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Grip & shake


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Thanks to some advice here, I have been working on my technique and seem to be getting better at not shaking the camera when pressing the shutter release. However, I still get some OOF shots that are obviously caused by my moving the camera. So yesterday I bought the Leica grip and will give it a try to see if it helps. I know it gives me a firmer grip on the camera and gives me more confidence when holding it (I think I was always afraid of dropping it before), but it remains to be seen if the grip will improve my shooting technique or not. Has anyone found that the grip makes the camera more steady in your hands?

 

Bill

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Guest guy_mancuso
Thanks to some advice here, I have been working on my technique and seem to be getting better at not shaking the camera when pressing the shutter release. However, I still get some OOF shots that are obviously caused by my moving the camera. So yesterday I bought the Leica grip and will give it a try to see if it helps. I know it gives me a firmer grip on the camera and gives me more confidence when holding it (I think I was always afraid of dropping it before), but it remains to be seen if the grip will improve my shooting technique or not. Has anyone found that the grip makes the camera more steady in your hands?

 

Bill

 

 

Bill that is half the battle is feeling comfortable and having a confident feeling. For me i can't work without the grip

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Bill that is half the battle is feeling comfortable and having a confident feeling. For me i can't work without the grip

 

Thanks Guy. Coming from you especially, that makes me feel a lot better about this. I'll start using the grip today and hope for the best.

 

Bill

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Bill, I always use the grip and find it fits the hand very well. The problem I have under this arrangement is that my index finger regularly sits in front of the window that does the focus patch.

 

It's easy to remedy because the patch isn't there -- but when I hold the camera by the grip, in a relaxed (down) position, I usually find my finger in the way when bringing the camera up for work.

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I use the grip and I have very arthritic and racing car damaged hands. I find it is a huge improvement. If my fingers bent better, I would use a Leicagoodies type sling as well. I have passed mine on, as my fingers just would not bend to accommodate. I have used Abrahamsson Softies both the standard and mini. I hugely prefer the mini. I now have a nice red one on my chrome M8 - looks great. It makes for much steadier shooting with the only downside, you have to ensure the power switch is at OFF as you put the M8 into your bag (and not knocked to ON) or with a Softie, your battery will run down. Sorry about noisy shot, just realized I had my back up camera (Canon Ixus 850IS) on 400ISO.

 

Wilson

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Bill, I always use the grip and find it fits the hand very well. The problem I have under this arrangement is that my index finger regularly sits in front of the window that does the focus patch.

 

It's easy to remedy because the patch isn't there -- but when I hold the camera by the grip, in a relaxed (down) position, I usually find my finger in the way when bringing the camera up for work.

 

Thanks Bill. I was wondering if that was going to be problem. Now I know I'll have to be careful about keeping my finger out of the way. Something else to remember! :(

 

Bill

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I use the grip and I have very arthritic and racing car damaged hands. I find it is a huge improvement.

 

Wilson, thanks for the comments and the pics. Arthritis is starting to become a problem for me too, so I'm glad to know that the grip will be help with that as well. Here's a pic of my M8 with its new grip.

 

Bill

 

Front1.jpg

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Dunno if it helps Bill, but if you are using the tip of your finger on the shutter release your grip is already loose. If you slip your fingertip over to the shutter speed dial and use teh underside of the joint behind your fingertip your grip will change, and also you wont stab the shutter release as much. Dont know about the grip or the soft release, never used either.

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Has anyone been following the progress of the "Thumbs Up" grips designed by TS. Isaac to be found over on that "other" forum? What do you all think? I was considering combining this with the Leica grip, or seeing what Tom A. finally produced--if that is it becomes something other than vaporware. It seems like a very reasonable, perhaps even elegant approach.

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I think the thumbs-up is very nice but only if it has another accessory shoe with contacts built into it. I know this was mentioned and the suggestion was that this could be the deluxe model. The other alternative is the Leicagoodies SNOB but being very shiny rubber, I don't know how effective it is - anyone tried it?

 

Wilson

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Dunno if it helps Bill, but if you are using the tip of your finger on the shutter release your grip is already loose. If you slip your fingertip over to the shutter speed dial and use teh underside of the joint behind your fingertip your grip will change, and also you wont stab the shutter release as much. Dont know about the grip or the soft release, never used either.

 

Thanks Rob. I was actually doing the stab thing in the beginning, but I quickly realized I needed to use more of a squeezing technique like I used to use shooting pistols. That helped, but I was still getting some shake.

 

Today I went out for a while to see if the grip helps, and I am very pleased. I feel much more comfortable holding the camera now, and I got a lot less shake, in other words, I got nice sharp images. The grip really does make a difference.

 

But, as Bill suggested, the first thing I did was stick my finger in front of the rangefinder window. Gonna have to work on that now.

 

Bill

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I think the thumbs-up is very nice but only if it has another accessory shoe with contacts built into it. I know this was mentioned and the suggestion was that this could be the deluxe model. The other alternative is the Leicagoodies SNOB but being very shiny rubber, I don't know how effective it is - anyone tried it?

 

Wilson

 

And it needs to be shorter to mimic the advance lever on other M's. As it is now it places the thumb catch to far out to the right.

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Never saw the need for a soft release. If you treat the shutter release as a pistol/rifle trigger you squeeze the shot off. On the M8 I focus on what I want to be in focus, frame and or set exposure then frame, press the shutter release to Lock Exposure then Squeeze (NOT HIT) the release button until the shutter fires.

 

If I'm using a SP of 1/500 or above I might be a bit faster.

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OK guys here is another idea for us raspberry ripples (Cockney rhyming slang) who find difficulty holding the M8. 3M make a product called Bumpons for hi-fi equipment feet etc. I have stuck one on my M8 and immediately it feels more secure in my hands. This will only cost you ¢'s so if you don't like it, just peel it off and throw it away.

 

Wilson

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I think we have lost our transatlantic friends here, Wilson... :D

 

Raspberry ripple - see here RASPBERRY RIPPLE AWARDS . There are lots of these bumpons on eBay under "rubber feet" - that is where I got them for putting my hi-fi components on the glass shelves of my flat screen TV support.

 

Wilson

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