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Soft release on the MP


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I know that using a soft release on an M7 is not advised because of possible damage to the shutter release locking mechanism, but what about the MP (and M6) camera?

 

Is there a possibility of damaging the meter switch in the shutter release mechanism? Or not an issue at all?

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I shot with an MP from 2003 till I traded it away in 2014 and used an Abrahamsson soft release on it a lot of the time with no ill effects.  The thing about soft releases is that you want to get one that is threaded for your camera - the film M cameras have a different thread pitch from the M240 and M Monochrom cameras.  Get the right soft release and you are in good shape.

 

One caveat about soft releases that I learned from Sherry Krauter is this:  Take heed while the soft release is mounted on your camera.  An impact to the soft release will cause terrible - and terribly expensive to repair - damage to the internal workings of the camera.  Sherry told me of a couple of M cameras that she had received for repair that been dropped and landed inverted, smashing the soft release down into the shutter release.  She said the amount of damage caused was astounding.  Care in handling and use with a soft release attached is a must.  That having been said, I would not be afraid to use a soft release;  I currently use one on my M-P 240.

 

Photo Village has a comprehensive selection of Abrahamsson softies to choose from:  http://photovillage.com/home.php?cat=2762&sort=orderby&sort_direction=0&page=1

 

Hope this helps...

Edited by Carlos Danger
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Using a so-called 'soft-release button' is a bad idea on any camera—for two reasons: (1) it increases the danger of doing mechanical damage to the shutter-release mechanism, and (2) there's nothing 'soft' about it anyway. With proper technique, releasing the shutter is softer without any additional embellishments.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Does the cable release cause a similar damage to the soft release? Just wondering.

What damage?  The release button is threaded for the the specific purpose of using a cable or bulb release. 

 

Soft releases, as with so many odd bits and pieces of photographic hardware over the history of photography, are the product of a ficticious 'need'.

 

Most entrepreneurs and con artists these days rely on creating and selling useless bits of software that plug-in rather than screw in.  They're only exploiting the same principles of gullibility.  :D

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