So I just upgraded to the Sony a7R VI for my portrait business and I have a huge weekend-long wedding shoot coming up in Chicago next month and honestly I am stressing out about the battery life and ergonomics. Shooting vertical for hours is going to absolutely destroy my wrists without a grip. I spent basically my entire gear budget on the body itself so I am super strapped for cash right now but I need something reliable.

I did some digging online and saw that Sony has their official VG-C5 grip but it is insanely expensive, like almost four hundred bucks which is wild. But then I read on a couple of forums that the third-party options, like the Neewer one and some Meike grips, have issues with the shutter button response time and sometimes the camera throws a compatibility warning on the screen which would terrify me during a live ceremony. Some people say the dials on the cheaper ones feel super plasticky and skip frames when you spin them fast. But then other reviews say they work perfectly and saving $300 is a no-brainer.

I really cant afford to have my camera freeze or glitch out mid-shoot, but my bank account is crying after buying this camera body. I need to make a decision by next week so it arrives in time for me to test it before the trip.

Has anyone actually used a third-party grip on the a7R VI yet, or did you bite the bullet and buy the OEM Sony one? Is the official one actually worth that crazy price tag or is there a specific third-party model that is actually 100% reliable for professional work?