So, you are thinking about getting a Fuji, or you already have one and you want to know what sort of accessories you should be looking into. Great! I’ve got you covered.
I recently found myself in a similar situation when I decided to jump head first into the Fujifilm world and purchase the venerable X-T1 (and later the Fujifilm XT3). As similar as Fuji mirrorless cameras are to any other camera you have ever used, there are some things to note, and they directly relate to the list of accessories that I recommend below.
[REWIND: FUJI X-T1 SILVER GRAPHITE: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT OR JUST ANOTHER BAD DATE? INITIAL THOUGHTS]
Fuji X-Series cameras are mirrorless, and just as with other Mirrorless options on the market, they can struggle with battery life. I am lucky in that I don’t have to deal with this too much because I prefer to use old manual focus vintage lenses, and thus I don’t have OIS/AF sucking power from my camera battery. Which leads me into my list…
5 Must Have Accessories For Fujifilm X-Series Shooters
Just a note before I get too far into this. I own an X-T1 myself, so my perspective (and this list really) has a very X-T1 focus, that said, most of this list is applicable to many of the other X-Series cameras as well.
1. Extra Batteries
As I mentioned above, Fuji is not exempt from the mirrorless system battery life issues that plague much of the market. That said, as far as mirrorless cameras go, the life is not terrible.
Still, I recommend having at least 2-3 extra batteries available to you at all times. Coming from a DSLR world, this seems ludicrous; having just 1 extra battery there is more than enough, but being a mirrorless shooter is quite different.
There are many options out there for batteries. You can go with original Fuji NP-W126 batteries if you like, but I have found that these Watson NP-W126 batteries work great as well and save you some $$.
2. A Multi-Battery Charger
I probably could have lumped this in with the battery section, but I do feel like this is a different beast. Unlike the DSLR world, where you can survive with 2 batteries and the charger that came with your camera, in an X-Series multiple battery world, you really need to invest in a multi-battery charger.
It would take forever to charge all your batteries if you only did one at a time. I recently invested in the Watson ‘Duo Charger’ which is a great option. It comes with two slots so I can charge two batteries at a time, and it has an awesome LCD screen that tells me exactly what capacity my batteries are at when I place them on the charger.
I love it because there can be no mistake the battery is at 100% when I take it off. I also like it because it is not limited to the Fuji batteries, you can buy different plates and charge the batteries from your other cameras – or your new camera system if you ended up switching from Fuji. For only $79.95, they aren’t that expensive either.
3. A Wired Cable Release
Yes, you read that right. A wired cable release. Surely, many of the X-Series cameras (my X-T1 included) have wonderful WiFi capabilities, but it has its limitations. For example, on my X-T1, if I wanted to shoot in BULB mode via the wireless, I am limited to up to 30 second exposures. If I wanted to shoot in true BULB mode, I would need to actually press the shutter down myself – which as you know is not a good idea when doing long exposures.
The good part is, no fancy cable release is needed, just something that you can plug-in and use when needed. You can get the official Fuji model for around $40, or in my case with the X-T1, I just use this Vello model that I got for under $10. It does its job and now I can do longer exposures than 30 seconds without risking camera shake from my hands bumping the camera.
4. Vertical Battery Grip or Extra Grip
I can not recommend the vertical battery grip for the X-T1 enough. Not only does it give you a little more surface area to hold onto if you have bigger hands (or longer fingers, like me), but it doubles your battery life.
Just as with most vertical battery grips, the X-T1 grip allows for a second battery in addition to all the needed controls so you can shoot vertically without having to kink your wrist. Given all the talk above about needing multiple batteries, it should be no surprise that having the ability to power your camera with two batteries is a way better option than just one.
I actually have a pretty good system going. Two batteries in the camera, two batteries charging (or in my bag if they are already charged). This way I always have a full camera/grip if I find myself running out of power on a shoot.
If you don’t have the X-T1, then obviously a battery grip is not an option for you. But there are some other great grip options if you need some extra room for your big hands. They are Fuji made too, so they blend perfectly with your camera body, almost to the point that you don’t even notice they are added-on.
5. Vintage Lens Adapters
Ok, this one may not be for everyone, but I have a reason for adding it to this list. First of all, they are super cheap. You can get virtually any vintage lens mount adapter for your X-Series camera for about $10-12. Once you do this, you can use almost literally any manual focus vintage lens you could ever want to use, and most of those are pretty inexpensive as well.
This allows you to experiment, try new focal lengths, or styles of shooting that you are not usually into. It has gotten to the point with me that I actually prefer to manual focus in most situations, with exception to fast action (for obvious reasons). It also saves my batteries so I don’t have to worry about that as much as people who use the latest and greatest Fuji lenses (not that there is anything wrong with those amazing lenses, but not having to worry about battery life is a nice side benefit to playing with vintage lenses).
You can find some more expensive (higher end) adapters over on B&H here. I, being a major cheapo, just went to Amazon and bought the $12 ‘dumb’ adapters and they work wonderfully for my purposes.
Bonus Accessory: A Nice Leather/Vintage Camera Strap
You spend all this money on a killer vintage-styled Fuji camera, why not go the rest of the way and get a nice strap as well? Surely something like a Black Rapid strap will work on your Fuji, but there is something that just doesn’t look right with such a modern strap.
For me, I can’t recommend the A7 ‘Morgan’ strap enough; it is super comfortable, and the leather is a great quality. It looks pretty sweet when paired with the X-T1 as well. Their ‘Broadway’ is also a great strap for smaller cameras like the X100 series.
In Conclusion
Hopefully, this list has helped you with some options for accessories to think about for your X-Series camera. They may not truly be ‘must have’ for everyone, but they are great to have nonetheless.
If you are an X-Series shooter and have more suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear about some awesome accessories that I may not already know about!
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