Problems with XT2 Grip

I few weeks ago I bought a 2nd hand VPB-XT2 (with 2 original NPW126S batteries) and I am experiencing all the issues reported by others in different threads:

Battery level displayed incorrectly (while using 3 original 126S batteries):
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4085320

Grip shutter button intermitent failure:
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/62087328

And some more, like:
- The system changes from boost to normal mode by itself (with the grip selector and camera menu in boost mode, of course)
- The camera goes to stand by randomly

I am really dissapointed to get all this errors. I bought the grip for shooting weddings and events profesionally, and I find it really confortable and convenient when it works, but unfortunately it is extremely unreliable, so I am not using it anymore. But what really dissapoints me is that these problems seem to be pretty common and mostly unsolved, at least when reading this and other forums. A lot of users even report that they have sent their faulty grips to Fuji and the technical service has returned them with no changes, so now I don't know what to do...

Can any of you give me some recommendation and/or share your own experiences? Is there any firmware update that can be applied to the firmware? Does any of you use the firmware professionally with high workload (shooting bursts in CH from time to time, flash, etc) and feels it is reliable?

Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.

Óscar

I bought mine used as well. It used to lock up and not register batteries correctly. I cleaned off the terminals with 2000 grit sandpaper and haven't had an issue since.

third son said:

I bought mine used as well. It used to lock up and not register batteries correctly. I cleaned off the terminals with 2000 grit sandpaper and haven't had an issue since.

Click to expand...

Wow! Good advice!

Can you please be more specific? Did you clean the external pins that connect to the camera or the internal terminals that connect the dual battery case to the grip itself?

Thanks for your reply! Very useful!

El Vuelo del Escorpion said:

third son said:

I bought mine used as well. It used to lock up and not register batteries correctly. I cleaned off the terminals with 2000 grit sandpaper and haven't had an issue since.

Click to expand...

Wow! Good advice!

Can you please be more specific? Did you clean the external pins that connect to the camera or the internal terminals that connect the dual battery case to the grip itself?

Thanks for your reply! Very useful!

Click to expand...

Sure... Just gently clean the tips of the pins and work a small piece against the contacts on the camera itself. Be sure to blow the camera with a rocketblower when done. Simple.!

third son said:

El Vuelo del Escorpion said:

third son said:

I bought mine used as well. It used to lock up and not register batteries correctly. I cleaned off the terminals with 2000 grit sandpaper and haven't had an issue since.

Click to expand...

Wow! Good advice!

Can you please be more specific? Did you clean the external pins that connect to the camera or the internal terminals that connect the dual battery case to the grip itself?

Thanks for your reply! Very useful!

Click to expand...

Sure... Just gently clean the tips of the pins and work a small piece against the contacts on the camera itself. Be sure to blow the camera with a rocketblower when done. Simple.!

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot. I'll try and post here the results. Can't wait!

El Vuelo del Escorpion said:

third son said:

El Vuelo del Escorpion said:

third son said:

I bought mine used as well. It used to lock up and not register batteries correctly. I cleaned off the terminals with 2000 grit sandpaper and haven't had an issue since.

Click to expand...

Wow! Good advice!

Can you please be more specific? Did you clean the external pins that connect to the camera or the internal terminals that connect the dual battery case to the grip itself?

Thanks for your reply! Very useful!

Click to expand...

Sure... Just gently clean the tips of the pins and work a small piece against the contacts on the camera itself. Be sure to blow the camera with a rocketblower when done. Simple.!

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot. I'll try and post here the results. Can't wait!

Click to expand...

If any other of you can share your experiences and advices about this I would really appreciate

El Vuelo del Escorpion said:

El Vuelo del Escorpion said:

third son said:

El Vuelo del Escorpion said:

third son said:

I bought mine used as well. It used to lock up and not register batteries correctly. I cleaned off the terminals with 2000 grit sandpaper and haven't had an issue since.

Click to expand...

Wow! Good advice!

Can you please be more specific? Did you clean the external pins that connect to the camera or the internal terminals that connect the dual battery case to the grip itself?

Thanks for your reply! Very useful!

Click to expand...

Sure... Just gently clean the tips of the pins and work a small piece against the contacts on the camera itself. Be sure to blow the camera with a rocketblower when done. Simple.!

Click to expand...

Thanks a lot. I'll try and post here the results. Can't wait!

Click to expand...

If any other of you can share your experiences and advices about this I would really appreciate

Click to expand...

Hi Oscar,

I'm sorry to hear you're having problems with the grip. I also have the grip for the X-T2 which, like you, I bought used and use only with NP-W126S batteries. I can report that after around 20 or so shooting sessions, mine has so far functioned perfectly, at least, as far as I can tell.

Somehow I suspect this was the first thing you did, but before using any solvent-based cleaners or abrasive material I'd use isopropyl alcohol to clean the contact pins on the grip, the corresponding contacts on the bottom of the camera and those within the grip's battery tray as well.

You could try using the grip with just a single battery fitted, first in one slot, then the other, in order to test whether or not one of the battery compartments is causing a problem. If you can isolate the problem to one of the compartments, the divider between them has what appears to be a removable strip, secured with two small screws (unfortunately requiring a non-standard screwdriver head). This appears to provide access to the contacts. It might be possible to remove it to check that the contacts haven't come loose, or are defective in some other way.

Are all of your batteries still in good working order, still holding a charge well when used with the camera only? No swelling of the walls or generation of excessive heat, etc?

I have to say that based on your description of the problem, it rather sounds as if you have a hardware fault with the grip. Hopefully either the vendor from whom you bought the grip or Fujifilm themselves can help.

I think if I were you I might be tempted to cut my losses and just get another grip from a reputable retailer with a return policy. Then I'd get the old one repaired or, if that doesn't work, just write it off. Not an ideal solution admittedly, but I know from experience that a fully functioning grip really does add to the camera's flexibility and appeal, so personally I'd persevere.

Anyway, I wish you luck finding a solution.

First make sure your camera has the latest firmware, hold down the disp/back button and as you’re holding it down turn on the camera which will display your latest firmware which should be 4.30. Before you bring out the sandpaper try a little isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip and use an eraser on a pencil and rub and clean to see if that fixes it first. If you can find contact cleaner even better, again spray a little on a Q-tip and clean the contacts.

Thanks a lot for all your replies. Finally I've managed to get isopropyl alcohol and sandpaper #2000, which are not easy to find in my area. Then I have:

- Cleaned all the contacts (camera bottom, grip external tips, grip internal contacts, battery cradle contacs) with Q-tip and Isopropyl alcohol 100%.

- "polished" the camera contacts and grip tips (very very very gently) using sandpaper 2000

- blowed the possible waste (invisible) with a rocket-air type blower

- Cleaned all the contacts AGAIN with alcohol (maybe excessive cleaning, but all this has been done really carefully and I felt I had to do it that way, hahaha).

- I have let the alcohol dry completely by itself

Then I have performed some stress tests and so far everything works smoothly (battery level reading, shutter button, boost mode, CH shooting, etc). After experiencing so much trouble during the last months I can hardly believe my grip is working again!!.

Next weekend I have to shoot 2 weddings. I will use the grip and see how it works under real conditions. I'll post new feedback after that.

Thanks again guys for the extremely valuable information provided by all of you. After reading some other forums I was skeptical about reaching a solution, but right now I feel much more confident. Thank you!!!!!!!!

Óscar
Weddings & Couples
Landscape
IG
ALL

The problem I have with all Fuji battery grip is the way the camera uses the batteries (T1,2,3,H1), without any logic like Right then left then internal

In fact it uses power at random in terms of battery.

On T3 the 1 second switch off when 1 battery beomes empty bug has been at last corrected still exists on H1

Glad it is working now Óscar! It doesn't take much to make these things behave poorly. The grip is so useful it would be a shame not to use it.

Excellent news Oscar, pleased to hear you've got it working. Perhaps after all it was just the previous owner's greasy fingers

After a few days of hard work (2 weddings, some Lifestyle sessions) using the grip in hard conditions (really warm and high humidity days in Mallorca, and salty environment working near the sea) I am glad to tell you that the grip problems that I originally reported are completely solved. All the system worked flawlessly.

So, for any of you that may experience similar problems and will read this thread in the future, remember: clean the grip/camera contacts with isopropyl alcohol !!!

Thanks again to all of you who recommended solutions.

Best regards

Óscar
Weddings & Couples https://mallorcainlove.es
Landscape https://500px.com/fingers1971
IG https://www.instagram.com/mallorca.in.love/