X-E3 & additional hand grip for larger lenses?

Alex SP wrote:

If I add a meike or a fuji hand grip, how much will it improve the handling of the camera and a lens? Has any of you used such a combo, how comfortable is it? Will it be ok, or should I look into buying a camera with a better grip (X-S10, X-T3/4)?

Hey Alex, happy to chime in. I use two X-E3 bodies and still have an X-E2 I used before. I've had the original Fuji grip for the X-E2 and use a Meike grip for one X-E3, while the other X-E3 usually uses a generic Chinese L Bracket, which also has a grip.

It's all subjective, but in my opinion, I don't think you'll need to look at the larger camera bodies except for something like a 8-16, 50-150. 100-400 or 200/2.0.

I find that I tend to keep the Fuji/Meike grip on the camera most of the time, even with my lighter lenses. Primarily this is so I don't have to constantly take them on and off when using them with a tripod (Arca Swiss compatible, centers tripod mount). That said, the additional grip provides some extra comfort even with smaller lenses - especially if you might have larger hands. The bottom of the grip is also a scratch/ding protection to the bottom of the camera.

Also, I guess 16-55 is out of the question for X-E3? Weighting twice as much as the camera itself should probably feel really uncomfortable even with an additional grip.

My heaviest lens, not considering adapted lenses, is a Kamlan 50/1.1 Mk II, which weighs 600gr. That's heavier than a 56/1.2 or 90/2.0 and just 55g shy of the 16-55/2.8. With a grip I find the Kamlan works pretty well with the X-E3. Mind you, it's a shorter lens than some others, so a longer lens length (also with extended zoom) can shift more weight forwards. But generally speaking I find that with one hand under the lens and one on the add'l grip, the weight is easily handled.

When looking at grips, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Meike grip. Build quality is on par with Fuji and the textured grip is just as comfortable. L-brackets and generic grips with bare metal grips can be an option for tripod use, but are less comfortable and more slippery when used as a handheld grip. Generic Chinese grips with bare metal grips also tend to feature a modular base plate they exchange for a camera model, but the grip itself doesn't tend to fit as well as the dedicated Fuji/Meike grip. I really recommend a textured grip for handheld shooting.

If you have large hands or want the largest possible grip, I saw that Metro Case make an X-E3 grip that looks deeper than the Fuji/Meike grips. I have no personal experience with the grip, however.

As with anything, your mileage may vary, and there likely will be others here that prefer larger bodies even with 400-600gr lenses.