The thing about the Sony F717's ergonomics is that they are strange if you are shooting it from eye level, but after owning a F707 for quite a while I learned that the trick was to put it on a neck strap, and shoot with the lens swiveled up from somewhere around waist level. From that position, not only is holding the camera more comfortable, but with your elbows and upper arms against your body, it is stabilized better than when held near the face, allowing for sharper low-light type photography. I remember being able to handhold 1/15th second shots with that camera that I simply cannot manage to keep steady enough for with the Sigma SD9.