jlancasterd Posted February 15, 2008 Share #1 Posted February 15, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) I see from Robert White's website that the version of the Thumbs-Up with a 'cold' accessory shoe is now available at £85 + VAT (ie just under £100 for UK residents) It's available in both 'long' and 'short' versions. Having a slightly crabbed right hand, I've ordered the long version. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 15, 2008 Posted February 15, 2008 Hi jlancasterd, Take a look here Thumbs-Up with Accessory Shoe Available!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
gravastar Posted February 15, 2008 Share #2 Posted February 15, 2008 I received my CS3 version from Robert White a few days ago. Like the non hot shoe version I find it indespensable with the M8's slippery covering. I've got small hands so I chose the model 3. A word of warning, I found mounting accesories in the shoe to be a very tight fit. Finders with a metal foot were a very tight and the plastic foot Leica finders couldn't be mounted until I had depressed the spring leaves somewhat. I suspect the springs are a little too thick/strong. I also noticed that the foot which slides into the camera shoe seems to be slightly narrower than the previous model 3 so on mine there was a small amount of side to side play which didn't interfere with it's operation though. With both versions I put a small square of very thin rubber between the thumb end of the Thumbs Up and the back of the camera. That prevented any movement and also protected the camera. Hopefully when the Grip Tac covering arrives from Camera Leather that together with the TU will allow me to dispense with the Leica grip. Bob. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Kildare Posted February 16, 2008 Share #3 Posted February 16, 2008 A word of warning, I found mounting accesories in the shoe to be a very tight fit. Finders with a metal foot were a very tight and the plastic foot Leica finders couldn't be mounted until I had depressed the spring leaves somewhat. I suspect the springs are a little too thick/strong. Bob, This is something that Tim is revising. All of the purchasers of the CS model should have been contacted by Tim telling them of his fix. He is currently getting some weaker springs made which should sort out this issue. He has told me they will be ready in a couple of weeks and he is then sending me one to swap over on my CS3. I have to say, like many others, the addition of the Thumbs Up has made my M8 much more stable to hold. Vertical hand holding feels very secure to me now as the camera hangs from my thumb and feels very balanced. I would rate it my most useful Leica accessory. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
baloo Posted February 16, 2008 Share #4 Posted February 16, 2008 Hi! Can you give the link to the web site I’m interested in getting one too Thanks, Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
etrigan63 Posted February 16, 2008 Share #5 Posted February 16, 2008 match Technical Services Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 16, 2008 Share #6 Posted February 16, 2008 Can you give the link to the web site I’m interested in getting one too Thumbs Up M Grip | Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fotogo Posted March 16, 2008 Share #7 Posted March 16, 2008 Advertisement (gone after registration) Bob, This is something that Tim is revising. All of the purchasers of the CS model should have been contacted by Tim telling them of his fix. He is currently getting some weaker springs made which should sort out this issue. He has told me they will be ready in a couple of weeks and he is then sending me one to swap over on my CS3. I have to say, like many others, the addition of the Thumbs Up has made my M8 much more stable to hold. Vertical hand holding feels very secure to me now as the camera hangs from my thumb and feels very balanced. I would rate it my most useful Leica accessory. Dr. Kildare is correct. The first 2 weeks Thumbs Up CS was released, produced some tight fits for some accessories. This has been corrected. My tolerances were simply too difficult to adhere to and too close to fit all accessories. The cold shoe dimension is now enlarged; the leaf spring tension now reasonable and any standard accessory will fit very well. I have added an additional feature not found on the original Thumbs Up. This new feature is a locking screw. The Locking screw firmly attaches the Thumbs Up CS to the M8 flash shoe frame. By locking the TU-CS in place, accidental removal cannot occur. This is sometimes an issue when removing a wide angle viewfinder. Here are a few photos of the current two models of Thumbs Up CS for your consideration. (CS is the Cold Shoe version) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlancasterd Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share #8 Posted March 16, 2008 Dr. Kildare is correct. The first 2 weeks Thumbs Up CS was released, produced some tight fits for some accessories. This has been corrected. My tolerances were simply too difficult to adhere to and too close to fit all accessories. The cold shoe dimension is now enlarged; the leaf spring tension now reasonable and any standard accessory will fit very well. I have added an additional feature not found on the original Thumbs Up. This new feature is a locking screw. The Locking screw firmly attaches the Thumbs Up CS to the M8 flash shoe frame. By locking the TU-CS in place, accidental removal cannot occur. This is sometimes an issue when removing a wide angle viewfinder. Hi Tim I've now had my model 3 CS Thumbs Up (bought via Robert White) for about a month and it has completely transformed the handling of my M8 - especially for vertical shots. I use it in combination with the Leica M8 grip and find that this makes for a very sure hold on the camera. It also looks just as good on my silver-chrome M8 as it does on your black one. I was a little surprised to find an Allen key delivered along with the grip, but soon figured out what it was meant to be used for - it might, however, be worth putting a note in the box for those not so mechanically minded. One thing I did do before fitting the Thumbs Up to my camera was to stick a strip of black PVC electrician's tape to the rear face, to act as a buffer to avoid possible scuff marks on the M8's chrome. Incidentally, my wife was very taken with the beautiful box that the Thumbs Up arrived in. We lived in Borneo for nearly 10 years and are familiar with the delicate handicrafts that the Chinese can produce, but this is one of the best-designed items we have seen in some time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradhusick Posted March 17, 2008 Share #9 Posted March 17, 2008 As an owner of a CS1 I can attest to the build quality and overall excellent design of this product. Rush out and buy one - you will be thrilled how natural the handling of the camera becomes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
norm_snyder Posted March 17, 2008 Share #10 Posted March 17, 2008 I added the Thumbs-up Mod 1 w/ cold-shoe a few weeks ago, and it has been absolutely without problems. Perfect fit. As with the original, and the M-coder, well executed, performing exactly as described. Great communication from Tim, excellent, rapid shipping, and packaging so elegant, that I'm trying to figure out what else I can do with the box... Well worth it. --NS Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyvot Posted March 17, 2008 Share #11 Posted March 17, 2008 Tim: great work. I'm very happy to see this new version become available. I still would love to see a version offered with a hot shoe. I know most M users eschew flash, but those who try to use the M8 as an alternative to an SLR for professional work do need strobe from time to time. (The M8 is flash-challenged in the best case without a PC socket.) In the meantime, I may see if Michael Bass can create an 'HS' version from one of the new CS models for me... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kameraguy Posted March 17, 2008 Share #12 Posted March 17, 2008 I am also anxiously awaiting a hot shoe version. Would like to retain Pocket Wizard functionality with this in place. Otherwise, a fantastic product which I can't wait to add to my M8. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hetoog Posted October 15, 2009 Share #13 Posted October 15, 2009 For everyone who has been waiting for a HOT camera grip with extra flash sync (so viewfinder and flash at the same time) visit my site. It took me three days from first version till last one. Its very strong easy to make , cost not a fortune and it is, to my knowledge, the first Hot grip. I call it the "M80Grip" http://m80grip.web-log.nl (tomorrow also via www.m80grip.com) Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kessel Posted May 28, 2010 Share #14 Posted May 28, 2010 I purchased a thumbs up device and it will not fit on my M9 hotshoe. Any suggestions? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thompsonkirk Posted May 29, 2010 Share #15 Posted May 29, 2010 Kessel, They're really tight, but just wiggle it in. I can hold the camera steady at 1 or 2 lower shutter speeds with Thumbs Up than with naked M8/9. My only problem was 'phantom thumb' – with what feels like a film advance lever, it took a while to stop trying to cock the shutter after every shot. Get one! Kirk Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelduck Posted June 16, 2010 Share #16 Posted June 16, 2010 I just got my Thums up. . Holy cow!! That is the single best accessory you can get for M8/9. It totally changes the ability to grip the camera. It really stabilizes the hold. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NB23 Posted June 17, 2010 Share #17 Posted June 17, 2010 I just got my Thums up. . Holy cow!! That is the single best accessory you can get for M8/9. It totally changes the ability to grip the camera. It really stabilizes the hold. Yes. It's an absolutely Banal and yet incredible invention. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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