EM1 mkii and iii grip vs mki

I use a RRS base plate on the mki, which helps with the grip and especially the pinky.



The grip looks larger on the later models, but would like to know if it’s still “short” in med to large hands.



For those of you who own the later models, do you have base plates installed?

I would say that my hands are somewhat small average and I don't notice much difference between the Mk I and the Mk II in use, the Mk III is noticeably deeper and better. However, I do use the Olympus grips on all three, since I find it much easier to hold and control all three with the grip.

However, I do tend to use larger lenses on the cameras most of the time, like the FTs 12-60 SWD and 50-200 SWD and the mFTs 12-100 and 300mm f4. If I typically used smaller, lighter weight lenses, then I might not use the grips all the time.

mlee0916 said:

I use a RRS base plate on the mki, which helps with the grip and especially the pinky.

The grip looks larger on the later models, but would like to know if it’s still “short” in med to large hands.

For those of you who own the later models, do you have base plates installed?

Click to expand...

I have my own grip. very comfortable.







--
Mike.
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure."

mlee0916 said:

I use a RRS base plate on the mki, which helps with the grip and especially the pinky.

The grip looks larger on the later models, but would like to know if it’s still “short” in med to large hands.

For those of you who own the later models, do you have base plates installed?

Click to expand...

I have the Mark II and a ~9cm-wide right hand (with what looks like a 21cm circumference) and the built-in grip is very comfortable for me. I don’t feel the need for an additional grip. (But then I haven’t tried one, so I may not know what I’m missing out on.)

spider-mario said:

mlee0916 said:

I use a RRS base plate on the mki, which helps with the grip and especially the pinky.

The grip looks larger on the later models, but would like to know if it’s still “short” in med to large hands.

For those of you who own the later models, do you have base plates installed?

Click to expand...

I have the Mark II and a ~9cm-wide right hand (with what looks like a 21cm circumference) and the built-in grip is very comfortable for me. I don’t feel the need for an additional grip. (But then I haven’t tried one, so I may not know what I’m missing out on.)

Click to expand...

The advantage of the Olympus grip is that it not only gives you a place for your little finger, but it protrudes forward somewhat at the bottom below your finger to give a very secure grip and it also holds a second battery. I almost always leave it on the camera, even with smaller lenses, unless I want the minimum size.

drj3 said:

spider-mario said:

I have the Mark II and a ~9cm-wide right hand (with what looks like a 21cm circumference) and the built-in grip is very comfortable for me. I don’t feel the need for an additional grip. (But then I haven’t tried one, so I may not know what I’m missing out on.)

Click to expand...

The advantage of the Olympus grip is that it not only gives you a place for your little finger, but it protrudes forward somewhat at the bottom below your finger to give a very secure grip and it also holds a second battery.

Click to expand...

Actually, I almost forgot but I do have the HLD-9 grip. (It was given away by Olympus when I bought the camera, and now it sits unused in my drawer.) If anything, I find that it gives me perhaps a somewhat *less* secure grip by interfering with the ability of my left hand to support the lens. (I find it hard to give a definite answer but the additional bulk means that it’s almost surely a net negative for me overall.)

I don’t really feel like my right pinky needs much help anyway—the way that I hold the camera, most of the weight in my right hand is on my thumb and my middle finger.

spider-mario said:

drj3 said:

spider-mario said:

I have the Mark II and a ~9cm-wide right hand (with what looks like a 21cm circumference) and the built-in grip is very comfortable for me. I don’t feel the need for an additional grip. (But then I haven’t tried one, so I may not know what I’m missing out on.)

Click to expand...

The advantage of the Olympus grip is that it not only gives you a place for your little finger, but it protrudes forward somewhat at the bottom below your finger to give a very secure grip and it also holds a second battery.

Click to expand...

Actually, I almost forgot but I do have the HLD-9 grip. (It was given away by Olympus when I bought the camera, and now it sits unused in my drawer.) If anything, I find that it gives me perhaps a somewhat *less* secure grip by interfering with the ability of my left hand to support the lens. (I find it hard to give a definite answer but the additional bulk means that it’s almost surely a net negative for me overall.)

I don’t really feel like my right pinky needs much help anyway—the way that I hold the camera, most of the weight in my right hand is on my thumb and my middle finger.

Click to expand...

It probably depends on how you hold the camera when not photographing something. I carry the camera in my right hand unless it is small enough to simply hang around my neck (my E-M10). The grip gives me a more secure right hand only hold for the 12-100 and I cannot imagine trying to carry the 300mm f4 in my right hand without the grip. The grip doesn't typically cause any problem for my left hand, I move it as far forward on the lens as possible to reduce the magnitude of any camera/lens movement at low shutter speeds.

--
drj3

It's interesting that I just happened to have both E-M1s out a few minutes ago. I also have the RRS plate on my E-M1.1. I don't have any extension on the E-M1.2 because I don't feel that I need it. With the E-M1.1 I have about 1/16" left between the pinky and the edge of the plate. With the E-M1.2 the tip of the pinky is firmly on the grip but the pressure applied makes it overhang the camera body by about 1/16". The grip is secure with the 12-100 mounted. It also happens that I was getting the camera out because I wanted to put the 50-200 SWD on it to get some shots this afternoon. With the 50-200 it is admittedly different. I can one hand the camera with lens, but it really isn't optimal. The weight of the lens really demands using two hands with the left supporting the lens. Once this is done the camera's own grip alone is adequate. It's interesting to note that the same lens mounted on my E-1 is a one handed operation, but the grip on that camera is like no other. (I haven't tried the E-M1x though...) For my purposes I don't see any need to add anything to the E-M1.2. You might want to check out the Olympus website for events. Right now they're doing "Touch and Try" events (in the US and Canada) with the latest models. Typically these events also have in store only day of the event discounts, so there's an extra incentive for attending.

rodriguezPhoto said:

It's interesting that I just happened to have both E-M1s out a few minutes ago. I also have the RRS plate on my E-M1.1. I don't have any extension on the E-M1.2 because I don't feel that I need it. With the E-M1.1 I have about 1/16" left between the pinky and the edge of the plate. With the E-M1.2 the tip of the pinky is firmly on the grip but the pressure applied makes it overhang the camera body by about 1/16". The grip is secure with the 12-100 mounted. It also happens that I was getting the camera out because I wanted to put the 50-200 SWD on it to get some shots this afternoon. With the 50-200 it is admittedly different. I can one hand the camera with lens, but it really isn't optimal. The weight of the lens really demands using two hands with the left supporting the lens. Once this is done the camera's own grip alone is adequate. It's interesting to note that the same lens mounted on my E-1 is a one handed operation, but the grip on that camera is like no other. (I haven't tried the E-M1x though...) For my purposes I don't see any need to add anything to the E-M1.2. You might want to check out the Olympus website for events. Right now they're doing "Touch and Try" events (in the US and Canada) with the latest models. Typically these events also have in store only day of the event discounts, so there's an extra incentive for attending.

Click to expand...

I think you are correct about "Touch and Try". Everyone holds the camera differently. I have no trouble holding the E-M1.2 or E-M1.3 in my right hand with either the EC14+50-200 SWD or the 300mm f4 with the grip. I could not do so unless the grip bottom was against my hand as in the attached.







--
drj3

drj3 said:

rodriguezPhoto said:

It's interesting that I just happened to have both E-M1s out a few minutes ago. I also have the RRS plate on my E-M1.1. I don't have any extension on the E-M1.2 because I don't feel that I need it. With the E-M1.1 I have about 1/16" left between the pinky and the edge of the plate. With the E-M1.2 the tip of the pinky is firmly on the grip but the pressure applied makes it overhang the camera body by about 1/16". The grip is secure with the 12-100 mounted. It also happens that I was getting the camera out because I wanted to put the 50-200 SWD on it to get some shots this afternoon. With the 50-200 it is admittedly different. I can one hand the camera with lens, but it really isn't optimal. The weight of the lens really demands using two hands with the left supporting the lens. Once this is done the camera's own grip alone is adequate. It's interesting to note that the same lens mounted on my E-1 is a one handed operation, but the grip on that camera is like no other. (I haven't tried the E-M1x though...) For my purposes I don't see any need to add anything to the E-M1.2. You might want to check out the Olympus website for events. Right now they're doing "Touch and Try" events (in the US and Canada) with the latest models. Typically these events also have in store only day of the event discounts, so there's an extra incentive for attending.

Click to expand...

I think you are correct about "Touch and Try". Everyone holds the camera differently. I have no trouble holding the E-M1.2 or E-M1.3 in my right hand with either the EC14+50-200 SWD or the 300mm f4 with the grip. I could not do so unless the grip bottom was against my hand as in the attached.

Click to expand...

I agree with you, many who don't use grips probably do not have long heavy telephoto lenses, which are used over a long period, causing hand strain. Or perhaps their hands are small enough to grip the camera comfortably and operate the controls with a medium sized lighter lens. I made my own grip extension which allows me to re position my fingers to be able to operate the buttons and other control's without constantly shifting the camera around in my right hand to reach them. This is how I hold the camera with my own grip.







I still support the lens with my left hand, I'm sure your body automatically balances weight between hands, whatever you are carrying without you realising it. I once forgot to take my grip for a Nikon D500 plus 200-500 to a motor race and after a few hours my right hand was very uncomfortable, Basically if I tried to wear someone else's gloves they would be either to small or with a small possibility of being too large, we all have different shaped hands , there is no one size fits all

--
Mike.
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure."

mlee0916 said:

I use a RRS base plate on the mki, which helps with the grip and especially the pinky.

The grip looks larger on the later models, but would like to know if it’s still “short” in med to large hands.

For those of you who own the later models, do you have base plates installed?

Click to expand...

I have large hands, and have custom base plates on both of my E-M1.2’s. Basically, I put them on all of my cameras for added height, attachment of camera straps, and mounting on tripods.

spider-mario said:

drj3 said:

spider-mario said:

I have the Mark II and a ~9cm-wide right hand (with what looks like a 21cm circumference) and the built-in grip is very comfortable for me. I don’t feel the need for an additional grip. (But then I haven’t tried one, so I may not know what I’m missing out on.)

Click to expand...

The advantage of the Olympus grip is that it not only gives you a place for your little finger, but it protrudes forward somewhat at the bottom below your finger to give a very secure grip and it also holds a second battery.

Click to expand...

Actually, I almost forgot but I do have the HLD-9 grip. (It was given away by Olympus when I bought the camera, and now it sits unused in my drawer.) If anything, I find that it gives me perhaps a somewhat *less* secure grip by interfering with the ability of my left hand to support the lens. (I find it hard to give a definite answer but the additional bulk means that it’s almost surely a net negative for me overall.)

I don’t really feel like my right pinky needs much help anyway—the way that I hold the camera, most of the weight in my right hand is on my thumb and my middle finger.

Click to expand...

Actually if you check the size of your hand, here glove size you will find you have small to medium hand size.

I have the Mk1 and find the grip too small. If I firmly hold the grip, the base of the thumb is all over the OK toggle switch so I'm forever inadvertently moving the focus point. I once held a Mk2 and found it instantly more comfortable.