mini soft releases -- worth it?

Tom Abrahamsson, who makes two versions (www.rapidwinder.com), says put a thin coat of glue on the threads, let it dry, then screw it in.

His are domed (convex) not dimpled (concave) and are designed to be used under the first finger joint, more like a trigger, and not pressed with the tip of the finger.

Whether or not they work for a given person is likely a combination of technique and personal comfort/ability. For me their comfort and usefulness varies with the camera.

Lee

I've had, and been using a soft release on my Nikon FE and FM for about 35 years. I can't even recall where I purchased them, but I have long fingers, and as mentioned in earlier posts, they come in handy during winter shooting with gloves (though I usually braved removing the right glove for shooting). The shutter release on the Nikons sits somewhat below the shutter speed dial. Generally, I like them because I have a better 'feel' for the shutter release with them rather than without them.

I bought a Nikkormat a few years back that came with the Nikon soft release. I was advised by a long time Nikon pro to get off as it could transmit the force of a drop on the head deep into the camera.

How to Prevent Loss !

DBP said:

I like them, but keep losing them. Anyone have any suggestions?

Click to expand...

Buy an extra one, if you have a spare one, it's
guaranteed, you'll NEVER need it. Murphy's Law.

Keep the extra one in a clear or translucent Fuji film
container & put them both in a side pocket of your
camera bag.

When you have to use a cable release, unscrew the
soft-touch & put it in with it's replacement in the
Fuji container. You can then leave the Fuji container
in the bag, where the lens was, to remind you to replace it, on the camera, when done.

arigram said:

Are you talking about these?
http://www.rapidwinder.com/softies.htm

Are they only directly available or do stores in the EU carry them?

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This thread is obviously a bit old, but my addition may prove useful to some.

I have found them available at Classic Cameras in London, a Leica specialist store near the British Museum.

http://www.theclassiccamera.com/

They used to carry both the mini and regular Abrahamsson softies, but now carry only the regulars. (The proprietor said they were much more popular among customers than the minis, so he couldn't see much point in stocking the minis.) They are quite reasonable: I got mine for £16 there. They have a huge variety of colours, too. Black...and silver!