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Hi all. Anyone knows if Match Technical, the makers of the SL2 Thumbs up ( among others), is still in business? Have not been able to find any info online - Interested in finding out if they will be making a thumb support for the SL3 Thanks

I am looking for a thumb support for my Q2; the two best choices seem to be the Leica Q2 Thumb Support #19543 ($225 USD) and the Match Technical Thumbs Up Grip #EP-LQ2 ($143 USD). The Leica #19543 looks like it is a bit smaller and perhaps less clunky than the Match Technical #EP-LQ2, although it is hard to really tell from the photos I see online. There are other thumb supports that have sort of a hinge in the middle of them, allowing them to be moved but I like the stability and solid construction that the one piece thumb supports like the #19543 and the #EP-LQ2 offer. There is a price difference of $82 USD between the two which is a secondary concern; I am interested in getting the best thumb support, not the cheapest. After much thought, I'm beginning to wonder if the Leica thumb support is actually $82 USD better than the Match Technical thumb support, and if the Match Technical is really that much larger than the Leica thumb support. If you have used either (or both) of these thumb supports, hearing your insights would be greatly appreciated.

I picked up the Match Technical Thumbs Up EP-12T for my Leica T and wanted to share my thoughts and experiences for those interested. First let me say that I am a huge Thumbs Up fan and have used many variations over the years on my digital Leica's (M’s and X’s) and have found them a necessary part of proper handling. Once I bought a T and noticed that they released the EP-12-T Thumbs Up, it was just a matter of time before it made it's way onto my camera. Through the magic of the internet, popped over to the Leica Store Miami website, ordered the EP-12T and had it in my grubby hands a few short days later. Once home, put it on the T and noted that the fit and finish was nothing short of the normal Match Technical fare; first class. It looks great on the T, and fits like factory equipment (or better in some cases). Swung my thumb to the back to get the grip and that’s where things were different…. This Thumbs Up was created so as to not block any of the T’s functions, namely the touch screen or two control dials. This is obviously a must, but I found that the thumb rest was a little short of being comfortable. My thumb was stretched too far from the normal position to reach the grip, but once I adjusted my grip it was a little better. Once I got used to holding the camera like this it was good, but found that as my thumb stretched across the back it covered up the menu bar and the top right hand corner of the screen. My first thought was that this grip would be a perfect fit with the Visoflex, but that is certainly not the case since it is flush-mounted. Though the thumb stretch and screen blockage were not ideal, the benefit of improved handling outweighed the negatives, but the main reason this Thumbs Up and I did not get along was because it dug painfully into my side when I wore the camera across my shoulder and then also in the around the neck position. I never noticed this with any previous Thumbs Up, but it was painfully obvious with this iteration. So, I gave the EP-12T a week on the camera to see if I got used to it, but we never got on well enough for me to justify keeping it. Although I returned the EP-12T to LSM, I still find myself reaching for it on the camera as it did provide greater stability and an easier grab out of the bag. Other users may not have the same issues, and I would still recommend the Thumbs Up EP-12T if you are okay with potentially dealing the above issues. AG

I just got into rangefinder photography and have been using the following setup fo rthe last two weeks: Leica MP .72 Black - I've been fully DSLR for a while now and wanted a drastic shift. And I got it! Was a very nice change. Still getting used to the all-manual approach and learning how to focus faster. Special note to rangefinder newbies - don't put your right hand/fingers in the way of the rangefinder input. I thought my Leica was behaving strangely, but it was just me. I had a finger over the RF input and it's working much better now that the camera can "see" what it's supposed to be focusing on. Leica 35mm Summilux (pre-asph) - was older and unused so it was a bit stiff. Worked the focus about 200 times and now it's pretty smooth. It's small and light (especially when compared to my Canon 35mm f/1.4) Not used to fullframe so this sucker is wide! Really like that. Not liking the focus tab yet. Don't really like the look of the hood, especially in the finder... Zeiss 50mm Planar f/2 - got this on several recommendations (thanks Steve Huff!) and couldn't be more pleased. Focus knob is a bit awkward at first, but prefer this design to the notched tab of the Leica (above). So much so that I don't even realize the original gripe anymore! Used this lens the most over the last 2 weeks. Light, elegant and easy to focus. Leica 90mm f/2 APO/APSH - really nice lens - so much smaller than my 100mm Canon L lens. Focus ring is smooth. And it's a f/2 instead of the Canon's f/2.8. Plan to use this one a bit more. Accessories: Assorted B&W filters - yellow, yellow-orange and red. I haven't used the red yet, but really look forward to seeing the results. Mostly used the yellow-orange filter and have lots of sky/cloud photos waiting to be developed. Mr Zhou Half Case - I really loved the price. It fits like a glove and really protects the areas it covers. And it helps me hold on to the camera a bit better. Match Technical soft release (Bip) - i found it really hard to hold the camera steady without the use of this. I even e-mailed one of the owners and Tim e-mailed back right away with his answers to my queries. Tiny, inexpensive and vital - great add-on. Match Technical E-clypse MAG 34mm 1.25x. This little hood and magnifier are awesome. I had debated on the Leica 1.4x but am really happy with the 1.25. It turns my .72 into a .9 and the boost to the RF patch is a blessing. It makes the system even easier to use. It was a bit too much for the 35mm lens as the framelines tend to disappear from sight, but the 50 and 90mm really like this add-on. Film: Being new, I bought a few rolls of a bunch of different varieties of black and white film. T-max 100 and 400, Ilford FP4 and HP5 and some Efke 25 and 50. In color, I went with Ektar 100. I hope to develop the B&W soon, but I took the color to the pharmacy and had it put on CD (my how things have changes, it was 3x more expensive to get prints made; I had CDs made instead for $2.99/ea!). Being slightly apprehensive to my abilities to focus, I shot at f/8 - f/16. The top end of the MP, shutter speed 1/1000th of a second also dictated some higher apertures as well. All the lenses where really sharp. Even when I took the Zeiss and the 90mm down to their widest, f/2 the things were sharp with nice background bokeh. Look forward to shooting more open; will need to get an ND filter too to shoot at ISO 400 in the daylight. The most important observation over the last 2 weeks: It's taking a longer time than anticipated to shoot through a roll of film! The more deliberate nature of RF shooting has slowed me down, and that i think is a good thing! One thing I am still struggling with is camera-shake. The higher shutter speed images aren't a problem but I seem to lack steadiness. What are you doing to get a firm but steady grip? Photos on Ektar 100 shoot with the Zeiss 50mm. The portrait was desaturated a bit. Thanks, Kevin

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