BTW - if anyone wants any of these grips, PM me, and I can sell them for a reasonable price. (Doesn't seem worth it to do a B&S posting on this, though I am B&S paid). I've got everything in my review, plus the CA134 as well.
I've stopped using my smallrig grip for two reasons-
The Kamerakraft thumb rest is wonderful and I love it.
I took the smallrig grip off while on vacation and I'm not sure where I put it- but I don't miss it.
phinix wrote:
I wonder if that wooden small-rig would look good on OG Zf.
Phinix, I have/have used about every grip for the Zf including the small-rig wooden grip(silver) and while it looked nice, in actuality the workmanship of the wood was not acceptable, and the fit to the camera was unfortunately unusable. Sitting on a flat surface, the plate was stable, however, when the camera was placed on the grip plate, the fit was not level and there was a significant gap on the wood grip itself. This was such that the grip actually moved in hand and did not meet the camera body. The wood was poorly fit and finished. I returned it to Amazon for refund.
I have the original grip by small-rig for the Zf at the time of release, and this grip actually fit properly but was not of wood. I did not care for that grip material personally, but as said, it did fit. I have three wooden grips (for 2 Zf's) and use the iWood grips from China which takes a while to get here in the US, unless Amazon happens to have them in stock. This was the source for my second wood grip, the other two came from China, the last being the silver version for the silver Zf. The workmanship and build of all three have been outstanding and of consistent quality and packaging. I would recommend them highly if you are looking for a wood grip.
The lBorry half case grips are also excellent and very well made. Hand size, feel, and personally preference obviously are the deciding factors. I switch back and forth in usage depending on the lens, intent, and location of use.
mjgphotoz wrote:
Phinix, I have/have used about every grip for the Zf including the small-rig wooden grip(silver) and while it looked nice, in actuality the workmanship of the wood was not acceptable, and the fit to the camera was unfortunately unusable. Sitting on a flat surface, the plate was stable, however, when the camera was placed on the grip plate, the fit was not level and there was a significant gap on the wood grip itself. This was such that the grip actually moved in hand and did not meet the camera body. The wood was poorly fit and finished. I returned it to Amazon for refund.
I have the original grip by small-rig for the Zf at the time of release, and this grip actually fit properly but was not of wood. I did not care for that grip material personally, but as said, it did fit. I have three wooden grips (for 2 Zf's) and use the iWood grips from China which takes a while to get here in the US, unless Amazon happens to have them in stock. This was the source for my second wood grip, the other two came from China, the last being the silver version for the silver Zf. The workmanship and build of all three have been outstanding and of consistent quality and packaging. I would recommend them highly if you are looking for a wood grip.
The lBory half case grips are also excellent and very well made. Hand size, feel, and personally preference obviously are the deciding factors. I switch back and forth in usage depending on the lens, intent, and location of use.
I tried one of those iWood on another camera and they are really nice.
I have the OG smallrig and it looks ok, good fit and finish, but I like many others don't really care for the feel of the "sticky" silicone. It's a mixed bag- works great as a grip, but it's TOO sticky lol.
phinix wrote:
Which iWood do you have?
I really liked the look of Ebony 2, looks good on Zf.
I have the Nikon Zf Grip Handle in silver plate Ebony 1, and in black plate Walnut 1 and Black Wood 1. The Black Wood seems to be no longer available and was the one Amazon had on hand here in the US. They also make a Slim version but I think it would be too slim. They are very well made and the pictures are indicative of the quality delivered. Packaging is excellent. Shipping time may vary by destination but the two I ordered from the store arrived within estimate. I personally prefer the wood grips for myself and I really am satisfied.
I wonder which is better - version 1 or 2. 2 has this shape cut out for index finger, but is it necessary? Version 1 has a cut out on whole length of it.
phinix wrote:
I wonder which is better - version 1 or 2. 2 has this shape cut out for index finger, but is it necessary? Version 1 has a cut out on whole length of it.
I think it really comes down to size of hand and personal preference and even how you set your record and function buttons. I personally prefer version one. I am a petite female but do not have tiny hands. I use a wrist strap such as the VKO Lanyard Camera Wrist strap attached to a RETO QD plate on the bottom for safety and quick detachment sake. You can also use it to attach the camera to a sling strap with QD if you so desire. On DSLR's I always used an old Camdapter hand strap. I have several laying around and use one on the Z8 as it has a built in body grip which places the shutter button forward.
mjgphotoz wrote:
I think it really comes down to size of hand and personal preference and even how you set your record and function buttons. I personally prefer version one. I am a petite female but do not have tiny hands. I use a wrist strap such as the VKO Lanyard Camera Wrist strap attached to a RETO QD plate on the bottom for safety and quick detachment sake. You can also use it to attach the camera to a sling strap with QD if you so desire. On DSLR's I always used an old Camdapter hand strap. I have several laying around and use one on the Z8 as it has a built in body grip which moves the shutter button forward.
Would you say that ver 1 is for bigger hands?
I'm looking for bigger grip, all available are a bit small.
Right now I stayed with Haoge grip, which is size of small-rig one, but has better rubber.
All Neewer ones are too narrow/thin for me.
phinix wrote:
Would you say that ver 1 is for bigger hands?
I'm looking for bigger grip, all available are a bit small.
Right now I stayed with Haoge grip, which is size of small-rig one, but has better rubber.
All Neewer ones are too narrow/thin for me.
I would say Ver 1 Grip Handle is a medium to large depending on your preference. Works great for me. They do have the Extended Nikon Zf Grip for Large hands you might look at. It also comes in the Ebony and looks good from the pictures. Looks like it is a bit thicker and has a slight curve on the palm side which slopes in from the top to about halfway down. It looks like it would do nicely for a larger hand.
I sent a note to NEEWER asking if they would be creating a silver version of the CA134. They replied that it's in the works and should be for sale in the coming months. Here is the placeholder link on Amazon they shared: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G519HQN9
To those that have used the Nikon Japanese grip (which I currently have) - is there a grip out there that you like better? I find the small thumb rest on the back of this grip to be insufficient although in general, I do like how the grip looks on the camera. Wondering if there’s something better out there that still looks good on the camera.
I really wish Nikon had just put a little bit bigger of a grip on the front and a spot to rest your thumb on the back instead of having to deal with these accessory grips…
After trying the SmallRig, GR-1, Neewer ca134, and SmallRig Wooden grip, I’ve settled on the SmallRig faux leather half case as my preferred « grip » on the Zf. It adds just a tiny bit of girth with no significant width addition, and most importantly a thumb grip. Second place for me is the neewer, but I don’t even bother to swap them out anymore and just leave the half case on there now.
Is there another option that adds some sort of grip depth without making the camera even wider?
I've been using the SmallRig 4261 and found handling greatly improved with bigger lenses but it forces my middle finger in a position that feels wrong and adds more width and height than I think is necessary...and it kinda destroys the look.
