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Open Challenges!

Posting yet another mini review for a bit of M43 kit, mostly because the items I've purchased have seemingly been under-reviewed by the usual camera sites. That doesn't make me an expert, but perhaps a bit of detail on a lesser-known product could help a random Googler. This time, it's the Haoge L-Grip for the E-M5.3, or as Amazon calls it, "Haoge HG-EM5III Quick Release Plate Camera Bracket Holder Hand Grip for Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III fit Arca Swiss Sunwayfoto Kirk RRS Benro." I kinda wonder if someone is getting paid by the word. Mounted and ready for business. L-bracket not mounted. Top down view (large eyecup installed) As EM5.3 owners know, there really aren't a lot of grip options out there. There's the Olympus-made ECG-5, which is considerably more expensive. Yes, it is probably the smoothest design for the E-M5.3, and it offers a dial and shutter button, but it's also kinda expensive, and has a serious design flaw, IMO--you can't access the battery hatch without removing it! To me, that is an incredibly bad oversight on Olympus's part, especially since the EM5 isn't exactly a camel when it comes to battery life. The last thing I'd want to do in the field is remove and reattach the grip to swap batteries. Think about that, if you bought the grip and bolted it on, chances are you intend to do some serious shooting, probably with bigger lenses that have OIS, which guzzle down battery. Really seems like a tremendously poor design decision, one that surprises me, coming from Olympus. Perhaps one could make the argument that such a design wasn't possible, yet the HG-EM5III provides exactly that! I can see my battery hatch from here! So for about $55, you get a solid metal grip, with a removable L-bracket, and a hex wrench for tightening. The grip is designed to work with Arca tripod mounts, which is likely a bonus for many users. I pretty much never use my Arca tripod--that's what the IBIS is for! I did check it on my fancy tripod, and it mounts securely. It doesn't take much effort to get it set up, and the grip adds 102 grams to the carry weight (with L-bracket removed). By my math, that increases the pull of gravity on the feather-light EM5iii body by 25%, so it's noticeable, but so is the handling. That puts the total body weight at 527g, which is about 10% less than the curb weight of the EM1.3. Having handled the EM1.3 extensively, I can say it is not exactly the same feel, but you end up with a pretty comfortable experience. I have large-ish hands, and things end up pretty comfy. The bottom of the bracket is tall enough the take my pinky from hanging off the bottom, while the grip extension covers the bottom two fingers comfortably. The "hostile communication finger" rests above that extension, but it naturally finds itself wrapped around because of where your thumb and index finger land to wield the camera. It's a pretty confident grip. In regard to shooting, I don't have any hefty lenses, but I did find it helped add confidence when handling the 75-300ii, which is a very light lens for its range. The extra mass and grip aids with stability, which can make a big difference on that lens in particular. When paired with primes, it can look a bit oversized, but the same would be true if you had the G9, or maybe the E-M1. I'm not concerned about looks as much as handling, and there it seems just fine. More time with the HG-EM5III will tell, but I don't see it as an issue. I had no problem reaching or operating the front custom button with the grip attached, and there are no problems articulating the rear display, at least with the L-bracket off. If you use the L-bracket, the screen isn't coming out very far. I suppose you could mount that L-bracket the opposite direction, but I don't know if that would be wise, structurally-speaking. I'm more interested in handling, so the L-bracket came off right out of the box. So far so good, right? Well, it's hard to tell exactly if this is an issue, but fit could be a little better. You can see a bit of light in between the grip and the body on the power button side, so it's not exactly a tight fit across the entirety of the base. However, there is no wiggle or wobble to worry about. I just lightly hand-tightened the bracket. I'm not about to torque-down hard on the mostly-plastic body of the E-M5.3. If it weren't for that bit, I'd say I'm impressed with the overall fit and finish, as the grip is clearly designed to match the creases and lines of the E-M5.3 rather well. It's quite an attractive finished product. Not quite a tight fit on this end. The grip matches the lines of the E-M5.3 pretty well. So there's my mini review. I can add more content for those that are curious, or provide some photos of it with the L-Bracket and maybe slapped on a tripod.
The local arts group organizes public art at the Knoxville airport (TYS.) They change out the artworks on display every six months, with the new works being chosen by a new "Juror" each time. I have submitted pieces to be displayed for the last two years, but have never had one chosen. It has either been bad luck, or I have been picking the wrong pieces to submit. Since it is a wide open space and being available to the general public, I tend to submit more traditional pieces. I don't really think it is a good space for my abstract work. I was thinking of submitting versions of the following three shots: Each printed rather large - 24x36 inches. This time I wanted to go for a more 'Fine Art' photography feel. Any opinions on my selections? Has anyone done similar submissions? What has worked, what hasn't? Or maybe I should try other images? Thanks for any help!

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