Sony could have made better provisions for charging, this grip is the perfect companion for the new a7 II body. Coming from the bigger DSLR body like a77 II, the smaller a7II body felt small and sometimes a little clumpsy. Adding the grip not only increases usability, but provides a better grip of the camera especially if you have big hands. Another plus is the extended battery life. I bought an external charger and charge the batteries separately. For the price I am considering buying another charger So i can charge both batteries. Great product!... Read More  Hide

I was afraid that i would have to keep 2 batteries in at all times, but it will run off of one while you charge the other - great feature! works great and doubles your battery life.

Very annoyed that this item doesn't charge the batteries when it is connected to the camera! And, seeing that Sony does not supply a career with the cameras, only a USB cable, the only way to charge the batteries is to remove the vertical grip, replace the little door on the body, charge each battery separately via the USB cable connected to the camera, remove the little door and reattach the grip. Not the smartest way to engineer something. This is going back as it is easier to just carry a backup battery then deal with all this nonsense.... Read More  Hide