SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 verdict
Summary
Pros
+ Way cheaper than Fujifilm’s official grip extension
+ Well designed, well made
+ Greatly improves the X-T5’s handling
+ Does not block any side doors or the battery
+ Includes a neat soft-touch shutter button
Cons
– NOT an L-bracket for horizontal and vertical tripod mounting
The SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 isn’t expensive but feels well made and does make a big difference to the handling of the X-T5. It adds a much more substantial grip which also adds a valuable few millimetres in height, which overall contributes to a much nicer hold. The base includes a sideways-fit Arca Swiss slot for mounting directly on a tripod plus three mounting points for other accessories. There’s no L-bracket built in, but this does at least stop the grip protruding beyond the left edge of the camera.
The Fujifilm X-T5 is a quite a nice-handling camera, though I’m not sure the shift up to 40 megapixels has really worked out as far as lens performance is concerned, and it doesn’t provide much of a grip when you fit the camera with Fujifilm’s bigger pro lenses. That’s what the SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 is designed to address, and at the same time adds some other rather neat features. The design is pretty specific to the X-T5, though. It doesn’t fit on my Fujifilm X-T1 because the body is slimmer and the tripod socket is in a different place.
SmallRig is pretty well known in the camera accessory/grip/rig marketplace, and also makes camera-specific cages and handles for video work. SmallRig accessories are not particularly expensive, but they are well-designed, well-engineered and effective.
The SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 costs around $39 / £39 and comes with a bonus accessor – a ‘soft touch’ shutter release button in bright red which screws into the X-T5’s threaded shutter release.
SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5: key features
The SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 is not an L-bracket for swapping quickly between horizontal and vertical tripod mounting, so it’s good to get that clear from the start. The L-shape comes from the vertical grip extension which is mounted at 90° to the horizontal baseplate attached to the base of the camera. (SmallRig does make regular L-brackets for horizontal and vertical mounting, and you can also get them in multiple camera-specific variants from 3 Legged Thing.)
Interestingly, this also has a row of three regular 1/4″-20 mounting points, but a key point for photographers is that the whole base is Arca Swiss compatible. With the SmallRig L-Shape Grip attached to the camera, you don’t need to attach a QR plate to use it on a tripod – the grip should slide straight into any regular Arca Swiss slots directly on the tripod head.
One thing to note is that the Arca rails run sideways. That’s not an issue for regular ball or three way heads, but won’t work properly on a two-way video head, where the Arca rails run front to back. This is a general issue with video heads and L-brackets.
The L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 comes with a bright red soft-touch shutter release button, which I’ll cover in the next section.
SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5: in use
Once it’s fitted to the camera, the L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 makes a surprising difference. It’s not just the extra depth of the new front grip, which is made of soft-touch silicone, by the way, but the extra few millimetres of height. Maybe it’s just me, but I find most camera grips just don’t have enough height and often leave my little finger dangling.
The grip is tightened on to the base of the camera with a single butterfly nut – no coins needed! – and once attached it doesn’t budge. The base is hollow on the right hand side, which initially feels like a bit of cost-saving until you realize that this offers unfettered access to the battery compartment. Because there’s no vertical shooting bracket on the side, none of the X-T5’s doors are blocked on either side of the body.
The bright read soft-touch shutter button might seem like an unnecessary novelty, but it’s actually very effective. It attaches with a couple of small turns and does lighten up the X-T5’s shutter action. I like that because I’ve always found the X-T5’s half-press action rather heavy.
Can you leave the L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 on the camera all the time? I don’t see why not – it’s what I do. It provides a much better grip and barely increases the external dimensions of the camera. I’m also much more likely to use a tripod if I don’t have to fiddle around attaching a baseplate.
SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5: verdict
The L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 is not an L-bracket, but an L-shaped grip extender. It’s designed to improve the X-T5’s handling and make tripod mounting easier. If you need an L-bracket to swap from horizontal to vertical tripod shooting, this isn’t it.
I do like this grip a lot. It definitely improves the X-T5’s handling and overall feel in the hand, and the little soft-touch shutter button is no novelty – this too really does make a difference.
For me, the biggest thing is the price. This is very well made and well designed accessory that doesn’t cost a lot. The official Fujifilm Handgrip MHG-XT5 is $129 / £129, so at around £39 / £39, the SmallRig L-Shape Grip for Fujifilm X-T5 does the same job for a lot less money.