Brilliant Helium Grip Coming Soon for the Leica Q2 and (Maybe) the Fuji X-T5

Photographer and YouTube content creator Hugh Brownstone and architect and photo enthusiast Ed Palisoc teamed up earlier this year to create the Helium Design Lab He3 Handgrip for the Leica Q3, which quickly proved to be a smashing success.

The excellent grip sold out quickly, meaning that Brownstone and Palisoc had to create another run of the He3, all manufactured in the United States with exacting precision. The second run, slated to ship in mid-December, is already nearly sold out, too, so interested photographers will want to act fast if they want to equip their Leica Q3 — or their new Leica Q3 43 — with the He3 grip.

The He3 is a modular handgrip with a removable thumb rest, built to perfectly match the Q3’s style. The grip offers access to the battery and SD card without removing the grip, something Leica’s official grip attachment lacks. The He3 is also Arca-Swiss mount compatible, features a slot to attach a Peak Design hand strap, and has a patent-pending tamper-proof slot for an Apple AirTag. Unlike Leica’s official thumb rest add-on, the He3 doesn’t block the Q3’s hot shoe, either.

Alongside the second run of the He3 grip, arriving just in time for the holidays, Brownstone and Palisoc went back to the drawing board to expand their product offerings. While the Leica Q3 and Q3 43 are popular, many photographers love their older Leica Q2 and would enjoy a thoughtfully designed grip, too. Enter the aptly named He2 handgrip for the Leica Q2. Priced the same as the He3, $490, the He2 has been custom-designed from the ground up for all versions of the Leica Q2. Since the Q2 and Q3 sport different designs, especially concerning the bottom of the camera, the two grips are tailor-made for specific models and are not interchangeable.

The He2 has all the same features as the He3, including Arca-Swiss compatibility, the AirTag slot, and the removable thumb rest.

Taking a page out of Apple’s book, there is “one more thing.” Brownstone and Palisoc are pursuing designs for non-Leica cameras, including the extremely popular Fujifilm X-T5. Since the X-T5 has a built-in front grip, the He5 takes a different approach than the He3 or new He2.

However, like the Leica Q grips, the He5 adds Arca-Swiss compatibility to the bottom of the X-T5 while adding a thumb rest and giving photographers more to hold onto at the bottom of the X-T5.

“We determined that the front side of the built-in grip didn’t need significant improvement, so we left it alone,” Brownstone explains. “Instead, we focused on the design and execution of the modular thumb rest on the backside to dramatically improve the biomechanics of the entire camera, especially when working with the newer, larger and heavier lenses which fundamentally alter the camera’s center of gravity. It’s just much easier to shoot the X-T5 with the He5 attached.”

However, unlike the Helium grips for Leica cameras, which cost nearly $500 but go on cameras that cost upwards of $7,000, the He5 grip may be a tougher sell for X-T5 owners. After all, the X-T5 is currently $1,599. So, while the He5 is ready to go now, Brownstone and Palisoc need to hear from photographers. They want to know what X-T5 owners would be willing to pay for the He5 and how long they are willing to wait for it to ship. If the responses fit what’s possible from a production cost side, the He5 will come to fruition.

That’s not all. Brownstone and Palisoc are also investigating yet another grip: the He11 for the Leica M11 series cameras, which Brownstone teases as “closer than you think.”

Image credits: Helium Design Lab