Soft release button misfortune :-)

[shawn2nd]

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Hey guys, 

Perhaps a bit of a silly post here, but has anyone else experienced misfortune losing soft release buttons like this? https://store.leica-camera.com/de/de/soft-release-button-leica-8mm-rot I was in the Leica Berlin store yesterday, and discovered these for the first time and ended up buying a 3rd party red one for 25€ as 70€ for the Leica branded one seemed excessive. I bought it purely because I liked how it looked, but literally somewhere between 20-30 minutes later, I had noticed it had already fallen off and I lost it 😆 My first thought was "Welp, I'm glad I didn't buy and lose the Leica one!" haha. 

Funnily enough, I was watching this YouTube video of an M6 shooter, and at around 2:56 she also loses her soft shutter release button (but finds it haha). I won't be buying another one, as I don't see what it actually does other than looking cool, and I don't want to risk continuously losing these!

What's your guys' experiences? 

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[jaapv]

Welcome . Good decision as it actually makes releasing the camera less stable. I notice on your avatar that you are jabbing the shutter button. Actually you should rest your finger on the collar around it and only twitch your finger - you'll have far less motion blur.

[Borna]

2 hours ago, jaapv said:

Welcome . Good decision as it actually makes releasing the camera less stable. I notice on your avatar that you are jabbing the shutter button. Actually you should rest your finger on the collar around it and only twitch your finger - you'll have far less motion blur.

Uhm, I think that I understand. Do you have a video of this?

[kivis]

I have been using mini soft releases for near 30 years.

1. I have never lost one.

2. I feel it gives me an extra stop

3. I had one get caught in a sweater and bent the shutter release shaft on an ill fated M7. Off to Solms (at the time) and expected a big bill. Came back as complimentary, as in $0. Thanks to Leica Miami for help on that and the use of a floor MP during repair.

I still use them all the time, but as shared above, there is risk.

[Siriusone59]

I have one on mine, just like the one linked to.  Never had it come  loose but I do check it occasionally.   Does it help?  Only you can make that determination.  One thing though that I've not seen mentioned before, they do prevent any dust, grime or whatever might be riding on your shutter finger from working its way down into your shutter button.  Just a thought.

[jaapv]

1 hour ago, Borna said:

Uhm, I think that I understand. Do you have a video of this?

Nope. It is  described in the FAQ. 

[Huss]

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On 8/6/2023 at 7:55 AM, kivis said:

I have been using mini soft releases for near 30 years.

...

3. I had one get caught in a sweater and bent the shutter release shaft on an ill fated M7. Off to Solms (at the time) and expected a big bill. Came back as complimentary, as in $0. Thanks to Leica Miami for help on that and the use of a floor MP during repair.

I still use them all the time, but as shared above, there is risk.

 

This is a very real risk which is one reason why I never use them.  And when you don't use them, you don't miss them.

[shawn2nd]

Thanks for the inputs guys 🙂

[kivis]

The risk is worth it to me.

[Greenhilltony]

If there is a gap between the soft release and the shutter button, the soft release is easy to be unscrew by any tiny force or accumulated force and drop before you notice. In this case you need a rubber o-ring to fill the gap and increase the fiction, so that you won’t worry about unscrewing it by chance. If there is no gap after you screw-in the soft release, then you’re safe. I have bought soft releases for both M10-P and M4. On M10-P the o-ring is needed, but on M4 it fits perfectly without gap.

[M10R]

To me, soft release is useful. It helps me using lower shutter speed from 1 to 2 stops. When using M4, I don't need soft release. But when using M10-R (metal vertical travel curtain), I do need it.

[M10R]

2 hours ago, Greenhilltony said:

If there is a gap between the soft release and the shutter button, the soft release is easy to be unscrew by any tiny force or accumulated force and drop before you notice. In this case you need a rubber o-ring to fill the gap and increase the fiction, so that you won’t worry about unscrewing it by chance. If there is no gap after you screw-in the soft release, then you’re safe. I have bought soft releases for both M10-P and M4. On M10-P the o-ring is needed, but on M4 it fits perfectly without gap.

May I know where you bought this kind of O-ring?

[Guest]

I have been using Lensmate soft release buttons on my cameras for about a decade, and the only reason I have not put one on the new-to-me R-E is because that camera has, believe it or not, no Off switch. They all came with an o-ring and I have never lost one.

[shawn2nd]

42 minutes ago, M10R said:

To me, soft release is useful. It helps me using lower shutter speed from 1 to 2 stops. When using M4, I don't need soft release. But when using M10-R (metal vertical travel curtain), I do need it.

@M10R can you clarify this for me as I'm a bit lost, I totally thought these things were just for aesthetic appeal, how does it actually help out with lower shutter speeds? 

[Greenhilltony]

1 hour ago, M10R said:

May I know where you bought this kind of O-ring?

The seller of the soft release ships it together as they claim in the item description. I bought them from the Chinese eBay, Taobao. You might find one in the local hardware store/DIY grocery (dk the exact name in western countries).

[M10R]

1 hour ago, shawn2nd said:

@M10R can you clarify this for me as I'm a bit lost, I totally thought these things were just for aesthetic appeal, how does it actually help out with lower shutter speeds? 

@shawn2nd I'm not an expert on using soft releases, however, the first soft release I used was Nikon AR-1 in 1980 circa. Since then, I knew soft release helps reducing vibration by hand. Recently, I bought the Tom Abrahamsson softie for my M10-R, I did compare different softies and without softie in a local store. After buying the softie, I tested a few times with and without softie at slow speed from 1/60 to 1/8 sec. So, I can only say softie is useful to me at slow speeds. The original design idea of softies is not for aesthetic reason, but solves the imperfect design of the shutter release on camera. You may take a look at this page: http://rapidwinder.com/the-abrahamsson-softreleases-classic-and-mini

Edited August 9, 2023 by M10R

[M10R]

56 minutes ago, Greenhilltony said:

The seller of the soft release ships it together as they claim in the item description. I bought them from the Chinese eBay, Taobao. You might find one in the local hardware store/DIY grocery (dk the exact name in western countries).

@Greenhilltony, thank you very much!

[plaidshirts]

On 8/9/2023 at 5:33 AM, M10R said:

May I know where you bought this kind of O-ring?

Most of mine came with. Perhaps your local hardware store?

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[M10R]

2 hours ago, plaidshirts said:

Most of mine came with. Perhaps your local hardware store?

@plaidshirts Thank you! I will try to ask the hardware store.

[shawn2nd]

On 8/9/2023 at 4:32 PM, M10R said:

@shawn2nd I'm not an expert on using soft releases, however, the first soft release I used was Nikon AR-1 in 1980 circa. Since then, I knew soft release helps reducing vibration by hand. Recently, I bought the Tom Abrahamsson softie for my M10-R, I did compare different softies and without softie in a local store. After buying the softie, I tested a few times with and without softie at slow speed from 1/60 to 1/8 sec. So, I can only say softie is useful to me at slow speeds. The original design idea of softies is not for aesthetic reason, but solves the imperfect design of the shutter release on camera. You may take a look at this page: http://rapidwinder.com/the-abrahamsson-softreleases-classic-and-mini

Very cool, I get the theory now, thanks for this 🙂