X-E3 & additional hand grip for larger lenses?

SteakTree wrote:

Alex SP wrote:

SteakTree wrote:

I also have the KamLan 50mm F1.1 II, which is a hefty, solid fella. But as a previous poster pointed out, it isn't too long and maintains its center of mass close to the body.

After using it on some shoots I noticed my hands tiring. I've now fixed this with a WEPOTO Wood Grip for the X-E3 which is well worth it. It allows for better stability and easier portrait shots.

This actually looks very nice! Isn't it a little bit slippery though?

I was worried about this but no, it has just the right amount of grip. I have the silver/brown X-E3, and this grip completes it and makes the camera look premium. I always get compliments on it - which is cool, especially from clients as it unique. It is so much better than the default rubber grip on the X-E3. Btw, the rubber grip is more adhesive, but the problem was after less than a year of use, it started to peal away from the body. Some rubber cement solved that and then the grip has permanently remedied it. I would say the X-E3 and I imagine X-E4 would be fine with out a grip with the smaller lenses. Some may even prefer it depending on shooting style.

Great to know, thanks! Yeah, this combo definitely looks awesome!

The other important mod was getting the hot shoe grip, This works out perfect for the X-E3. For strap I'm using a paracord.

A minority of people on the web says that these hot shoe grips loosen the hot shoe metal parts (sorry, not sure how to call it even in my native language ). One person even claims that such a grip broke these metal parts, although I find it hard to believe. In your experience, is there any reason to be worried about this?

No, the strain would have to be substantial to damage that area.

A friend of mine who is a Sony full-frame shooter picked up my X-E3 with the 70-300 on and remarked on how light it was! I imagine it is compared to an A7-series with G-master lens. So comparatively it is still a light system, that has the ability to be a featherweight depending on lens and setup.

Huh! That's why I chose APS-C over FF. My friend will probably switch to Canon FF mirrorless soon, can't wait to show him the glorious compactness of APS-C lenses

I was definitely tempted to go full frame, but after much inspection regarding dynamic range and shadow recovery, I realized that APS-C would be fine for what I want. If I do size up from here it would be medium format, but the reality is that isn't practical. The way AI/neural nets are going we probably won't need to worry about sensor size too much. Can't see myself needing to upgrade my camera for a couple years at least. I bought the X-E3 last year for a good deal, and even then it was a bit older. Even know it seems like the best bang for the dollar when it comes to the Fuji ILC bodies.

Totally agree with you about the future of APS-C. I got a great on X-E3, too, great camera for its money.

Doug MacMillan wrote:

Alex SP wrote:

Hey everyone, a Fuji newcomer here.

Welcome!

I recently got an X-E3 with a 18-55 kit. I thought about getting a compact lens like 27mm or 35mm 2.0 and use it as my everyday combo but after some time with the camera my idea of lenses I need changed somehow, switching from 'compact at all costs' to some other, larger options.

Even with a 18-55 kit lens the weight balance is a bit tricky. I'm interested in 10-24mm and some lenses I might add later are 56mm f1.2 and maybe 33mm 1.4. All of them are comparable to 18-55 in terms of size and weight, although some are just a bit larger or heavier. 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)?

I have a grip for my X-E2s and one for my X-E3. They do aid in handling with larger lensed attached.

The nice thing about the grip is you can use it when needed, then remove it for those "compact at all costs" moments, such as when I'm traveling and want the smallest kit possible.

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.

I can't speak of the 16-55, but I've hung a Canon 70-200 f2.8 on the front of my X-E3! I often use my 55-200 on the X-E3 and have no problem with it even without the grip. My favorite travel kit is the 18-55 and 55-200 with my X-E3. Sometimes I'll add my 16mm f1.4, but I really should get the 16mm f2 for travel.

Great, thank you for the help! Wow, 70-200 with a Fuji, what a combo

Alex SP wrote:

Great, thank you for the help! Wow, 70-200 with a Fuji, what a combo

Yep.  Here's it with my X-H1.