After playing with the Fujifilm X10 for some weeks, one definite thing I wanted to do was to hunt for a thumb grip as the little grip at the back of the camera was of not much use (blame my fat thumb). My thumb is always resting on a corner of the LCD or sometimes accidentally press/turn the dial/rocker on the top right corner (at the back).
The ThumbsUp that I got for my X100 is awesome but it is pricey! I told myself that there is no way I should get one for the X10 too. Came across this cheaper alternative (clone?) one called HorusBennu TG-1 (you can find it on eBay) sold by someone in Korea and since it is way more affordable than the ThumbsUp, I decided to buy a black one to see how well it works on the X10.
Unlike the ThumbsUp … the TG-1 came in a very simple packaging. Just a little plastic bag with an allan key and some ‘grip pads’ inside. Now that’s definitely a big difference compared to the ThumbsUp which came in a luxurious looking packaging. Ok … nevermind the cosmetics … let’s see how good it is …
Installation is a piece of cake (as expected). Within minutes … the TG-1 is securely (I hope) attached to the X10 …
Unfortunately on the X10 … the TG-1 does come in contact with the mode dial. If you push in the TG-1 entirely into the hotshoe, the thumb grip touches the mode dial and that is one headache! So what I did was not to push the TG-1 all the way into the hotshoe. I left an about 2mm gap and that takes care of the thumb grip coming in contact with the mode dial problem. Tightening the allan key secures the TG-1 firmly afterwards.
The eBay store states that it is for the X100 and few other cameras … but it didn’t mention the X10. So it is not their design fault at all but if you can live with the little gap (while saving some good money) … it will still work as advertised.
So does the TG-1 serve its purpose? It definitely does!
How does it compare with the ThumbsUp? One thing for sure … it is way cheaper! Design wise, you will find that the TG-1 sticks out more to the back (see photo below). The TG-1 might end up poking your right eye if you are focusing with your left eye! Hahaha! Nah! Just joking!
Quality wise … the ThumbsUp seems to be made from more solid material. Don’t quote me on that though. The TG-1 seems very light and has a bit of plasticky feel to it. Don’t get me wrong … it definitely ain’t made from plastic. 😀 It seems to be a good match for the lighter X10.
Is it worth buying? If you are having problem (like me) getting a good grip when shooting with one hand (which I do very often) … yes … you should consider getting a TG-1 (or a ThumbsUp if you have more cash to burn).
Updated ***
Since someone asked if the TG-1 blocks the AF indicator lamp at the back of the X10 … I took this photo (below) to show that the TG-1 doesn’t get in the way of the lamp. I have not tried mounting the ThumbsUp on the X10 because I do not wanna spend time removing it from the X100 (and securing it again later) but from the photo … you can see there is a slight possibility it might block the lamp a little (or entirely?). Please don’t quote me on that because I’ve not tried it and I am just guessing.
