Protective and Slim Camera Cases for Photographers Who Hate Cases
Henley Bailey of Akara Labs, whom PetaPixel wrote about last year after he built the Leica M Mount 6-bit Encoder to easily adapting old lenses to Leica M digital rangefinders, is back with another creation for the modern photographer. This time it is a “Slim Skin” case for the popular Fujifilm X-E5.
The new case is $39 for a version without a front grip and $47 for one with a grip, and it joins Akara’s other slim cases available for a wide range of cameras, including Leica M rangefinders, the Leica Q2 and Q3, the Pixii, the Voigtlander Bessa, Nikon Zfc, Fujifilm X100VI, and more.
Bailey tells PetaPixel that the slim cases are designed for people who want the protection for their camera that a case offers, especially a compact camera that is meant to always be with you, but don’t necessarily like cases.
“I’ve never liked cases on my phones or cameras,” Bailey tells PetaPixel. “I dislike the extra bulk and how they spoil the device’s original design and feel. However, some of my cameras are valuable tools, and I want to protect them.”
This led Bailey to develop his Slim Skin case series, which delivers the “least amount of case that still offers meaningful protection.”
The cases are “designed for photographers who want protection without sacrificing the form factor, or compromising the handling.”
The cases are also built to be easily removed. The core feature there is the quick-release bung. This plug is integrated into the case and squeezes into the tripod mount on the bottom of the camera. That alone keeps the case snug to the camera, but it can be removed by sliding a finger between the case and the camera and “popping” it off. This enables quick access to the battery compartment and SD card slot.
“There are no screws to remove, and the camera base remains flat,” Bailey notes.
As for the new case specifically for the X-E5, Bailey says he loves the camera.
“It’s fantastic,” the photographer and designer notes. However, it is small and lacks meaningful front grips, so it can be challenging to handle at times.
The Slim Skin case, with its integrated grip and thumb grip, “completely transforms the experience.”
“It makes the camera feel solid and secure — a huge benefit for street and travel photography. For an ideal street camera like the X-E5, the improved handling is the primary feature; the protection is simply a bonus,” Bailey tells PetaPixel.
The integrated thumb grip on the back also means that the camera’s hot shoe remains free for use. Some thumb grip attachments for cameras, including Fujifilm’s models, attach to the camera via the hot shoe.
Of course, the Slim Skin case for the Fujifilm X-E5 does block the tripod mount point, since it needs it to stay connected to the camera. However, the quick-release design means that photographers shouldn’t have much of an issue when they need to use a tripod.
Bailey also makes camera base protectors for photographers who need to protect the bottom of their camera while maintaining instant access to the tripod mount and battery/memory card compartments. This is available for the X-E5 and many other cameras for under $20. The bottom of a camera is the most likely part to be scratched, and the leather-effect vinyl cover aims to prevent damage.
Image credits: Akara Labs
