Soft-release button

[Herr Barnack]

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If you mean this product, that temperature required for loosening/removal seems awfully high! I’d be cautious about using a product that requires sticking your M in the oven to loosen.

 

http://m.loctiteproducts.com/p/10/0/15/t_lkr_red/Loctite-Threadlocker-Red-271

 

Red Loctite #271 is for permanent installation of a bolt or screw.  Do not use 271.

 

If you are going to use Loctite, use Loctite #242 blue: https://www.amazon.com/Loctite-37418-Strength-Threadlocker-6-milliliter/dp/B000FIXQXK/ref=pd_sbs_263_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000FIXQXK&pd_rd_r=7APTC620PVC6J6K11Q05&pd_rd_w=raAPi&pd_rd_wg=8Tgs5&psc=1&refRID=7APTC620PVC6J6K11Q05

 

#242 blue is for temporary installation; the bolt/screw/soft release can be removed without the application of heat, which you definitely do not want to do to any camera body.

 

It is probably better still to use the white PTFE pipe thread tape as suggested earlier.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Herr Barnack

[budjames]

Clear nail polish works too!

 

Regards,

Bud James

 

www.budjames.photography

[Frankie]

I was wondering how long it might take for the junk aficionados to emerge. BTW, a 50-pack of rubber washers cost less...and reusable too. 

[kivis]

I use a soft release (and sometimes a mini soft release) all the time for the last 20 years. 

two tips:

1. get one that includes a rubber washer. It will stay on better. (Match Technical at Popoflash.com)

2. make sure it fits as close as possible to the shutter button. Try to avoid a thread or string, etc getting snagged on the shutter post. Bending the post can be an expensive repair.

[M11 for me]

vor 3 Minuten schrieb kivis:

Match Technical at Popoflash.com

its "popflash.com"

[kivis]

1 hour ago, M11 for me said:

its "popflash.com"

Whoops, thx on that correction.

[Strmbrg]

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Made of brass.
Rubber ring underneath and another one to give some friction when tightening. The latter is visible on the photo.
A small drop of tread-lock applied.
Finger-tip on shutter-dial and first finger-joint presses on the little bug.😄

[patrickcolpron]

On 9/25/2017 at 2:07 AM, pico said:

Not meaning to be dismissive, but soft releases are not useful.

Try sliding your finger into the shutter release detente.

Seriously, Leica got that right.

Absolutely agree with you on this but, as I often shoot from the hip, I find a soft release essential to how I shoot. 

I started using a soft release on an M9 back in the days, and never looked pack. It makes it easy to depress the shutter release with the meat of your thumb's adductor pollicis while holding your camera at waist level with one hand. 

Combined this with a high shutter speed and bob's your uncle in terms of sharpness. Composition requires practice when not looking through the viewfinder but it works great.

To address @Lucena original post. I only lost my first soft release, purchased back in 2010, eight or nine years later. Now I have 4 soft release on four M cameras. I keep verifying it is  tightened solidly throughout the day on the camera I use. 

I only use the smaller Leica 8mm brass soft release buttons, but any brand would do. It is not a bad idea to have an inexpensive spare or two from Amazon in your camera bag when travelling, just in case.   

It's a habit to keep checking it is solidly screwed in when handling your camera. I wouldn't use lock tight on them as I have more than 4 M bodies and don't always use them. 

I like @ejamgochian pipe tape idea, who doesn't have teflon pipe tape in their tool box, brilliant, I might have to try that. I haven't lost one since 2018 but now I am afraid I might have jinxed myself saying this, extra security can't hurt 😉 

[wlaidlaw]

Because I am missing the tip of my right index finger (accident), a softie is essential for me. Having tried various ones over the last 20+ years, I now stick to the Abrahamsson Mini Softie, as its knurled rim can easily be located by the relatively insensitive grafted skin tip of my index finger. The only camera I use something different is on my M240, where Leica in their "wisdom" changed the thread on the shutter release button. I was pleased that they reverted to the original for the M10. On the M240, I use one of Tim Isaac's Mini Photo Devil softies. When travelling with my M7 in hand luggage, I always remove the Softie and put it in the small leather case that holds 2 x 1/3DN spare batteries, as the quite fragile shutter release on the M7 is easily damaged by excess pressure, when its power switch is in the off position. 

Wilson

[wlaidlaw]

If worried about losing Softies, an alternative to the Teflon tape would be purple Loctite 222. This is more of an anti vibration compound than thread locking compound and is quite low strength. I only use that in photographic applications as you never know when you will need to disassemble something again. When going into my tool chest I need to be sure I am picking up the correct Loctite as they are all in pretty much identical red 50ml bottles and I have 6 varieties (low purple 222, medium blue 243 and high strength red 272 thread lockers, joint sealer 577, bearing fit 641 and stud locker 2701). 

Wilson

[farnz]

2 hours ago, patrickcolpron said:

Absolutely agree with you on this

In case you weren't aware and might anticipate a reply, Pico sadly passed away 5 years ago.

Pete.

[patrickcolpron]

32 minutes ago, farnz said:

In case you weren't aware and might anticipate a reply, Pico sadly passed away 5 years ago.

Pete.

Thank you Pete, I wasn't aware. I didn't look at the date of the post. 

[mrmr]

For years I have had a worry in the back of my mind over this issue of loosing soft release buttons. 

I recently purchased one that came with a small rubber O-ring and I felt sort of stupid. Um, of course when you want a nut to stay tight you use a washer. I just never thought of this. I could feel the difference when screwing it on and haven't worried since. Ta-da.

 

[mort linder]

seems the reply to the soft release buttons has been keeping them on the camera , ignoring the reason to use them . m cameras don't have stabilization , and i feel 

that using a soft release allows me to get acceptable results at slower shutter speeds . at 87 , i am nowhere as stable as in younger days . i use aperture priority and

don't worry about shutter speed . i find that often i get acceptable results at 1/30 of a second . i have a number of soft releases from a long gone san francisco camera

store , Brooks ,  that , if i remember , gave them for free with their name on them . blue loctite has kept them on my cameras .