Thumb Support for Q3 - too good to be true?

[Pindy]

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Got the call from Leica Store today that there was a new Q3 with my name on it, so I hustled down there to pick it up. In all the browsing through accessories, I definitely marked the thumb support as a must, but they didn't have any in black. It made me think of this thread, but I'd really love to not have a knock-off on the new camera.

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[Dannyred]

On 3/3/2024 at 1:53 PM, cookedart said:

Curious about two things on the thumb support (either the Amazon or official):

- is the Fn2 button easier to find by feel than the native button? I find the native button is pretty low profile so it's hard to find by touch. 

- does it get in the way of the exposure compensation dial? I'm sure your thumb can navigate around it but just wondering if it's a nuisance. 

- In my opinion both fn1 and fn2 on the thumb grip (im using the motoqueen knockoff) are superior in every way than just the buttons on the camera. The grip's fn buttons protrude slightly making it easier to identify and use them.

- my experience confirms that the thumb rest area - most extreme right of the grip - interferes with the exposure compensation dial - instead of just sliding your thumb to the right you need to lift the thumb and then continue with your movement - it's a new habit or adjustment - i wouldn't call it a nuisance (others may). If you like the concept of the grip and generally it suits your way of handling the camera i doubt the slight change in reaching the thumbwheel button would deter you.

This is my first thumb grip - i did not have one on my q2 - but i really like the extra support it provides.

[Dannyred]

3 hours ago, Pindy said:

Got the call from Leica Store today that there was a new Q3 with my name on it, so I hustled down there to pick it up. In all the browsing through accessories, I definitely marked the thumb support as a must, but they didn't have any in black. It made me think of this thread, but I'd really love to not have a knock-off on the new camera.

Looks like youve got to make a choice - wait for the Leica grip in black or get a knockoff - I waited (same reason you state) then I got impatient - I figured if there was a problem amazon would bail me out - as it happens - so far - it's a keeper.  (I don't have an official leica lens hood either - I'll survive with the grip too)

[cookedart]

11 minutes ago, Dannyred said:

- In my opinion both fn1 and fn2 on the thumb grip (im using the motoqueen knockoff) are superior in every way than just the buttons on the camera. The grip's fn buttons protrude slightly making it easier to identify and use them.

- my experience confirms that the thumb rest area - most extreme right of the grip - interferes with the exposure compensation dial - instead of just sliding your thumb to the right you need to lift the thumb and then continue with your movement - it's a new habit or adjustment - i wouldn't call it a nuisance (others may). If you like the concept of the grip and generally it suits your way of handling the camera i doubt the slight change in reaching the thumbwheel button would deter you.

This is my first thumb grip - i did not have one on my q2 - but i really like the extra support it provides.

Sounds good, thanks much for the feedback. I use a thumbie on my M10 (a stick on thumb grip that leaves the hot shoe free for the EVF). Its much lower profile than the Q3 thumb grip so I was concerned how natural it felt to still access the dial. I think it sounds like it will be worth it for me for the improved fn button handling, as well as improved grip overall.

[Dannyred]

9 minutes ago, cookedart said:

Sounds good, thanks much for the feedback. I use a thumbie on my M10 (a stick on thumb grip that leaves the hot shoe free for the EVF). Its much lower profile than the Q3 thumb grip so I was concerned how natural it felt to still access the dial. I think it sounds like it will be worth it for me for the improved fn button handling, as well as improved grip overall.

Youre welcome - I took a quick look at the thumbie (was not aware of it previously). I'd be too nervous trusting the stick on adhesive. The thumbie is definitely lower profile and smooth vs the Leica or it's knockoffs. At the end of the day you just have to try it - it may prove to be uncomfortable but i doubt it - it will feel more substantial and you'll get improved button function (as you state)

[cookedart]

31 minutes ago, Dannyred said:

Youre welcome - I took a quick look at the thumbie (was not aware of it previously). I'd be too nervous trusting the stick on adhesive. The thumbie is definitely lower profile and smooth vs the Leica or it's knockoffs. At the end of the day you just have to try it - it may prove to be uncomfortable but i doubt it - it will feel more substantial and you'll get improved button function (as you state)

I wasn't sure how solid it would be either, but I started using them back when i owned an M typ 240, as well as an M9 Monochrom, because I use the EVF often enough that losing my thumb grip was an annoyance. The adhesive has held up really well, even in super hot conditions. Worst case scenario, if you do end up losing one, they are cheaper to replace than most thumbsup or Leica thumb grips.

Either way will probably order a Motoqueen.

[reynoldsyoung]

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Don't panic guys....bought mine from the Leica Online Store..."Made in Portugal"

[Pindy]

Ok I bought this one. Can always return. This Leica racket is expensive as it is. 

Edited March 6, 2024 by Pindy

[David Wien]

I searched everywhere for the official Leica thumb rest (€230); but they are out of stock everywhere in Europe. So I bought the JJC thumb rest from Amazon.de (€43.36). Then I looked at Ali Express, as discussed earlier in this thread, found one there that looked like the Leica design for $89.51, and ordered one. It arrived today, 10 days later. Curiously, I wasnt charged any customs duty, this and the shipping time indicate that it may have been shipped from the EU. The packaging, in a jiffy bag, was exemplary. The thumb rest itself came in a shiny grey box with a black Leica label on it, plus another small label with a hologram. Inside there was a small leaflet, with pictures showing the installation (though there was no metal to the left of the hotshoe area in the pictures), also a Warranty Certificate card in English and Chinese, with an SQ code for registering. This card was well-made, with a Leica red dot on the rear. The thumb rest was protected in the box by strong black foam.

The thumb rest itself looks like the pictures I have seen of the Leica model, with "Made in Portugal" and "Leica Camera", etc, on it. If it was not made by Leica, it is well up to the standard of their manufacture and looks quite kosher.

The JJC design is good, but suffers from two things: the F1/2 buttons are not easy to operate, and likewise the rest comes half way up the exposure wheel. It has a nice piece of material above the part that goes into the hot shoe, somewhat like that on the camera itself. The fit in the hotshoe is perfect and the wheel thing is well made. Half the price of the Ali Express version is about right.

The fit of the Leica rest in the hotshoe is slightly tighter than the JJC, though this may be because the metal extends as far as the viewfinder, making the fit more rigid. The top of the Leica rest is level with the top of the camera, which makes the exposure wheel easier to operate, and the two extensions of the F1/2 buttons are actually more comfortable than when using the camera without the rest. The place for the thumb has some knurling. I prefer this design, and dont mind paying $90 for it as opposed to the approximately 2.5 times greater official price for the unobtainable official Leica part.

The interesting question is whether this is a conterfeit item. It doesnt look like it at all. Perhaps it was made by Leica and found its way to Ali Express (maybe not actually as far as China). It might have come from a truck load that had been stolen, which would explain why Leica and its official retailers are out of stock.

Another explanation might be similar to the books that Thorsten Overgaard advertises for extortionate prices, and which I read are often heavily discounted. Possibly Leica is itself selling the rests through this channel, recognising that the retail price is far too high. It is a real mystery.

David

Edited March 6, 2024 by David Wien

[Pindy]

This thing sure does look like the real deal. 🤷‍♂️

[SnapshotGR]

3 hours ago, Pindy said:

This thing sure does look like the real deal. 🤷‍♂️

It does. It fits perfectly, and works well. The packaging looks and feels authentic. I’ve tried scanning the QR codes and searching the product numbers. These do not work correctly. The hologram matches another I have. A lot of work has gone into making this look authentic for what seems a small return. 

[SnapshotGR]

Wow. This guy. 
 

I’ll be stepping off this thread. Sheesh. 

[David Wien]

Actually, the elephant in the room is: „Why has Leica been unable to deliver their product for such a long time?“

 

 

[jaapv]

It may well be that it was made in the same factory that makes the real Leica ones. No patents were infringed ( Leica themselves copied the design from existing ones) but of course the addition of genuine-looking branding is not allowed, although it appears that such offenses do not attract much attention from the forces of law in China. 

[egrossman]

Why would anyone go to the trouble of generating a hologram for a relatively inexpensive product? I don't have an answer. This thumb support appears indistinguishable from those available for sale in Leica Stores. If I were to hazzard a guess, I agree with Jaap, that these thumb rests were made in the same factory as the original ones.

 

[David Wien]

2 hours ago, egrossman said:

Why would anyone go to the trouble of generating a hologram for a relatively inexpensive product? I don't have an answer. This thumb support appears indistinguishable from those available for sale in Leica Stores. If I were to hazzard a guess, I agree with Jaap, that these thumb rests were made in the same factory as the original ones.

 

It also seems to me that mine probably never left Europe.

David

[David Wien]

7 hours ago, jaapv said:

It may well be that it was made in the same factory that makes the real Leica ones. No patents were infringed ( Leica themselves copied the design from existing ones) but of course the addition of genuine-looking branding is not allowed, although it appears that such offenses do not attract much attention from the forces of law in China. 

Are there, in fact any applicable copyright or trademark laws in China?

David

[jaapv]

Yes there are. China has acceded to international treaties. 

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[Siriusone59]

Could it be that those are the original thumb rests that the Leica distributors were waiting for and somehow the shipment ended up in the wrong place?  I think this sort of thing happens occasionally.  Leica still waiting for their order from the "sweatshop"🙄 while Motoqueen is selling them.🫣

[JohnSantaF4]

8 hours ago, jaapv said:

Yes there are. China has acceded to international treaties. 

How can one validate that the Q3 itself is not a knockoff? That is a bigger concern, isn’t it?