Hello everyone... I've been "lurking" here for some time but felt compelled to write in with my first post offering my 2
sense on John's OMD grip.
First let me just say that before purchasing one, I decided to avail myself of the opportunity to give John a buzz as he too is located in Brooklyn. He was very gracious and invited me to stop by his STATE-OF-THE-ART metal fabrication business (located in the iconic Brooklyn Navy Yard since the early 80's). John caters to high-end architectural clients requiring custom designed and machined / fabricated metal-work (read $1M custom designed staircases, etc). His 10,000 sq. ft. facility features state-of-the-art CNC, water jet, laser cutting machinery as well as the traditional metal working machinery of the trade. John employs 10 full time skilled craftsmen here. To say that I was impressed with his facility would be a gross understatement. This was my first clue that John knows what he's doing...
The second clue? How about the fact the he's an avid photographer that shoots with top-end gear (Leica M / digital, Phase One 65, Rolleiflex, Sony NEX and of course the OLY OMD -- which he asserted was his "favorite"). With this in mind, I'm sure that many of you already own his other custom designed photo gadgets (Leica M adapters, etc). The guy is a genius and at this point I was feeling real lucky to have him in my back yard!
Getting back to reality, I finally had an opportunity to have a look and get my hands on his latest OMD grip. As many have already opined, it's jewel-like and beautifully designed / machined. Although well finished, it still retains a sort of industrial look to its "polished" anodized finish.
Without getting into all of the details of how I use it and which fingers go where, let me just say that it just works. I'm a pro photographer and I shoot A LOT of images at any given time. Without John's grip I often felt that the OMD was going to slip out of my hand -- tiny and slippery as it is. With the grip installed the camera feels VERY secure and snug in my hand and although it obviously adds more "bulk" to the OMD's tiny dimensions, the camera / grip combo have a stealthy feel to them. Do I miss having an additional shutter release button?!? NOPE.
What else is really cool about John's grip? How about that changing the battery or switching SD cards is a cinch? No need to remove the grip to get at either. Despite that the bottom plate doesn't extend the full width of the OMD's base (which I initially thought would irritate me to no end) the camera & grip combo is well balanced and when in use, feels like a natural extension of my hand.
Anything bother me about it? Yeah, I don't like the fact that one has to carry the right sized allen wrench along in order to remove it. That said, unless you're simply sick and tired of the visual aesthetic with the grip installed, one really wouldn't have a practical reason to remove it. Right?!? Price?!? John's rate is $200 / hour. Considering the level of sophistication and CUSTOM design that's gone into his [100% US manufactured] grip (now in its second iteration), and the fact that it's CNC machined out of billet aircraft grade aluminum, anodized and then custom fitted with the strap thingy, etc, I consider it a bargain. :thumbup:
Enough said. John's grip is a winner in my humble opinion. Here's a pic of my OMD / Milich Grip.
