OM System OM-3 Hand Grip Comparison: Which One Is Right for You?

I recently added the OM System OM-3 to my camera kit, and one thing became obvious almost immediately: I really wanted a better grip.

The OM-3’s flat-front, retro-inspired design is a big part of its appeal. It keeps the camera compact and gives it a very different feel from cameras such as the OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II.

However, that design also means there isn’t much for your fingers to wrap around.

With a small lens such as the M.Zuiko 12-45mm f/4 PRO, the OM-3 is certainly usable without a grip. But I never felt like I had as secure a hold on the camera as I wanted, particularly when carrying it one-handed.

I had almost exactly the same experience with my Panasonic Lumix S9. Adding an aftermarket grip made a surprisingly large improvement in how comfortable and secure that camera felt.

So before spending much time shooting with the OM-3, I started researching grip options.

Four Grips for the OM System OM-3 That I Considered

There are several aftermarket grips available for the OM-3, but I narrowed the choices to four that offered meaningfully different approaches:

• SmallRig 5563 L-Shaped Mount Plate with Wooden Handle
• Haoge HG-OM3 Hand Grip
• Leofoto LPO-OM-3 L-Plate
• 3 Legged Thing Oscar QD L-Bracket and Grip

All four provide additional grip while retaining access to important camera functions, but there are substantial differences in weight, design, features, and price.

Grip	Approx. Weight	Advantages	Disadvantages
SmallRig 5563	62g / 2.2 oz	Extremely lightweight; wooden grip complements OM-3 styling; Arca-compatible base; full access to battery, ports and controls; inexpensive	Requires included magnetic wrench; grip is attached primarily from the bottom; not as deep as some alternatives
Haoge HG-OM3	About 124g / 4.4 oz	Deeper grip; Arca-compatible base; removable vertical plate; textured gripping surface; good value	Roughly twice the weight of the SmallRig; requires a tool for installation
Leofoto LPO-OM-3	80g / 2.8 oz	Lightweight; clean integrated design; Arca-compatible; full access to battery, cards and ports	More expensive than the SmallRig; grip shape and Creative Dial clearance may not work equally well for everyone
3 Legged Thing Oscar QD	178g / 6.3 oz	Full-featured L-bracket; removable grip; Arca-compatible in horizontal and vertical orientations; QD socket; Peak Design Capture compatibility	By far the heaviest and most expensive option; probably more bracket than most photographers need simply to improve the grip

SmallRig 5563

The SmallRig 5563 immediately caught my attention because of its weight.

At only 62g, or about 2.2 ounces, it adds very little weight to a camera whose size is one of its  advantages.

The grip combines an aluminum base with a natural wood handle. The wood also works particularly well with the OM-3’s retro styling, although appearance wasn’t the main reason I chose it.

The base is Arca-Swiss compatible, so the camera can mount directly to compatible tripod heads without adding another quick-release plate.

SmallRig also designed the grip so that the battery compartment, ports, controls, and Creative Dial remain accessible.

Installation uses a 1/4-inch mounting screw tightened with a small magnetic flat wrench supplied with the grip.

Haoge HG-OM3

The Haoge HG-OM3 is probably the strongest alternative if your priority is getting the deepest and most substantial grip possible.

It uses an aluminum base with a textured gripping surface and includes an Arca-compatible plate. The design also includes a removable vertical section that can effectively turn it into an L-bracket.

The larger grip appears to provide more for your fingers to wrap around than the SmallRig.

The tradeoff is weight.

At approximately 124g, the Haoge weighs roughly twice as much as the SmallRig.

That still isn’t particularly heavy in absolute terms, but it matters more on a camera like the OM-3. One of the reasons to choose the OM-3 is its relatively compact size and weight, and I didn’t want the grip to work against that advantage.

If I regularly planned to use the OM-3 with larger and heavier lenses, the Haoge might be worth the additional weight.

Leofoto LPO-OM-3

The Leofoto LPO-OM-3 takes a somewhat different approach.

At approximately 80g, it remains very lightweight while providing an integrated grip and Arca-compatible base.

It also has a particularly clean design that looks almost like it could have come with the camera.

Leofoto states that the grip maintains access to the battery, card slot, and camera ports.

User feedback is generally positive, with several photographers reporting that it adds enough grip without significantly changing the feel or weight of the OM-3.

My concern was the relationship between the grip and the OM-3’s Creative Dial.

The Creative Dial sits exactly where your fingers naturally wrap around the front of the camera. With any OM-3 grip, I want enough additional grip for my fingers without crowding the Creative Dial or making it less comfortable to operate.

The Leofoto still looks like a good option, but the SmallRig gave me a little more confidence in that area.

3 Legged Thing Oscar QD

The 3 Legged Thing Oscar QD is really a different type of accessory.

It is a full L-bracket designed for photographers who regularly switch between horizontal and vertical tripod orientations.

The grip portion is removable, and the bracket includes an Arca-Swiss profile, QD socket, multiple accessory mounting points, and compatibility with the Peak Design Capture System using the supplied adapter.

It is also made from magnesium alloy and maintains access to the OM-3 battery compartment and side ports.

This is easily the most capable option in the group.

It is also the heaviest at 178g and substantially more expensive at about $130.

If I were primarily looking for a dedicated L-bracket that also improved handheld ergonomics, the Oscar QD would be attractive.

But my main goal was much simpler: give my fingers something more substantial to hold onto without turning the OM-3 into a much larger or heavier camera.

For that purpose, the Oscar QD seemed like more than I needed.

Why the Creative Dial Matters

Choosing a grip for the OM-3 is a little different from choosing one for many other cameras.

The OM-3’s Creative Dial is located on the front of the camera immediately beside the area where your fingers wrap around the body. That makes grip design especially important.

A grip can improve comfort and security, but if it extends too far around the front of the camera, it can crowd the Creative Dial or make it less comfortable to operate.

For me, the priorities became:

1. Improved grip and security
2. Good clearance around the Creative Dial
3. Lighter weight
4. Full battery and card access
5. Arca-Swiss compatibility
6. Price

Using those criteria made the SmallRig particularly attractive.

Why I Chose the SmallRig 5563

I eventually decided to order the SmallRig 5563.

Several things pushed it ahead of the other options.

The Weight

The biggest factor was its 62g weight.

The Haoge appears to provide a somewhat deeper grip, but it weighs roughly twice as much. For only a modest difference in price, I would rather preserve as much of the OM-3’s lightweight character as possible.

If the SmallRig provides enough additional grip, I don’t see enough benefit in carrying an extra 60 grams.

It Should Work with More Than Small Lenses

I also wanted a grip that would still be useful when I moved beyond the OM-3’s smaller lenses.

With a heavier lens, I’m supporting much of the lens weight with my left hand anyway. The grip’s job is primarily to give my right hand a more secure connection to the camera rather than support the entire camera-and-lens combination one-handed.

That made the SmallRig’s low weight appealing. If it could provide enough additional grip without adding much bulk, it seemed like a good match for both compact lenses and some of the larger Micro Four Thirds lenses I use.

Arca-Swiss Compatibility

Like the other grips I considered, the SmallRig has a built-in Arca-compatible base.

I use Arca-style tripod heads extensively, so being able to mount the OM-3 directly to a tripod without installing a separate plate is a useful bonus.

The Wooden Grip Fits the OM-3

This wasn’t the deciding factor, but I do like the appearance.

The OM-3 is intentionally styled differently from the rest of the OM System lineup, and the wooden SmallRig handle works surprisingly well with that design.

The Price

At about $47, the SmallRig is inexpensive enough that it doesn’t take a major investment to improve the camera’s ergonomics.

It costs slightly more than the Haoge, but the roughly 50-percent reduction in weight made that small price difference easy to justify.

My Experience Using the SmallRig Grip

After using the SmallRig on the OM-3, I think it accomplishes what I wanted from a lightweight grip.

With smaller lenses such as the 12-45mm f/4 PRO, the combination works especially well. The grip gives my fingers more to hold onto and makes the camera feel more secure without adding much size or weight.

It also works well with the 40-150mm f/4 PRO. The added grip makes the OM-3 easier to carry and operate, especially when I’m supporting the lens with my left hand.

The limitations become more noticeable with heavier lenses. The Olympus 12-100mm f/4 PRO still makes the OM-3 feel front-heavy, and the SmallRig does not make the camera handle like an OM-1.

That isn’t really a criticism of the SmallRig. With larger lenses, I’m supporting much of the weight with my left hand anyway. The grip improves my connection to the camera, but it can’t change the basic size and shape of the OM-3 body.

In actual use, the SmallRig also passed the other tests that mattered to me:

• The Creative Dial remains easy to operate
• Battery and card access remain unobstructed
• The articulating LCD works normally
• The grip adds very little noticeable weight
• The Arca-Swiss base works with my tripod heads
• The wooden grip is comfortable during extended use
• The grip has remained securely attached

For the way I use the OM-3, the SmallRig provides enough additional grip without taking away from the compact, lightweight character of the camera.

Final Thoughts

The OM System OM-3’s flat-front design is part of what makes the camera distinctive, but it also creates an ergonomic compromise.

For photographers who primarily use smaller lenses, the camera may be perfectly comfortable without an accessory grip. For me, I wanted something more substantial for my fingers to hold onto.

After comparing several options and then using the SmallRig 5563 in the field, I think it was the right choice for my needs.

At just 62g, it adds very little weight while making the OM-3 noticeably more secure and comfortable to hold. It works especially well with compact and medium-size lenses, preserves access to the Creative Dial and other controls, and adds an Arca-Swiss base at the same time.

It does not transform the OM-3 into an OM-1 when using larger lenses. The 12-100mm f/4 still feels front-heavy, and I still prefer the OM-1 body for longer and heavier lenses.

But that wasn’t what I expected the grip to do.

I wanted a lightweight accessory that improved the OM-3’s handling without making the camera significantly larger or heavier. The SmallRig does exactly that, and it has become a permanent part of my OM-3 setup.

Want to Learn More?

• What I Like and Don’t Like About the OM System OM-3
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• OM System OM-3 Astro: What’s Actually New — And Is It Worth It?