TA Soft release - DIY stopper

[regit]

I, like many, like Tom Abrahamsson's soft release. But the one thing I don't fancy about it is when I've to put the camera into the bag with the shutter cocked. It will drain the battery and trip the shutter. This is not a probelm with the M7 with its on/off switch, but on the MP (other Ms ???), even with meter off, it will trip the shutter.

The best solution, AFAIK, is to develop the habit of leaving the shutter uncocked, and turn the meter off before putting the camera into the bag ... well, I'm stupid and I've yet to master this procedure :bang:

So, I come up with a quick fix and thought it may be useful to some ...

Use a film canister cap and cut it into something like this (gaffer the bottom if you want added fit and prevent slippage) ...

So far, I've found Ilford's film cap is the best (the sample is from Pan F+). Kodak's cap doesn't have the height and Fuji's cap is not rigid enough.

The funny edge on one end is to accomodate the film advance lever...

YMMV, but this 5min works well enough and cheap enough for me. No more battery drain, and no more pretty pictures of my bag's interior 😉

 

[FPjohn]

Genius!

yours
Frank

 

[existrandom]

great post!
thanks for sharing!

 

[TimF]

Nice and simple; like all the best ideas. 🙂

 

[Ben Z]

Personally I've got one of Tom's soft releases and like the plain M shutter button better. If I had to remember to stick on a plastic gizmo every time I put the camera in my bag I think I'd like it even less. That's just me.

 

[joelE]

Thanks for sharing - I love the softrelease (got one about a month ago) but, like you, I almost always lose a frame when putting the camera bag in its bag - brilliant!

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Regit, that is a great idea indeed, thanks for sharing.

 

[nottageek]

What a great post! What a forum like this is all about....

In the past, you might have told a handfull of likemided enthusiasts. Now your idea is in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of appreciative people in a matter of hours.

Many thanks.

 

[foon]

I dont like tripping the shutter in the bag with those soft release put on too. What I do is cock my m4 half way and put it in my bag, I think that'd probably faster than putting on that little piece of plastic (and nothing to lose in your bag!) 🙂

 

[dcsang]

Man.. I've been searching for a solution to this problem 🙂

Way to go 🙂