So I've had my D800 for a few weeks now, and have really enjoyed putting it through its paces and seeing what it's capable of. 

What I haven't enjoyed is shooting without a vertical grip. I've had one on my other, older camera (D300) since I first got it. 

I'm a huge vertical grip fan for two main reasons:

• Gives you an additional battery compartment as well as a tray for using AA batteries in a pinch
• Makes vertical shots much easier to take, because the grip has focus selector and shutter release buttons right on it. No contortions necessary when rotating the camera to the vertical position

But I've discovered a third reason why I like using a grip so much: comfort.

Even though it adds to the camera's weight and bulk, the grip gives my right hand more area for, well, gripping.  The D800 body without a grip seems small and my hand gets cramped holding on to it for long periods. And with a heavy lens attached, the grip just seems to balance things out.

Unfortunately, the grip on my D300 is not compatible; Nikon released an all-new grip, the MDB-12, for the D800. And it costs more than grips for older models, despite bringing no new features to the table.  Sigh.

But, life's too short to not get as much enjoyment from your work and hobbies as possible. My grip's on the way in, and my gripes are on the way out.