Rolo Posted October 17, 2006 Share #1 Posted October 17, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I know this has been done before and most of you will have read it, but this evening I've fitted a Soft Release to my MP and I'm so impressed by it I've come to tell y'all. It's magic. The release has become like the hair trigger on a gun and dead-eye dick here can gently, but with lightening speed, press the release too the point just before firing and hold it and trip it at leisure, or back off. Very sensitive, controllable and nice to use. I've been shooting at least 500 frames every week for months and the release has always felt a bit "down the hole" and it requires a little extra push to trip the shutter. Now, I've got my soft part of my first joint resting on the top of the big softie and it is good. Will make life easier and slllooooowwww speeds less vulnerable to camera shake (they were pretty good anyway). Bought it in the UK from Peter Walnes. Need another, but in red. Rolo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 17, 2006 Posted October 17, 2006 Hi Rolo, Take a look here Abrahamsson Soft Release - 90th post on the subject. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
lambroving Posted October 18, 2006 Share #2 Posted October 18, 2006 Rolo, They work, and some claim a steady exposure at one or two speeds lower than you might otherwise expect. Have one on my MP .58, M5 and SL, but they are not suited to my M7 with exposure lock. Use the meaty part of your second joint. That is the way Tom intended. Makes a difference. MP .58 with 35/f2.0 ASPH LHSA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemeng Posted October 18, 2006 Share #3 Posted October 18, 2006 but they are not suited to my M7 with exposure lock. I found them to be unsuited for use on the M7, period. The problem wasn't so much that they didn't work (they do), but that it makes the shutter sound much louder. With a Softie mounted, you seem to get more resistance when pressing the shutter button, resulting in a loud "click" when the button reaches the bottom of its travel. Remove the Softie from the M7 and the loud click goes. I wonder if this is also an issue with the M8? (there being no M8s in Australia to test this yet!) Use the meaty part of your second joint. Yes, completely agree. Don't use the tip of your index finger! BTW don't forget you can buy Softies direct from Tom A in Vancouver. See his website at: Rapidwinder & Rapidgrip Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share #4 Posted October 18, 2006 Why Andrew, ... thank you for dropping in. It's normally me reading your text. Nice to have it the other way around for once. Thanks for all the info I've drawn from your fine efforts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic vic Posted October 18, 2006 Share #5 Posted October 18, 2006 sorry guys.. dont want to desapoint u at all - just share my expireance.. i alos have the softi myself... when i got my mp camera i was a little surprised that it doesnt work like the m3 shutter release.. well that was my deam and that what i was expecting... u all know what i mean i guess about the m3. i called leica technikals in germany and asked them why it is not like m3? :-(... they explained as normally there is light metter in it and the travel of the shutter release is longer etc.. well that is true of course.... so i putted the softi on it.. it is ok, but actually i have found that i lost the contact with the camera a little bit.. and that the process of pressing the shutter becomes a bit rough and not so rewarding... so, i have remeoved the softi and this is how i work almost two years with the mp: press the shutter release rite before it clicks (it is eassy and instinctive after a couple of days and u will not acidently take pics without wanting it at all). i de-press it even before i rise the camera to the eye. the finger comfortably occuping all that curved shape around the shutter release buton. of course make your body and hands stable... from this point - enough that u just want to make the photo - click the shutter, and it is already clicked with great ease. i think a good body posture and well balanced hands are the most important here. it work for me the best - the sutter release is like on m3 now :-))))) it is very important to me cause i photograph alot at low light and i never use flash on camera i even dont have one... dont like it. so 1/15, even 1/8 are always super sharp and even 1/4 is good.. well of course it is not like using 1/250.. but with fast films this is more than ok since fast film doesnt have all the details that pan-f has for example and the micro blur is some-what irrelavant. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbretteville Posted October 18, 2006 Share #6 Posted October 18, 2006 Ahhhh Victor - you might have given me what I need to stop an itch I've had for quite a while. On my M4-P the Softie was magic, on my M6 it feels rough from time to time, like the release is almost stuck. I've not been able to figure this out as when I unscrew the softie there is no problem with the M6's shutter release at all. The longer travel due to the meter contacts etc. might very well be whats causing this, the M4-P is as we know meterless. I'll keep it off for a roll or two to see how it feels. - Carl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic vic Posted October 18, 2006 Share #7 Posted October 18, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) carl - very true.. the m4 has about the same feeling as the m3.. they have very very short travle. so your analyzes is very true i think. also - add to it that the longer stick of mp/m6 etc have some play in the shutter release housing (just a little play) while the m3 has no suc thing. and true - wen u made this de-press ready shutter u simply eliminate the "play" of the stick totally. besides... really... the most important thing is your body. camera has no problems - it is a master-peice of orgonamics.. shape, size, weight.. everything is great and balanced. u just need your body and hands.. u need to make some posture of photo-taking as instictive as possible, and then u dont even think abou it. note - i repeat it... make it instictive and dont thinnk about it at all. if u think about it u will loose your perfect energy throw... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share #8 Posted October 18, 2006 Hear what you say Vic, but the movement on my MP is sweet and I'm not taking it off. I have an M3 and will try it on that. It may be better and if it is it will be very good. Might just be the fact that I've got a better camera but you take better pictures. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
symmetron Posted October 18, 2006 Share #9 Posted October 18, 2006 Rolo How is your MP holding up? 500 frames a week is a lot of film; that's impressive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolo Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share #10 Posted October 19, 2006 RoloHow is your MP holding up? 500 frames a week is a lot of film; that's impressive. Joseph, I've been knocking that many frames up by shooting weddings every Saturday afternoon with the MP as the main camera. That's about to stop because I've just bought a DSLR to take that role. Have to see in a few weddings whether I get the images I want from it. I've been running against the tide using the Leica M, nearly everybody uses a Canon DSLR. That's not reason in itself to change weapons, but I expect the process to be easier as I have so far been using a hybrid system whereby I get all the images scanned at the time of processing. An advantage of wider dynamic range might be lost. We'll see. The MP is getting sweeter all the time. It isn't a year old yet, but not a single thing has occurred to question it's reliability/durability. To be honest, I haven't even given it a second thought and expect it to stay like that for years. Mine is a black paint finish, which I didn't care for at first, but it's grown on me. Brass is starting to show through on the edges and serations. At first, my thoughts were that this was unwelcome especially where they were caused by handling in the bag, but you know, as they become more prevalent it feels more as though it is MY Leica. I've always been a USER of equipment, rather than a collector and have never made any attempt to preserve the appearance for the sake of it. When using the MP, with an M3, for weddings, I really did hanker after an M7 for speed. With the Canon doing most of the work from here on, I think the MP will become more appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
budrichard Posted October 19, 2006 Share #11 Posted October 19, 2006 I seem to do quite well with my M3 SS without any soft release and I doubt that any soft release would work with the M Motors on my M6 and M7. I think its just another gadget that may have subjective results but nothing objective. -Dick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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