X100VI Accessories – Fab Handcrafted & Haoge: Trying Not To Fall Down The Camera Dress Up Rabbit Hole.
Subtitle: Looking not to make a small camera significantly larger.
As soon as I started researching the X100VI on YouTube, here they came. A barrage of “Must have X100VI accessories!” videos. As it turns out, one does not need them all. I chose two for daily use, and one to use occasionally that has yet to arrive. More on that third one later. This is about the two daily accessories.
What I did not get. (All personal preference people. You do you.)
- Shutter button… button dealie.
- I find the actual shutter button just fine.
- Thumbs up.
- Even with my beef mitts, I find the X100VI rather easy to hold onto.
- Add on grip and/ot bottom plate extension.
- See sub-bullet above.
Seems some bought add-on contraptions more for dress-up than function. Some brass filigree was released. It does look snazzy. I read somewhere in the instathreadface universe that it made them want to buy the camera. Ok. Cool. But I am trying my best to keep this as a form follows function proposition. Looking good is ok, but there must be a real dividend along with those looks that does not significantly increase its footprint.
What I wanted was a strap and a hood. Small ones in both cases. Anything bulky in either regard goes against one of the main reasons why I bought the camera in the first place. It’s relatively small size. So here we go with what I chose.
Strap.
I was unsure whether I wanted to get a wrist strap or a neck strap. So I bought an inexpensive wrist strap first. It was fine, actually. But I found that with a wrist strap and the X100VI’s size and weight, it tended to pinwheel around in a way that was destined to end up smacking the camera into a doorjamb or some manner of fixed object.
So neckstrap it is.
Next decision. Which kind and length? Started with my go-to brands.
Peak Design.
Ultimately, nonsense, but Peak Design straps did not fit the X100VI aesthetic for me. Wanted something more film-y/vintage-y. So…
Fab Handcrafted.
I was very happy with the Fab Handcrafted straps I had purchased in the past. Had them for my (since traded on) Contax G1 and (since traded on) Hexar RF…
…as well as my (also traded on) Leica M 240. Two (taken with the caveat that these are first-world concerns and they serve as a distraction from the world being on fire) issues.
- What length?
- Between the three cameras, I sampled all three lengths of the rope strap. Which one do I choose? I had the longest one for the M 240, and it was suitable for off the hip, which is my preference. When I needed a shorter length, I would tie the strap off. But that raised the other issue…
- A bit bulkier than I wanted here.
- Even deployed normally, these straps were bulkier than what I wanted for the more petite X100VI. Tie it off, and the bulk is more prominent. See. Nonsense. So I searched their website for other options and came across their thin leather strap. And being adjustable, it addresses the whole “What length?” thing.
Received it with a nice handwritten note acknowledging that I am a repeat customer. Nice touch. As expected, it is a good-looking thing.
That sorted onto…
The hood.
In the past, I had good luck with a Haoge square hood.
That was back when I was trying to force my A7C into a point-and-shoot mold. I have since abandoned such pursuits, folded like a cheap tent, and joined the X100 hive mind… again. They also make a fine square hood for the X100VI. They even make a larger square hood that mimics the aesthetic of the hood on the X100VI’s big brother GFX100RF, which I recently tested.
But I have seen these square hoods and others both in the wild and in photos, and they did not make for a cargo pant pocket-friendly package in my opinion. So I kept searching. And that is when I stumbled upon what I believe is the perfect solution for my purposes.
It does all of the things.
- Completes the weather-proof component.
- Includes a small hood.
- Includes a UV filter, which is an add-on item with most kits.
- Comes in black and silver to match the camera body.
- Can still go in a cargo pants pocket without issue.
- Allows use of the factory metal lens cap.
And all for $24.99. For comparison, the other Haoge hoods above cost more and require an additional UV filter. The Fujifilm adapter ring with no hood costs more and also requires an additional UV filter purchase. Here are some additional pics.
And again… $24.99.
This is what I call a no-brainer.
That is a wrap for now. One more accessory to go soon.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 
One Reply to “X100VI Accessories – Fab Handcrafted & Haoge: Trying Not To Fall Down The Camera Dress Up Rabbit Hole.”
Comments are closed.