Wooden hand grip?

Kyle, What's up with these hand-grips? I see them on all kinds of expensive cameras. Do people get repetitive stress syndrome from shutter releases, or from holding a camera a lot? I'm not being smart ass I just never understood why. Even stranger are those little round wooden hand grip deals they make for CV cameras. Those really look awkward to me.
 
Michiel said:
I'd like a handgrip on my Yashica. It's really heavy and to thin to hold comfortably for a long time. My hand gets cramped.

Compare it to holding one of those new SLR bodies. They have build in handgrips and it's like holding on to a moustrap: you don't have to do anything, it just stays in your hand.
Click to expand...

Michiel, That I can understand I liked the Yashica Electro I had, but for me it was too heavy to hand carry for hours at a time. I guess a hand grip would provide a more comfortable way to carry it. Thanks, Jim
 
JimG said:
Kyle, What's up with these hand-grips? I see them on all kinds of expensive cameras. Do people get repetitive stress syndrome from shutter releases, or from holding a camera a lot? I'm not being smart ass I just never understood why. Even stranger are those little round wooden hand grip deals they make for CV cameras. Those really look awkward to me.
Click to expand...

Its a love it or hate it thing, I guess. I really liked the CV grip on the R, and I have a grip for my ZI and its really nice. When you have a grip on, holding a camera is effortless, so its nice to have if you're into them.
 
That wood grip for the Leica looks like pretty wood, and appears well-made, but somehow wood does look strange on a Leica. I do like a side grip, and appreciate when the camera maker shapes the camera to make it easy to grip, like the Contax G1/2 and Bronica RF5645. And I admit I do have the CV grip on my L and a trigger winder on the T, plus Leica's own side grip on my M2. There'd surely have been screams of outrage from the purists if Leica had reshaped the MP to have a built-in grip, but they probably could have gotten away with it on the M7, and I would have viewed that as a plus. 😀
 
AFAIK it's not a one-off thing. I've noticed a few in the last few weeks. My guess is it's something that will be on sale on eBay for a long time.
 
i like it!
but too much $$ for me.

it would look great on a reskinned leica, especially a warm brown skin.

grips are not really necessary if you use a neck strap and have the camera hanging on you. i have been using a long domke strap on the cl, hanging it across my body and pulling it up to shoot - no grip needed at all.
but the zi or the m3 are on wrist straps and the grip truly helps the weak wristed among us 😉 to carry a cam for hours at a time. without the grip, i tend to carry a cam by the lens with the body resting up against the palm.

anyway, i like that grip.
joe
 
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Stick with the handgripes provided by Leica, both with and without the current motor drive unit for the M.

I do wish Leica would add a grip for their Leicavit but I odn't see that ever happening.
 
This seems to be a fine and well crafted product, perhaps strange for a Leica, but not lacking the look of a custom made grip. I think it will be best suited for an MP a la carte, or if it´s available in black, for a black body.
I think that handgrips are a good way to help keeping the camera steady and easily, disregarding what camera are you using.
I allways liked to have grips for my cameras after testing a Canon A1 with motor and handgrip. Even being very heavy, it was comfortable to handle and work with it.
So, a grip is something IMO well worth.
 
back alley said:
too thick for what?
Click to expand...

Too thick for the bag that I picked up which has just enough interior dimension for a Leica + some room for an external viewfinder.

Even without the above constraint, why add extra heft to an already hefty camera?
 
I met a man at a camera fair that had one on his own yashica electro. He had made them for years for leicas, but he was using this one himself on his yashica... It also had a battery adapter built into the grip to use regular batteries.

He told me he had sold them for about $300 for the leicas, lol.
 
After surgery I now have a weak right hand and have found the "grip" idea attractive. Putting the motor drive on my OM-1 makes it easier to handle. Almost makes up for the added bulk. Using a flash bracket to hold big honking strobes also takes the burden off my hand.

Being a wood worker, I am now inspired. Thought about making wood grip panels to replace the cheezy plastic ones on my folding flash bracket, but this is better.

I think something like a less bulky aluminum "L" with a wooden grip shaped to suit the particular camera. . Screwed on like a handgun grip. Interchangeable. Fancy checkering, exotic hardwood, or leather to match that purple lizard.

GAS without pain: make yer own cool stuff. Need a couple new tools though...
 
Wimpler said:
I met a man at a camera fair that had one on his own yashica electro. He had made them for years for leicas, but he was using this one himself on his yashica... It also had a battery adapter built into the grip to use regular batteries.

He told me he had sold them for about $300 for the leicas, lol.
Click to expand...

I had the same idea for my Electro 35. This would help a lot as the camera is too thin to be handled with comfort. The grip will also double as a battery holder for a CR-P2 battery.

Ernesto
 
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