Best thumb grips and hand grips for Leica M?

For your situation, I’d do Leica M Thumb Support (Hot Shoe Thumb Grip) 14498 + Leica M Handgrip 14405 — comfy, secure, doesn’t block controls much, and avoids sketchy hot-shoe stress from big 3rd‑party grips.

TL;DR: I ditched hot-shoe thumb grips (paranoia) and went cheap stick-on + wrist strap… steadier, zero stress.

Ok so I went through this last year w/ my M + 35. I tried a no-name hot-shoe thumb rest (~$20) and it was fine… till it started feeling a lil loose and I got REAL careful about the shoe. Ended up happier w/ a Kamerar Leica M Front Grip Adhesive (~$25-35) plus OP/TECH USA Cam Strap - Wrist Strap (~$15). Lowkey more secure one-handed, and nothing blocks the shutter dial. cheers

Heads up: be careful with hot-shoe thumb grips that fit *too* tight or have a long lever arm. I had one that was basically fine… until it started wobbling and I noticed tiny scuffs around the shoe. Not catastrophic, but yeah, unfortunately it made me paranoid about stress over time.

For your situation, I’d suggest a slimmer hot-shoe grip from Match Technical or Squarehood (they tend to sit closer and not poke your bag as much). For front grip stuff, I’ve had better luck with the little stick-on finger rests from KameraKraft/SmallRig-type options than the bigger “half-case” grips—less bulk, still helps one-handed.

Do you shoot with a soft release button? That can change how a thumb grip feels too, idk. good luck!

Honestly, I've spent years messing with the ergonomics on various M bodies, and the one thing I've learned is that the hot shoe tolerances aren't always 100% consistent across different generations. If you’re worried about that lever-arm stress - which is a valid concern given how the shoe is secured to the top plate - I usually take a DIY approach to get the fit perfect. I’ve had great luck buying a basic Haoge Thumbs Up and then custom-shimming it with a tiny sliver of Kapton tape or even thin brass shim stock. It basically eliminates that micro-wobble without having to over-tighten anything, which is usually what causes the scuffing. It creates a solid friction fit that distributes the load more evenly across the ISO 518 rails. Another pro-level DIY move is looking at the tactile side rather than just the physical 'hook'. Replacing the stock skin with a high-friction Aki-Asahi Custom Leatherette kit (the 4008 grain is great) transforms the handling without adding any bulk at all. Tbh, if you have a grippier surface for your palms, you don't need to wrap your thumb around a metal lever nearly as hard anyway. It’s a bit of a project, but it’s the cleanest way to stay low-profile.

Same here!

+1 to what was said earlier — hot-shoe grips can be fine, but yeah, if they’re tight or tall they can get sketchy over time. If you wanna keep it budget + low-bulk, I’d honestly try a simple stick-on front grip (the rubbery half-moon style from 7artisan or Kamerar). I think it gives you like 80% of the “secure” feeling without touching the hot shoe at all.

And if you do go thumb grip, maybe pick a shorter/low-profile one from Haoge and dont overtighten… like, test fit it, and if it needs force, skip it. Also, gaffer tape on the inner edges can stop scuffs + wobble. Not elegant, but it works lol. cheers