Match Technical Services, makers of the popular Beep, Boop, Bip, Bug soft releases are also known for their innovative Thumbs Up Leica camera grips. Shortly after the Fuji X100 was released, it was discovered that the Thumbs Up CSEP-2 for the Leica X1 fit the FinePix X100 pretty well, and a number of photographers have been enjoying using them. In the meantime, Match Technical has been hard at work designing a new Thumbs Up grip specifically suited for the Fuji X100.



The new model is called the Thumbs Up EP-5S, which will come in a baked silver enamel or baked black enamel finish and features a silicone rubber backing between the brass Thumbs Up and the camera body. The TU-EP-5S will retail for about $118 USD and comes in a baked silver enamel or baked black enamel finish.

Fujifilm today officially released a firmware update for the FinePix X100, now available for download (32.2 MB) on Fujifilm's Global website. In addition to the new firmware, Fujifilm has issued an updated User Manual, also available for download (3.05 MB).

How To Upgrade Your X100 The Easy Way

1. Insert a fully charged battery into your X100
2. Format your SD card in your camera. (Backup your data first, of course.)
3. Download the FPUPDATE.DAT file from Fujifilm's website after accepting to their license terms
4. Connect your SD card to your computer, either with a card reader or with your USB cable
5. Copy the FPUPDATE.DAT file to the root directory of the SD card
6. Continue at step C of Fujifilm's instructions (Turn the camera on while holding down the [BACK] button to start the firmware update process.)

You don't actually need to run the .EXE or .DMG transfer software, it simply copies the .DAT file to the SD card. Be sure your battery is 100% charged before starting the update. The upgrade should take about 90 seconds.

Once the firmware upgrade is complete, the camera will instruct you to turn it off. After you power the camera back on you'll need to set it up again starting with the date and time, and all of your custom settings will need to be reset.

Firmware Changes

Details of changes made in the firmware update are the following:

Fujifilm's official LH-X100 accessory is a lens hood and adaptor ring kit specifically designed for the FinePix X100, complete with matching good looks. The AR-X100 adaptor ring, also sold separately, provides the appropriate lens clearance and threads to allow 49 mm filters to be attached to the lens. The lens hood then connects to the outside of the adaptor ring utilizing a bayonet mount.

Unfortunately this handy accessory comes with a high price tag! The LH-X100 kit is priced at $140 USD (£70 in the UK), and the AR-X100 adaptor is $50 (about £30). To make things worse, long supply shortages have pushed the price of the official lens hood to more than $200 USD on the aftermarket. This has lead to a great deal of experimentation amongst Fuji X100 photographers to discover affordable alternatives utilizing more generic parts.



Last week a number of eBay sellers in China began to offer an imitation LH-X100 lens hood kit for only $50 USD (£30), an apparent clone of Fujifilm's design. At nearly 1/3 the price, it seemed like a great value, so I decided to purchase one for my Fuji X100 to review here on X100 Enthusiasts.