M43 cameras are just too small so I am jumping ship...

WhiteBeard wrote:

D4vith wrote:

My first MFT camera was a GX9.

Quickly I found the handling to be quite uncomfortable due to the small grip. I'm sure I would have dropped it at some point. So I added a grip.

Then I saw the G9 and couldn't resist. I feel like it has the best ergonomics of any camera I've tried. For me the strength of MFT is not necessarily the size of the bodies but of the lenses. I shoot a lot (took more than 30k pics in a year) so it has to be comfortable.

I think a good compromise regarding size is the G80 which feels great in the hand. I didn't like any of the Olympus cameras except for the EM1 mk II.

Buying a small compact camera because it is small and compact and then adding a grip so it handles better just doesn't make any sense to me

When so many people agree on something they're bound to have their reason. For many and myself the E-M5 ii with the 14mm or 20mm from Pana or equivalent is so light that it could be built like a pack of cigarettes and it would not matter. With a large lens like the Oly Pro 40-150mm it is another matter and the grip helps. During winter, while cold the batteries aren't as powerful and so one more in the grip is welcome addition. I could multiply the examples and then multiply them by all the different preferences of everyone.

It took me all of 45 minutes to find that my original choice of a GX85 was too small - not mentioning the horrible EVF - and that the GX8 felt "just right". I was lucky enough to have been in a period of GX8 promo / sale so I got it for 949$ Cdn + Tx. I might never had done so if I hadn't first tried it on in a store - remember those? - against the GX85.

Your experience and opinion matters as it leads to good practice in general. I bought my G9 at Photo Service in Montreal and I agree with you.