Introduction

I’ve had my Fujifilm GFX100RF for a little while and one of the issues I’ve had with it is the questionable ergonomics, at least for my hands.

The resolve this, I decided on a grip that would add a permanent plate/grip combo to add some meat to the front of the grip.

I picked the IDS modular grip because I liked the option of adding a finger loop for those occasions where I wanted some extra security. I’m still on the fence with wrist straps and I felt this may provide a good alternative.

Ordering & shipping

The IDS grip is available from their website for $190, which is quite pricey. Shipping to Australia was $30, not unusual for shipping to this continent.

They offer the plate in silver or black base colours, along with a variety of options on grip, in both wood and aluminium alternatives. In conjunction to that, they offer a finger loop option although the finger loop itself is not included.

The shipping to Australia takes about a week which is fairly quick.

Packaging and construction

The modular grip plate is packaged in a plastic box with all the pieces required to assemble it. That includes screws and tools required for assembly. The box design is such that it protects the grip so it’s a great storage solution.

The grip itself is really well constructed. It’s a good quality

metal / alloy construction and the top of the plate has a soft material on it to ensure the camera isn’t damaged while attached to the plate.

Often small things, like the color of the baseplate screw are missed by after market accessory manufacturers, but IDS has covered all of these elements, so both the plate and grip screws are colour coded appropriately.

Features

The grip is offered in multiple configurations. You can buy the plate on it’s own, a plate with a grip, and the plate with grip and finger loop, although the latter includes holes, not the finger loop itself. The finger loop is made by Leica and can be purchased from a Leica stockist. IDS do not offer a non-Leica alternative.

As mentioned previously, the grip is supplied with everything required to mount the plate, including a hex key for installing grip on the plate, and a coin like disk for screwing the base plate onto the camera.

IDS have included a memory card slot in the base of the grip, against the bottom of the camera. You’ll have to take of the grip to access it, but it’s a great place to keep a spare SD card, and you wait lose it.

The grip itself incorporates a tripod plate. I prefer plates like

this. I’ve always found the tiny plates annoying. Aesthetically they look terrible, and if you hold your camera in a portrait configuration, they typically feel sharp in the hand.

Pricing

Pricing for the plate with the finger loop option is $190. The plate alone costs $167 and if you add a grip, it ranges between $167 (fibreglass) to $185 if you get aluminum version.

Given the quality of the grip, I think the pricing is quite reasonable.

Potential improvements

There isn’t a lot to complain about on the grip/plate. There are two improvements I would like to see, neither of them are big deals, or show stoppers, it’s probably nitpicking:

1. I’d like to see a coin slot or location of some sort to store the grip removal tool/coin. There may be some way to make a magnetic attachment point at the bottom.
2. I’d like to see them produce a cheaper version of the Leica finger grip. Yes, the GFX100RF is an expensive camera, but the Leica finger loop is insanely expensive for what it is.

Conclusion

As far as plates go, this is pretty much as good as I have seen. Quality is amazing. Functionality is top notch. Flexibility is there to remove the grip from the plate, and you have a large variety of colours. There isn’t a lot to fault.

The only people this may not suit is someone specifically looking for a L plate, and that’s a different requirement altogether.

If you’re looking at a plate/grip, this is definitely one to consider.