Have you ever noticed that nothing is perfect out of the box?  They can be close to perfect but soon you notice a few wrinkles. A little more time and then comes the need for some enhancements. I am not talking about that “eX”, there is little you can do about that, but I am, of course talking about the X-series cameras from Fujifilm. These compact wonderful little cameras just beg for a little enhancement. Some of the enhancements are just cosmetic and maybe you have gone through that with your “X”. There are some that are really needed to enhance the experience and the usability. Let’s take a look.

Grips, tripod plates, thumb rests and other handling enhancements.

Lets face it, these are small cameras and there can be some issues with handling. They were not as problematic as I envisioned them. When using the X-Pro1, X-E1, or X-E2 I think a Thumbs Up thumb rest is a mandatory item. It gives me a nice comfortable but firm grip with my thumb, the disadvantage is it uses the hot shoe so it has to be removed when using the flash or a flash trigger.  That is unless you use the sync port on the X-Pro1 or X-T1. It does prevent me from hitting buttons on the back of the camera as easily by mistake. Yes the original Thumbs Up is expensive but it is well made, fits perfectly so you pay a bit more for a quality product rather than cheap knock off. It always surprises me when people gripe about the cost when they spend $500 on a bag to carry the camera, but I guess it is all relative. The X-t1 has a different design for the body and does not lend itself to the use of a thumb grip, like the rangefinder style cameras.

Soft release is another essential item for the X-series at least up to the X-T1. At first I thought the soft releases were just joke and how could they make the shutter button better? Well once again, use and testing revealed otherwise. The cameras up to the X-T1 have a screw in shutter release capability, just like the older film cameras, the soft release screws into the shutter button and really does change the feel of the button and how it operates. I wish the X-T1 could use one, although I see that at least one manufacturer has a stick on version for the X-T1 now. The button on the X-T1 does feel pretty good, or I am just getting used to it, since there are not many options.

When doing landscapes, nightscapes, and long exposure photography a good tripod mount is needed. Fuji in their infinite wisdom (sarcasm alert) decided to put the tripod mount screw offset from the lens center and close to the battery door. I don’t know what they were thinking, any kind of quick release plate and you are blocking the battery door. The grip for the X-Pro1 was nice in that it attached to the bottom, gave a nice larger grip to hold and moved the tripod screw to the centerline of the lens but they still blocked the battery door!!! Well Really Right Stuff to the rescue. I use Arca-Swiss compatible ball heads so the RRS L-plate incorporated the ability to use the Arca-Swiss style ball head, and still allowed access to the battery door without having to remove the plate. The RRS plate also has an optional grip but I found it unnecessary on the X-Pro1. The RRS has a better build quality and is well worth the extra few dollars than the cheap knock-offs. They are currently developing an L-plate for the X-T1. The optional grip attachment just did not feel right to me, it was machined aluminum and I like the leatherette feel like on the body and that grip extension just changed the feel too much and added some weight to the camera.

For the X-T1, Fuji did listen to customers and critics and came out with two different grips. One is a battery grip that holds an extra battery as well as additional controls for use while in the portrait orientation. I originally thought I would find this an essential item, like I did for my dslrs, but for this camera I do not think it is needed. You do get the extra battery and so it would take twice as many images on a charge, but when it comes time to change the batteries, you have to take the grip off to change the battery in the camera. That could be tiresome but I guess you would get used to it. The attraction to me for these cameras is the compact size and I am sure that the battery grip is useful, I think it changes the camera to one that is no longer as compact. This commentary on the battery grip is coming from not actually handling one but after handling the X-T1 I just feel it does not need the added weight. I reserve the right to change my mind!

They also made another grip, that adds a thin bottom plate that is also Arca-Swiss compatible as a quick release plate for ball heads, and it added some extra grip to the front of the camera. And low and behold, you can access the battery and change it without removing the plate! Also it moves the tripod screw to the optical centerline. The MHG-XT as it is known looks to be a good addition, I am still getting used to mine, not sure I am happy with the feel of the new grip and how it changes how I hold the camera. It is a little bit different grip, but enough to make it a little uncomfortable. It also lacks a L extension for portrait orientation while using a ball head. It is well made but it may not last in my inventory. I think an RRS L-plate will be of more use to me.  Some of you are wondering why I would want an L-plate when the Fuji grip already has the quick release style plate, well when you move a ball head 90° you limit some of the movement, so it is not as easy to position as it is to just reinsert the camera in the portrait orientation from landscape orientation. When using a L-plate in portrait orientation you have a full range of motion available, just like when the camera is rotated to landscape orientation. The MHG-XT is well made and fits the camera very well, a nice addition but still waffling on this one, it just may take some time to get used to it.

Cases

Cases are a mostly cosmetic enhancement, more bling than functionality but there is some utility. I am not a fan of full leather cases in general, but the rangefinder style body in a leather half case just looked cool. I admit it, it was a blast from the retro past with a tinge of hipster that I am loathe to admit. I started with film cameras and manual focus but I never had a rangefinder or used one. I was intrigued with them and I have some older cameras that I inherited that have leather cases. So off to Ebay and a search for some leather cases and I got a tan leather half case for the X-Pro1. It looked nice, it fit nice, it did offer some protection, enough to rationalize its use and a bonus is that added some thickness to the grip and that with the Thumbs Up made for an easy to hold and use setup. The leather case also added a tripod screw, so good to go for tripod use when needed.  There was a bump in the road, the battery door was blocked, you had to remove the case to access the battery and the memory card…. arrrrrrr. So with a little wielding of a sharp knife, some patience and a little blood, there was an access port in the bottom, the case could stay on, at least while being used hand held. it looked good and when doing landscape work I could either place a small release plate on the bottom or for full blown dedicated photon harvesting, change out the case for the L-Plate. Versatility and style……

The case for the X-Pro1 worked out so well that I decided after getting the X-T1 to add a leather half case. Gariz was out early with a case designed for the X-T1. Again this was off of ebay directly from Gariz in Korea. Several colors were available, the medium brown was really tempting, however I opted for the black. Fuji also had a leather half case available in black but I heard initial reports that they blocked the SD card door! You had to remove the case to get at the memory card….noooooooo Fuji how could you  have designed this into the case? The Gariz did not block the access to the door or the battery door on the bottom. Gariz also installed a metal bottom plate and added a tripod screw along the centerline of the lens. The on and off is easy with ringed screw to allow tool less installation and removal. The ring on the attachment screw can also double as a ring for sling type strap. After a short time, my airmail package arrived and inside was a nicely made black leather case with a chrome plated bottom plate. The workmanship is excellent and the fit is excellent. What could go wrong? Well actually a minor detail, the half case fit so snugly that it prevented the lcd from tilting. The lcd was hitting the nice bottom padding, you could loosen the attachment screw but that was not a good solution. On the Fuji X-forum another user posted about the same problem and had a brilliant solution, a small paper shim. The shim worked wonderfully, a couple of small pieces of heavy weight paper and that allowed enough space for the lcd to tilt in and out easily. If you are looking for a leather case, I can highly recommend the Gariz case, well made, fits perfectly, well designed and engineered. May need a couple of strips of paper as shim, but that is just a minor issue. Well worth it.

Straps and bags and protection

Well this is a topic that can be a highly personal one, me I am not too fussy with straps. I am mostly concerned with comfort and functionality. How it looks is secondary, yes I know that sounds contradictory when I was nattering about the leather case. It is what it is….. So I use a webbing and padded nylon type strap. Something that looks decent and comfortable, no way am I going to spend $250 on a thin distressed leather strap. I do have limits to my insanity. I have always used neck straps with the camera hanging down to my chest. The Fuji now has me considering to try a wrist strap, something I have always thought I would not like. I am keeping an open mind and will give one a try and see how it works for me in real life.

Bags are a topic for another post, my quest for the “right” bag is still on going. I am not sure that it will ever be finished. Doing photography for over 30 years has taught me there is no perfect bag, yet. I keep hoping. I have gone from shoulder bags, to backbacks with impossible loads. Then to the smallest bag I could fit the mirrorless camera in and now heading towards the messenger type bag. No bag seems to have exactly what I want when I want it. Most of my bags are nylon, I just cannot justify those fine leather cases that are too tiny for use and cost $300-$700. Nope can’t do it. Cameras and optics I will spend the money on, but a bag just because it looks cool and costs $500, no way. A lot of those trendy, hipster style bags of canvas and leather are just not functional enough for the price. There are some that look cool, and I am sure they worth it, but I just cannot justify them. I am sure that some will think I am just dismissing them but I just don’t see the need to spend that much on a bag when there are others that will do the job just as well.

LCD screens on the back of the camera can be a problem depending on how you handle the camera. I always use a protector on the LCD screen, this prevents scratches and accidental marks on the back that may interfere with reviewing images.  It can also affect your view when you use the back of the camera to compose a shot. I do try to handle my cameras carefully but accidents do happen and the more you use a camera the more chances are that something may happen to it. One of my reasons to get the Fuji x-cameras was to have a light weight, easy to carry camera, so I carry it with me almost every day. Wear and tear does happen. LCD screen protectors are cheap insurance, easily replaced and worth every penny.

A soft cloth or wrap can help protect your camera if your bag does not offer enough protection. My Thumbs Up  is starting to show some brass from rubbing through the finishing on the end from caused by the small bag it is usually carried in. When I first got the X-Pro1 I had the three individual primes, so that is what I carried and had a bag just big enough to house them all, so there is a little friction in the bag. Now with more gear I need a bigger bag but a lot less bag than for the dslr.  Also fingers and constant use cause wear and tear and the camera is starting to develop that used patina.

When it was time for my wife to get a new camera, we got her a nice shiny new X-E1 and also added the lcd protector, L-plate, Thumbs Up and soft release. She also thought all of that made for a nice improvement in handling.

So in conclusion there is not a lot of enhancements needed for the X-series cameras,  they are fun, functional and easy to use cameras. Add a Thumbs UP, lcd screen protector and maybe a grip or case and something to carry it all in, is all that is needed for a good time. It will make handling better and I think improve the overall experience.  For the X-T1 there were less gadgets to get Fuji really does listen to user feedback and does change for the better, just look at the firmware updates. A great system to buy into in my opinion. Another add benefit for me is I spend a lot less time looking for gadgets and more time shooting and using the camera, what a great concept. The X-series is made to be used.

MHG-XT

X-Pro 1 modified leather case

Gariz X-T1 half case