d_ross said:
Hi, just wondering if anyone can help me, .........I find that the shutter release needs to be pushed a long way down to release and wondered if there was an adjustment I could make to lessen the amount of travel and make it a little more responsive. .............
Hi
d_ross,
Fortunately there is a de-luxe solution to this problem, found not only in the Canonets but in many other cameras too.
It consists in purchasing a
soft release, nicknamed "softie" as well. It is a small button of around 1 or 1 and half centimeter, with a threaded axis at its low bottom to screw into the shutter release button.
Since I am a fan of the softies, kindly allow me to go into the fine detail about it, excussing me for my simplistic explanation aimed at the widest audience and also in case I am mistaken in some detail.
As for the cameras I am acquinted with, all come with very different lenghts for their shutter release buttons, with the Yashicas upholding both records. The Yashica Lynx 1000 shutter release button length to depress, is the smallest, while the Yashica Electro G series have the longest way to go until the shutter is finally fired.
Basically we can depress a shutter with our thumb, our index tip, or our index joint. But it is mostly not to our choice but to the specific camera ergonomics. Using our index tip for a short and soft shutter release button is a built in pleasure. Using our index joint for a release button surrounded by a flat basis, like in the Lynx 14, is nice too. Depressing the button of an OM and winder with our thumb is possible and comfortable
But with cameras whose shutter release button is enbeded within a concave basis (soup plate shape), and the shutter button is tall too - this is our worst case. Unfortunately the Canonets, for all their qualities, fall into this cathegory. Our tip has to make a long journey with our whole index in an unnatural semicircular shape. Fortunately for such cases the softie comes to our rescue, offering a soft bed for our joint.
But pleasure and comfort are one of the dividends only. In the case of the Canonet, in which you have to use your index tip, you have to stretch the finger to obtain a somewhat parallel position to the shutter button, due to the soup plate basis surrounding the button - and the whole thing is an ergonomic mess, prompting you to push the whole right side of the camera downwards, whenever you push the button.
The softie, in contrast, enables you to depress with your joint, while your finger is somewhat straight, parallel to the camera top, and thus reducing a lot camera vibration, camera mooving by you, and
finger travel. All this translates into more sharp pictures, or speed/stop gain.
All this info is based upon an article I read by Tom Abrahamson a long time ago, and comfirmed or twisted by my experience.
Softies are sold by two RFF shopping sponsors, Rapidwinder.com and Leicatime. Be sure you order, if you order, the
convex type (dome shaped head).
I am currently using a Canonet G-III with a softie.
Cheers,
Ruben
