Review on 📷 Fotodiox Pro Black Camera Hand Grip for Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II Mirrorless Micro Four-Thirds Digital Camera with Battery Access - All Metal by Jonathan Wilson

I've always been surprised by the tiny size of the gear for m43s cameras. I don't know why, I know exactly how tiny the E-M10 is; it's just that the photos in the catalog always kind of enlarge things. Photos give them more "presence". It's no different with the Fotodiox Pro Grip for the E-M10. When I opened the box I was surprised at how small it was. It fits my camera like a glove. The claim that the user has easy access to the battery and memory card connector is correct. The A/V HDMI connection on the right side is also available with an attached handle. I'm sure it adds an ounce or two to the overall weight of the camera body, but I don't even notice it. The base portion of the handle assembly is designed to allow the pivoting viewing screen to move without restriction, and the base is attached to the camera. There are no "gradations" here. The mounting screw uses a tripod mount located just behind the lens, allowing for another tripod mount offset to the left. For most people this will not cause any major problems; However, if you like to create a lot of seams to create panoramas, it will be easier to get suitable photos if the tripod's pivot point is directly behind the lens. Therefore, panorama photographers may want to remove the handle when photographing them. But the main question is, does it make holding the camera easier? And yes, especially when I have my favorite legacy lens on, an Olympus/Zuiko 14-54 Mk which I originally designed for 4/3s DSLRs. These telecentric lenses are slightly larger and heavier than native m43s lenses, making these lenses much easier to use. I'm not sure the smaller m43s kit lens would benefit from such a grip. It's small enough and light enough that camera movement from a lens that's too heavy, leading to an unbalanced build, isn't a huge problem. I wish the actual capture part was a bit bigger. . . convex, it would have been an even more comfortable grip. But the size of the camera body itself can counteract that and will certainly be a bit uglier. (Must be pretty if you plan to sell a lot of these! LOL!) I think the big and thick grip will result in the grip being so close to the lens that there isn't much room for your fingers between the lenses. and the handle, or the handle extends around the right side and may block access to the A/V HDMI ports. Overall, I think the current design is an acceptable compromise between comfort and usability. I can't compare it to the Olympus brand grip, I've never used it. But I think I like the Fotodiox so much that I don't care about the Oly handle. As of this writing, Fotodiox is also cheaper. It's hard to argue with a product that's well designed and cheaper.