Back in the day, Olympus made a nifty accessory grip for the OM-2S Program. It's not easy to find, and the only one on eBay right now is selling for a ridiculous $99. It's a piece of molded plastic with a screw. I'm not paying more for that than the camera itself.

Fortunately, clever designers with 3D printers, like the folks at Butter Grip have provided me with a reasonable $21 alternative.

The Olympus OM-10 grip mounted on my OM-2S Program. (Olympus OM bodies are very consistent in design.)

This handsome grip fits the camera perfectly, screws in to the bottom tripod socket, and even has a compartment to store spare batteries.

There's even a compartment to store spare batteries.

If I ever do score an Olympus OM Grip 1 at a reasonable price, I can still use the Butter Grip on my OM-10. It's light and helps protect the bottom of the body, not to mention feels good while shooting.

I anticipate that more hard-to-find camera parts will show up on the market thanks to 3D printing. I'm sure happy about how that technology has solved this particular problem for me.

Derrick is the owner of TheFilmCameraShop that specializes in 35mm photo gear from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. He shoots a roll of film a week for his artistic health.

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