In love with your Sony RX100? Get a grip! (No, really!)

If you've read a few of our compact camera reviews over the last couple of years, there's a good chance you'll have heard of accessory maker Richard Franiec. We've tried several of his custom-made accessory grips for cameras such as the Canon PowerShot S100, Nikon V1, and the Olympus XZ-1. Richard's handgrips are CNC machined from aircraft-grade aluminum, which is then bead-blasted, black anodized, and nickel sealed, for a durable, attractive finish. He also offers mechanical cable release adapters crafted from DuPont Delrin plastic, as well as a selection of hot shoe covers for various camera models.

We've found Richard's grips to be a great addition to the typical smooth, near-featureless compact camera body offered by many manufacturers nowadays, in an effort to provide clean looks and the slimmest body possible. While these flat-bodied cameras look great on a spec sheet, they're less comfortable and secure in-hand than one with a bit of a grip.

Sony's Cyber-shot RX100 camera with Richard Franiec Custom RX100 grip attached. Photo provided by Richard Franiec.

We're pleased, then, to hear that Richard has another new grip in development. Slated for availability in early August 2012, the CG-RX100 Custom RX100 Grip will be priced at US$35 or thereabouts, and should make Sony's exciting Cyber-shot RX100 large-sensor compact even more enjoyable to shoot with. As you can see in the image below, it doesn't protrude beyond the depth of the lens barrel even when retracted, so it won't detract from the camera's pocket-friendly nature. As with other Franiec grips, it attaches to the camera body securely with 3M VHB clear transfer tape, which can be removed without damaging camera or grip if you want to return it to the stock, gripless design at a later date.

The Richard Franiec Custom RX100 grip doesn't protrude beyond the RX100's lens barrel. Photo provided by Richard Franiec.