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[OM] WTB Grip for OM-3,3Ti,4,4T,4Ti

Subject: [OM] WTB Grip for OM-3,3Ti,4,4T,4Ti
From: usher99@xxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 17:36:25 -0500 (EST)
That is what I would call the DEFINITIVE treatise on the topic. They 
were available for 10 -15 bucks now and again 5 years ago, but that was 
then.
Where else is such an analysis to be had?

Ours is little gifty from Moose and used all the time. Marnie really 
benefited but I am enamored of it now too given our none-too-small walk 
about lens. I trust it has a worthy home.

Tight grip on the 4T, Mike



The grip attachment is an interesting little bugger. The only thing it
provides is a tiny bit of lip for holding onto the camera when it is 
being
carried in a ready position by the right hand. When actually shooting, 
it
adds a little something, but doesn't really make much of a difference 
on or
off. When carried by the right hand, this attachment allows the camera 
to
be held with the thumb and middle finger. Without the attachment, you 
need
to squeeze a little harder and incorporate most of the fingers to keep 
from
dropping the camera.

This is entirely different than when a winder or motordrive is attached 
to
the camera. In this case, most of the hand and palm is used to hold the
camera. These power attachments do have one distinct advantage, though.
When you have the camera hanging down at your side, you can actually 
relax
your finger and literally let it dangle from your fingertips. The 
winders
actually do this a little better than the motordrives.

Yesterday, for breakfast, I met with a couple other film photographers 
in
town who happen to shoot with Canon FD equipment. The one had an F1 with
this big motordrive attached. Honestly, I wonder how it would fit in a
compact car. Big, heavy and simply astonishing how uncomfortable to 
hold it
was. The grip was so massive that my hands couldn't hang on very well. 
12
stinking batteries inside it! The other guy had some AE1(program) bodies
with the drives attached to them. 8 batteries inside of them. I did 
manage
to bring the OM-3Ti as well as an OM-4T. The OM-4T was equipped with the
MD2. I am SOOOOO thankful that I chose Olympus 26 years ago.

Back to the grip...

The usefulness of the grip depends a lot on the lens attached to the
camera. I actually prefer the OM body to be gripless if I'm using my
24/2.8, 35/2.8, 50/1.4 or 100/2.8. But if the 35-80/2.8 or 100/2 is
attached, the grip makes a lot of difference. Asking the question 'why?"
does reveal a dramatic change in how a camera is held based on weight 
and
design of the lens. The older and shorter lenses really balance 
correctly
with the left hand cradling the lens and body. Thumb and middle finger 
land
on the focus ring, index finger landing on the aperture ring. It is very
very natural for me to then carry and hold the camera with the left hand
and when I bring the camera up to the eye, my right hand will then join 
the
action and provide guiding, shutter-release and film-advance duties. 
With
these lenses, the camera body itself is firmly planted in the upturned 
palm
of the left hand.

The 100/2 and 35-80/2.8 present a totally different situation, though. 
The
CG is shifted so far forward that the camera ends up landing in the 
heal of
the hand and the fingers are farther forward of the camera body. In the
case of the 35-80/2.8, the rings are reversed position with the aperture
next to the lens mount, the zoom ring in the middle and the focus ring
farther forward. Because the CG shift, the fingers are now load-bearing.
Using a 35-80/2.8 on a driveless OM body is fatiguing after a while. I 
can
carry and shoot an OM with 35/2.8 all day, but the 35-80/2.8 requires 
some
assistance.




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