Is there a benefit to having a soft release?

OurManInTangier

OurManInTangier

An Undesirable
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What's the deal with these soft releases, do they make the shutter whisper even more quietly or prevent damage to the delicate tip of your index finger? Seriously I've no idea what these things do but plenty of people seem to have them fixed to their cameras.

:confused:
 
i don't have one yet, but from what i read on, i beleive, Cameraquest, the soft release provides the user a smoother shutter release, and therefore the ability to utilize slower shutter speeds with less camera shake
 
soft release

soft release

They dont protect your finger or the camera or make it quiet. They raise the shutter button higher so that you can press it with less force, making it easier to handhold long exposures without blurring.

Chris Crawford
Fine Art Photography
Santa Fe, NM

http//www.chriscrawfordphoto.com
 
I'll let you know in a day or so - I've just ordered a Tom Abrahamsson one :)

The problem I have with my newly-acquired M6 is that with the shutter release being in a hollow indentation in the wind lever I have to push it with the tip of my finger to release it, but that's uncomfortable for me. I prefer to squeeze a shutter release using a more substantial part of my finger which, I think, makes for less vibration and a smoother operation (like squeezing a rifle trigger rather than pulling it). Hopefully the soft release will let me do that.
 
I have found them useful for Voigtlander Bessa R and R2 cameras but on my Leica M2 I prefer a gentle squeeze using the top joint of my forfinger.The only downside I found was taking pictures of the inside of my camera bag or pocket.
Regards
Steve
 
The softrelease screws into the remote shutter release mechanism inside the shutter button and provides a few advantages.

First, it physically raises the height of the shutter button, allowing you to use the joint or pad of your finger to fire the shutter rather than the tip. This results in a smoother action, more like squeezing a trigger than prodding a button, which reduces camera shake a little and is (to many people at least) more comfortable. Generally, the cable release socket also has a smoother action than the shutter button, so the softrelease turns it into something of a hair-trigger, which again helps reduce camera shake. The effect seems to vary a little camera-to-camera, but I find them essential items on my M6 and Canon P.

Most users experience a combined benefit of about a stop more usability in hand-held shooting: so if you find that you can normally manage sharp hand-held shots at only 1/30 a softie should allow you to go down to 1/15 and achieve the same results. Personally I find that, with the softie in place, I can manage decent shots of 1/4 second quite easily, and even 1/2 if I'm lucky (I must have steady hands).

The only downside is, as Steve says, you do tend to end up with a few shots of the inside of your camera bag, unless you get into the habit of stashing the camera without winding on first. That said, film's cheap.
 
My Abrahamsson soft release has, in fact, just arrived. And it does exactly what it says on the tin - it enables me to squeeze the release more smoothly using the first joint of my finger rather than having to prod it with my fingertip.
 
My conclusion is that if anything, they don't hurt. I have one on one of my GIIIs and it does make the release button easier to find with my finger and, let's see how I put this, it doesn't make it take less force or effort to press it, but it's easier to operate and yes I can see how it helps to steady things a wee bit.

I also use them on the Mamiya and Pentax with more or less the same conclusion.

I haven't got one for the new GIII just because I've been too lazy to order one. :) All of them I have are the cheapo generic ones I just added to a film order from Adorama. If I remember to add one or two more to my next Adorama order then I'll have them on all of the cameras that will take them. :)
 
Now I'm a little disappointed that it doesn't come in a tin. Woulda been cute.

I've been intending to try one (an Abrahamsson Mini) on the basis that it might make the shutter release easier to find in a big hurry. Mailing the cheque this weekend. Will report findings.
 
paragon said:
The chinese are now making them - so they will become a common sight
Click to expand...


yes they are, and I just got one in black with leica script on it for about a dollar, I will tell you how it pans out when it shows up.
 
I find them indispensible: the large ones, the original softie. Only problem is they tend to fall out. But Tom A has suggested covering the threads with a thin layer of glue (I used Elmer's) and waiting for the glue to dry before screwing into the camera. This makes it harder for the softie to come unscrewed but also leaves no residue whatasoever on the camera. I have not lost one since I started doing this.
 
I got it with purchase of Bessa R2. The one from Cameraquest. It makes a big difference IMO. The release on Bessa is quite small and recessed, the Softrelease makes it really easier to release without shaking the camera. Also Canonet deserves one. The release button has really long travel and it releases the shutter very deep - the Softrelease again makes it easier to release the shutter.

I made a couple of DIY softreleases myself... (the orignal from CQ is on Bessa, the home made are on Canonet and the others)
Some of the small screws found in computers fit the shutter release button and if you glue something on top of the screw you get a SoftRelease :D
 
Luigi also makes them. His are stainless steel with a choice of concave or convex top.

I've used an Abrahamsson one on my Bessa for the past year. I've just tried it on my SLR and decided it needs one too! I'll probably go for a Luigi one this time.
 
I have soft releases for my cameras. To some extent, they do help steady shots with lower shutter speeds. I only use them in those situation though, and they are detached from the cameras most of the time. I advance the film after each shot, and 100% of the time the shutter will fire inside my camera bag with the softies attached. There are solutions to this, of course, but not worth the hassle.
 
I think it depends on the camera. I would never use one on my M7 but I do on my M2. The difference is that I have no meter "bite point" to find on the M2. Using the softrelease on the M7 is a bit like wearing gloves - you lose some of the "feel"
Click to expand...
Hmm, that's something I hadn't thought about. I've just had a quick go with my M6 and, if anything, the meter comes on sooner than I expect. I'll have to see what it's like when I'm out shooting with it.
 
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