X100V Lensmate Thumbrest ... issues?

I’m noticing this thumbrest (LM X100V) tends to loosen up quite a bit. I haven’t had it actually come out, but I do have to seat it more often than I’d like. It will leave a roughly 2mm gap after little use. When I flip it open, the whole unit will rotate. I have to wonder what that play (albeit small) may be doing to the hotshoe. The articulation solves one issue, but seems to be causing another.

I put on my LM X-E3 as a test, and it stays seated. The shutter speed/ISO dial is hard to get at, but it’s my least used dial, anyway (have it set mostly to auto). The LM X-E3 also has a better fit into the hotshoe on the X100V.

Has anyone else noticed this with their LM X100V?

On the same topic, has Match Technical closed shop? I see B&H is still selling items ...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1596629-REG/match_technical_tu_ep_2v_s_ep_2v_thumb_grip_for.html/reviews

However, the actual Match site looks dead ...

https://www.matchtechnical.com

I owned a Match Technical Thumbs Up for my X-Pro 1 and loved it.

Yep, same issue for me. I’m constantly pushing it back in. It fell out once and I thought I’d lost it. Found it at the bottom of my backpack luckily. For the price I’d expect better and it’s put me off ordering one in the future…

I’ve got the official Fujifilm thumb rest for my X-E4 and that’s rock solid.

PhilT_UK wrote:

Yep, same issue for me. I’m constantly pushing it back in. It fell out once and I thought I’d lost it. Found it at the bottom of my backpack luckily. For the price I’d expect better and it’s put me off ordering one in the future…

I’ve got the official Fujifilm thumb rest for my X-E4 and that’s rock solid.

I emailed Lensmate about it. Received the reply a few hours ago …

As you have experienced with your other Lensmate thumb grip (X-E3), the hot shoe rubber insert normally provides enough friction to prevent any movement. The movement in your X100V is likely due to an extremely slight variance in your X100V hot shoe rails. Out of the hundreds of these grips that we have shipped, we have only had three other customers experience looseness in the fit.

Fortunately, our designer came up with a super quick and easy fix that worked perfectly for the customers that I mentioned.

The hotshoe silicon insert is fairly easy to remove and re-install. (just using your fingernail) To provide slightly more friction he suggests that you place a paper shim underneath the hot shoe insert. Simply cut out a shape slightly smaller than the hot shoe insert from a thick piece of paper and re-install the silicon insert. Be sure to position the rubber wave pattern so it will point towards the camera. That should completely solve your issue. Let us know how it works out.

I’ll try what they suggest, but, eek. IMO it’s not the rubber insert, but the movement in the articulation that’s “levering” it out of place.

Looking further, I saw a few other reports of this on Amazon.

60400 wrote:

I have the X-E4 with the original thumb rest, and in comparison, that one would be impossible to get out no matter where you rest your thumb on.

The Fuji thumbrest for the XE4 I received came with multiple pads.  You could use the spare with the lensmate thumbrest to tighten things up.  The lensmate thumbrests I use on my XPro3 and X100f have worked just fine for me.

I've always been a fan of LM thumb-rests on my X-Pros, but to be frank since getting a leather case with this small ridge I find my X100V doesn't need one.

xb70fan wrote:

PhilT_UK wrote:

Yep, same issue for me. I’m constantly pushing it back in. It fell out once and I thought I’d lost it. Found it at the bottom of my backpack luckily. For the price I’d expect better and it’s put me off ordering one in the future…

I’ve got the official Fujifilm thumb rest for my X-E4 and that’s rock solid.

I emailed Lensmate about it. Received the reply a few hours ago …

As you have experienced with your other Lensmate thumb grip (X-E3), the hot shoe rubber insert normally provides enough friction to prevent any movement. The movement in your X100V is likely due to an extremely slight variance in your X100V hot shoe rails. Out of the hundreds of these grips that we have shipped, we have only had three other customers experience looseness in the fit.

Fortunately, our designer came up with a super quick and easy fix that worked perfectly for the customers that I mentioned.

The hotshoe silicon insert is fairly easy to remove and re-install. (just using your fingernail) To provide slightly more friction he suggests that you place a paper shim underneath the hot shoe insert. Simply cut out a shape slightly smaller than the hot shoe insert from a thick piece of paper and re-install the silicon insert. Be sure to position the rubber wave pattern so it will point towards the camera. That should completely solve your issue. Let us know how it works out.

I’ll try what they suggest, but, eek. IMO it’s not the rubber insert, but the movement in the articulation that’s “levering” it out of place.

Looking further, I saw a few other reports of this on Amazon.

Thanks for posting this.  I too have had my Lensmate thumb grip feel a bit loose, and I've had to push it back in pretty much every time I use the camera for even a few minutes.  I just put a small cutout of a business card under the rubber (I had no idea until seeing this post that it was removable), and now it fits very snugly, and it does not wobble out at all now.  There is still a very, very small amount of lateral movement, but the grip stays firmly in position, and doesn't back out at all now, even when operating the hinge.

Hmm...never had this issue...I don't recall when I actually bought my V, it has to be at least 2 years ago and I added the grip right after.  The Lensmate response may be correct, OR it may be a variation in their rubber too.