Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Custom Grip Needed for My Tiny Sony RX100--Enter Richard Franiec's Custom Grip for the Sony RX100


The Sony RX100---The Ultimate Camera Grip Design Challenge!

 Product Stock  Images © 2013 Richard Franiec
When I first got the Sony RX100 as a carry in my pocket all the time camera, I was really worried about it sliding out of my hands.  I have medium size hands with very long fingers and the beautifully finished smooth metal surface of the Sony RX100 seemed slippery to me.   I decided very quickly that I needed to find an add on grip as soon as possible.  I decided to go with one of Richard Franiec's custom grips.  I had put one of his grips on my Sigma DP2M which you can read about here in this article, so I was already familiar with the high quality of Richard's camera grips.  My selection criteria for purchasing a grip remained the same as before:

1.  The grip must not look like an add on camera grip. It must look as though it is part of the original camera design.  No clunky add on designs.  
2.  I didn't want a cheap plastic grip. Can't stand them.
3.  I didn't want a grip that would add substantial bulk or weight to the camera.  I bought this tiny camera for a  reason---so it fit into the front or back pocket of my blue jeans, shirt pocket etc.
4.  The grip must be precision made and high quality so that it can withstand years of use and it must match the existing camera's finish.
5.  It needs to be reasonably priced.

At first when I installed the grip, I had my misgivings about the design. It seemed large compared to the tiny camera body---but I was comparing this design to the grip Richard designed for the Sigma DP Merrill series compact cameras - like trying to compare apples to oranges.  Different sized bodies, different design criteria, so I wrote  Richard Franiec and ask him about the design choice and size of the grip in relationship to the size of the Sony RX100.  He responded :  "RX100 grip was possibly the biggest challenge to design to date. If you’ll look at the “naked” RX100, you can easily notice that the distance from the lens housing to the edge of gripped side is very short. To create space for the middle finger I had to move the ridge to the outside as far as I could and to raise the ridge area so it will provide the positive support. All that integrated with the camera control layout for best ergonomics. I think that the grip blends with the camera body quite well." --Richard Franiec
Fair enough.  The  grip met my #3  design criteria of not adding substantial bulk or weight  and it easily fit in my front and back jeans pockets and shirt pocket which was important to me. I had to take this grip and camera out and so some serious shooting!

Verdict:  This grip is a " must have" for the Sony RX100!


I couldn't have been further out in left field with my first impressions of this grip.  What was I thinking? After shooting hundreds of shots with the grip on the Sony RX100, I am satisfied that the grip is the perfect match for the RX100. Richard really did meet this difficult design challenge and designed the perfect grip of the RX100.  Did I mention that I have medium sized hands and very long fingers?  
 Look How Tiny this camera is in my medium sized hands!  Notice the wrist strap on my wrist! Not taking ant chances dropping this tiny camera.  The image quality coming out of this miniature point and shoot sized camera is amazing too.  
I have more confidence shooting with the Sony RX100 now as I don't feel like at any moment the camera is going to pop out of my hands and go crashing to the floor---and thank goodness for that wrist strap or it would have been a disaster when I first shot with the RX100. 
The aluminum grip molds perfectly to the camera and is held to the camera with space age two sided tape from 3M designed for hot and cold temperature use. It is not coming off easily, but can be removed without damaging the camera and reattached if needed.  The grip is made from a solid block of machined aluminum that is sealed using hot distilled water to seal the anodizing finish. Anodizing is an electrochemical process which changes surface structure of aluminum. Different dyes are used in the process to achieve the desired color. No paint is used per se. The anodized surface has vastly improved hardness and corrosion resistance compared to the base metal.
The grip is high quality and precision made. Once you install it and use it, you won't ever think about it again as it just becomes part of the camera.  Below is a short video clip I shot handheld with my iPhone, so I left the lens closed as to not obscure the view of the grip and its ergonomic curves .
The Richard Franiec Sony RX100 grip meets the criteria that I was looking for, it is light, doesn't add substantial weight or bulk to the camera, fits in my pants and shirt pockets and is  precision made of high quality machined aluminum with a finish matches the Sony RX100 so it doesn't look like an add on grip.  The price is also reasonable at $34.95 USD plus shipping.   Once you put this grip on the Sony RX100,  you will not want to take it off again.  It can be purchased via this website.