Several new aftermarket
accessories for Leica cameras have reached the market. These are not cheap items, but very well made
pieces of equipment, worthy to be used on Leica cameras.
The first is a right angle
finder for the Leica S line of cameras available from Dale Photo and Digital (www.dalephotoanddigital.com).
The finder is made from solid
metal by M. Leibfritz in Germany. The product description on Dale Photo's site
sums it up well:
A new product
manufactured by M. Leibfritz in Germany, the Leica S Right Angle Finder mounts
to your Leica S or Leica S2 camera to provide right-angle viewing, ideal for
macro photography or low-mounted camera work. This product also features a
built-in 2x magnifier; flip a switch to toggle between 1x and 2x magnification.
The finder
rotates 360 degrees to make for easy viewing no matter how your camera is
positioned, and the 2x magnification allows for precise focus adjustment.
Additionally, the finder has a built-in focusing mechanism to account for users
who need diopter adjustment.
The viewfinder
is made from solid metal and has a removable rubber eyecup. It attaches to the
camera via the hot shoe; please be aware that with the use of this finder, hot-shoe
mounted accessories such as a flash or radio trigger cannot be used.
Next is the newly released base, L-plate and grip for the Leica M camera.offered by Really Right Stuff (http://reallyrightstuff.com)
as reported by Leica Rumors (http://leicarumors.com).
RRS writes:
Remove the base
of your Leica M240 and completely replace it with our elegant base that is CNC
machined from T6061 aluminum. With integral dovetails, this base allows you to
mount your camera directly into a Really Right Stuff quick-release clamp. Far
more robust than the stock base, our replacement base delivers a better fit
with tighter tolerances. And since you need to remove the base to access the
battery and card on this model, we've developed a completely new attachment
system that is tool-less. Just turn the built in wingnut closure to secure the
base in place (base attaches to camera's integral tripod socket).
Next is the new Thumbs Up EP-10S, also for the
new Leica M camera made by Match Technical (http://www.matchtechnical.com)
HRR Manufaktur (http://shop.hrr-manufaktur.de) of
Germany is offering a very well made soft release that screws into the cable
release socket of Leica (and other) cameras.
Finally, Luigi (http://www.leicatime.com) is offering a new
line of cases for the Leica M
Dies a soft release on a Leica really make any sense? I cannot see how such an accessory could possibly be any improvement. I also find the Thumbs Up grip of questionable value, primarily since it eliminates the use of a flash attachment in the accessory shoe.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some good points. I personally never saw any advantage in using a soft release with any camera. I'll reserve my opinion about the Thumbs Up until I have tried one. I would like to comment on the cases for the Leica though. I realize that they are made with a craftsmanship worthy of a Leica, and I do realize that they do offer a considerable amount of protection. However, the ergonomic design of the Leica is excellent. The camera feels very good in ones hands. I cannot see losing most of that by sticking the camera into a leather case.
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