Olympus HLD-4 POWER BATTERY HOLDER E-3

I bought this battery holder for the two reasons - more power and the comfort of shooting at 90 degrees, especially when you have to tuck the arms in at the sides for stability. Couldn't wait to get it on my E3 when I got it. I love it. It gives the camera more balance especially when I am shooting with my Olympus Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 Digital ED SWD Lens for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras lens. If you have an E3 this is a must.

The fit and finish was identical to the camera. Very solid and sure footed build.

I can take an ENTIRE day of flash photography and not deal with battery changes.

The extra weight also gave me better pictures since it helped me stabilize my shot.

The only thing bad I can think of is the useless 6-battery AA battery holder that allows you to use AA's. Not even sure if it really works. I had tried a dozen AA's that were measured full by two different battery testers, however using them to power the camera proved non-functional. The power came on, but as soon as I tried to shoot a photo, there wasn't enough juice to set off the shutter. The camera simply went black until the shutter button was lifted.

Anyway, if you don't care about that, it's a great product.. If this is a feature you do care about, you'll be disappointed.

I have been using the Olympus HLD-4 battery holder for about a week and I couldn't be more pleased. I have used a similar type of power pack on my Nikon 35mm cameras in the past, however this one is far superior to the ones I used in the past.

I really appreciate the comfortable feel. Even though it adds more weight, everything is well balanced. The addition of the optional AS-GS3 strap gives much added support and comfort.

The additional buttons on the battery holder really come in handy and they are very well placed for comfort and convenience. I use the extra shutter button often since I shoot a lot of portraits.

My power pack is still using the original batteries that I loaded last week. Although I shoot over 200 photos daily, I still have plenty of power in the unit. I shoot in the 5 fps mode often, and the camera is never slowed down by lack of power.

I believe that anyone with an Olympus E-3 should give the HLD-4 a try. Once you get used to the added weight, the extra power and comfort are well worth the price.

I purchased this battery grip for my new Olympus E3 thru Amazon from Cameta Camera. Unfortunately the grip I received from this seller failed in is primary function which is to allow me to take pictures while holding the camera in portrait mode. The shutter button just simply does not work and the Fn button, the AF button, and the front and rear thumb wheels do nothing to adjust the settings on the camera. Also, the info screen on the LCD display does not flip when I reposition the camera. It does power the camera so I am giving it 2 stars, and I am hoping this vendor stands behind their product and provides me with a replacement. I will update this review with details of my experience with Cameta.

The good news is that this grip is fully compatible with the E-30. The dials and buttons fully replicate the functions of the buttons on the body. Battery life is terrific; I shot over 1,000 frames at an athletic event and the charge indicator didn't budge from "full." Be aware that zooming your lens can create a lot of torque and might cause the electrical contacts to lose connection. This will cause the camera to freeze, but this is quickly and easily fixed by removing and reconnecting the grip. Overall, this is a very useful accessory for those who do a lot of vertical shooting.