@Reply #2 - good point! but in my experience the JJC TA-X100V Thumb Up Grip is perfectly fine. ive used them for years without scratches. lmk if you need help.

honestly i went with the Lensmate Fujifilm X100V Folding Thumb Grip Black and im super satisfied with the fit. the hinge is machined perfectly so theres basically zero play in the movement. i was worried about the price too but the way it clears the back dials without scratching the finish is worth the premium. the Haoge THB-X2B Metal Hot Shoe Thumb Grip works well but the fixed design is kinda annoying tho.

In my experience, you really get what you pay for when it comes to machining. Ive tried plenty of generic brands over the years and half the time they either sit too loose or they are so tight you feel like you are gonna snap the top plate. If you want to avoid the high price of the boutique brands but still want quality, I would look at the Squarehood X100V Thumb Grip Aluminum. It fits the lines of the body much better than the bulky options and it feels super solid in the hand. The SmallRig Thumb Grip for Fujifilm X100V 3059 is another one I have used that doesnt feel like junk. It has these tiny silicone pads on the underside that are basically mandatory if you dont want to scratch your finish. Without those, a bit of grit gets under the metal and acts like sandpaper while you are walking around. Just a quick tip tho... make sure whatever you buy doesnt block the top dial too much. Some of the cheap ones are shaped weirdly and make it a pain to change your shutter speed on the fly. You are gonna be taking a ton of photos in Tokyo so you want that dial to be easy to flick. Honestly, just get one that feels snug and has those rubber bumpers and you will be fine. Have a killer trip!

@Reply #6 - good point! honestly im gonna disagree with the crowd here. been shooting x100 cameras for years and i've never seen the need for a $60 hinge. i'm currently using the VKO Metal Thumb Up Grip for Fujifilm X100V and it works perfectly without obstructing the shutter speed dial. the technical side is simple: you want 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum and an anodized finish. most of these budget brands use the exact same CNC machining processes as the boutique ones. as long as there is a silicone pressure pad on the contact point, you wont get scratches. ive had mine on for two years with zero play in the hot shoe. why pay a 300% markup for a hinge that just adds a potential point of failure? TL;DR: don't overthink the price. a solid one-piece grip with rubber pads is technically superior for long-term durability since there are no moving parts. save your money for the trip.

Saving this whole thread. So much good info here you guys are awesome.

No way, I literally just dealt with this yesterday. Small world.

Good to know!