I got my wood grip in from eBay - so now I have this, the SmallRig and the Neewer grip. My thoughts:
Looks:
- I think the wood grip looks best, as it just has this elegant classic look to it. The Neewer is probably second, though I'm torn on the red stripe. Sometimes I like it, and other times I think it'd look better with out it. Smallrig is least attractive as it's just a black rubber block, but it also isn't bad looking.
Feel:
- Sort of a tossup between the wood and the Smallrig. The wood has a wonderful feel to it, and the surface feels way nicer than the super tacky rubber of the Smallrig, though when holding the cameras, it's a bit of a wash. The wood grip is deeper, and mine has sculpted finger indents which feel really nice, while the Smallrig is softer and my index finger sits slightly better on the shutter button with it. The Neewer is definitely the worst here. While I like the finish, with it being closer to the bare camera than the smallrig, it's also a bit slick, so you have to squeeze harder to have positive control. Still better than the bare camera by a lot, though.
Arca/Swiss rail: I think the Neewer is just barely the best, as the rail goes from just past the battery compartment all the way to the end of the camera. The Smallrig is next, but the front dovetail doesn't quite go the edge. The wood grip has the worst A/S dovetail, being present only centered under the lens, so you can't slide it up for easier vertical shooting.
Quality: All are built quite well. The wood grip has what looks to be a lower grade of aluminum than the other two, but all fit very well, with no obvious misalignments or anything. The smallrig grip has the actual grip material slightly out from the camera's grip, but it compresses against the camera in use. The wood and Neewer grip both sit perfectly snug against the camera grip.
Overall, I think I like the wood grip the best for daily use, but I'll put the Smallrig on if I'm going to be mixing a lot of tripod use in. The Neewer grip will get some use when I want a change of pace, but will probably be on the camera the least of them.
A parting shot of the wood grip on my Zf:
Jan 24, 2024 at 09:44 AM
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