Thumbs Up grip for the Leica M8

May 11, 2009

Post image for Thumbs Up grip for the Leica M8

The Leica M8 is hard to hold. It’s basically the same size and shape as earlier film-based models, but it’s a little bigger and a little smoother. It feels as great as other M cameras, but doesn’t inspire the same confidence when holding it. It may be the covering. On my M4 the covering has more texture and feels a littler stickier than that of the M8. The M8 also does not have a film advance lever to snuggle your thumb under. This all adds up to a problem, and Tim Isaac has solved it with a terrific little device called the Thumbs Up.

The Thumbs Up arrived packaged very nicely.

ThumbsUp-2
Nifty box, eh?

The Thumbs Up is milled from a single piece of brass and then laquered up nicely in black. I don’t love the choice of type used for the logo, but that’s a pretty minor complaint, considering that within 10 seconds of putting it on the camera I knew I would never want to take it off. The difference is amazing. It completely changes the way the M8 handles – for the better.

ThumbsUp-3 Using the Thumbs Up

ThumbsUp-4 Thumbs Up on the M8

I ordered the Thumbs Up Model 1 from Tony Rose at PopFlash Photo and it arrived in just a couple of days. Fast turnaround, as usual from PopFlash. Cost was $126.

Highly Recommended.

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