Peak Design Micro Clutch – A cheap alternative to Leica's finger loop?

[Almizilero]

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I just got the PD Micro Clutch from their latest crowdfunding campaign. It seemed like this was exactly what I was looking for for my M10, but it comes with some compromises. Suprisingly, it's not perfect after all.

I'm actually a big fan of the Leica finger loop. It's perfect if I want to keep the camera in hand and shot ready for extended periods of time without the fear of dropping it. But in the end, I didn't keep it for two reasons: I find it ridiculously expensive for a little rubber ring (even by Leica standards) and it only attaches to the hand grip. I'd love a loop that attaches directly to the camera without a grip, however this could be implemented.

In comes the Micro Clutch. On paper, this seemed like the solution I'd been looking for since I got a Q and later an M. In reality, it's just another form of workaround. Sadly.
On the plus side, it does exactly what I hoped. It's very comfortable and I have a good grip on the camera. I didn't use it long, but I think it will work fine and comfortable for a walk through the city.
But there are some compromises to be made. The Clutch is attached on one of the strap holders and a base plate that has to be attached to the bottom. So, it's impossible to attach the clutch and a strap. Peak Design thought of this and added a strap attachement to the base plate, but this only works with their own anchor system. This is kinda OK, since the idea of the clutch for me is to not use a strap but keep the camera in hand or in the bag. But switching from strap to clutch is quite a hassle.
The bigger problem is the base plate. Since it is a generic plate, it doesn't really fit well on the M. But this is just looks. But since the plate attaches to the bottom, it has to be removed each time you want to change the battery or SD-card. PD quite cleverly integrated a tool to do this in the plate, so it can be done on the go. But it's still a hassle to do, since it's not enough to rotate the plate (as with most other cameras) but it has to be taken off completely to take of the plate of the M.

All in all, I'm not sure if this is really what I was looking for. I have no idea how the problems could be fixed. I'll have to see how it works in everyday life. Maybe the pros outweigh the cons. Because, in the end, I finally have a way to make sure I don't drop the camera if I carry it around in one hand and that should be great!

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[ramarren]

Interesting. I have two of them coming, one for each of my two M10 bodies, so I'll see how they work for me. 

I realized that I'd have to remove the plate to change battery or card, but this isn't a big deal to me ... I only rarely ever need to change a battery while out shooting, and never need to change a card since I use 64 and 128 G cards. My usual walk about is about 30-40 exposures ... I can do a lot of walking sessions on a 64G card.   And if I want to work on an image file or two in the field, I just use Leica FOTOs to transfer it to my iPad. (Heretofore, I've been fitting a half case so that too has to be removed every time I need to get to the battery or card ..)

Very few things in the world are ever perfect, if any. I'm eager to see how the micro clutch works out for me. 

G

[Almizilero]

Had a couple of days with it now. It is really comfortable and works really well to keep the camera ready at all times. But I still think it looks really ugly on the camera with that plate that obviously isn't the right size. And to me, the removal of the plate is still annoying. I also don't have to change the battery all that often, but I usually take the card out all the time to quickly transfer pictures to my laptop. I might have to change my MO there, I found an app that emulates the Leica App on a Macbook, so that I can transfer pictures via wifi.

Still, I'm happy to have it, as it works really well and is very comfortable. I'd be happier if it could be taken off easier, since I guess I'll keep using a neck strap most of the times and only attach the clutch when I know I'll keep the camera in hand most of the time anyway. It's nice to have options

[psyclism]

Take a look at these. I’ve had them on several rangefinder bodies like an X100T, X-Pro3, and now my M-P 240. 595 Strapco finger strap. They’re fantastic for keeping the camera at the ready, wraps around 3-4 fingers, leaves your index and thumb completely unencumbered, and takes up virtually no space. 
 

[psyclism]

Oh, and I also have Peak Design anchors on the second camera body lug plus one on the split ring underneath this finger strap. Allows me to quickly attach a shoulder strap if needed. 

[Almizilero]

Am 19.7.2023 um 06:32 schrieb psyclism:

Take a look at these. I’ve had them on several rangefinder bodies like an X100T, X-Pro3, and now my M-P 240. 595 Strapco finger strap. They’re fantastic for keeping the camera at the ready, wraps around 3-4 fingers, leaves your index and thumb completely unencumbered, and takes up virtually no space. 
 

That looks interesting and much simpler than the Micro Clutch. But of course it's missing the attachement on the bottum of the camera. So I imagine it's just like a tiny wrist strap that goes aroudn the fingers instead of the wrist? Isn't the camera dangling with this strap?
I guess I could improvise something like this with an old strap and see if I like it before I buy yet another strap.

[psyclism]

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14 hours ago, Almizilero said:

That looks interesting and much simpler than the Micro Clutch. But of course it's missing the attachement on the bottum of the camera. So I imagine it's just like a tiny wrist strap that goes aroudn the fingers instead of the wrist? Isn't the camera dangling with this strap?
I guess I could improvise something like this with an old strap and see if I like it before I buy yet another strap.

Sort of. The strap holds your hand so close to the camera that you can limply hold it pretty much all day with no fear of dropping the camera or hand fatigue. Imagine a fingerless glove, cut off mid-palm (ie no thumb) securely attached to the camera body. Grumpy shoulders however are still a problem when you dangle a few pounds from your arm for hours at a time. 
 

I find it very comfortable and can carry my M240 all day using this strap alone with no issues at all. I’ll put the camera in a small camera bag with the strap facing up, and I can quickly insert my fingers into the strap, pull out the camera, and be ready to  securely shoot in just a few seconds. 

[Almizilero]

Am 19.7.2023 um 06:32 schrieb psyclism:

Take a look at these. I’ve had them on several rangefinder bodies like an X100T, X-Pro3, and now my M-P 240. 595 Strapco finger strap. They’re fantastic for keeping the camera at the ready, wraps around 3-4 fingers, leaves your index and thumb completely unencumbered, and takes up virtually no space. 
 

I never got around to thank you for this tip! I got one a couple of month back and it is absolutely perfect! To me it is much more comfortable and practical. I quickly sold my micro clutch and use this all the time when I want to keep the camera in hand. I now usually travel with this and a leather strap and switch them out on the go. A little anecdote, I went into the Leica store in Marseille with this on my camera and the clerk was quite intrigued by the design. I have a feeling he might have ordered one for himself.