"The Thumbie" is a cheaper thumb rest alternative to the ThumbsUp from Matchtechnical for Leica M8/M9 rangefinders:
"Made for the amateur or working professional the M8 M9 the 'Thumbie' has been designed to offer a secure grip while maintaining all the features of the camera and keeping them easily accessible. It is made from solid brass yet weighs only 13gms and shares the same tactile and visual qualities as the camera body, smooth, precise, and simple."
"The Thumbie" can be purchased from eBay for £30.
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22 Comments
Not sure I’d like to stick something into my camera. Also not sure how secure it would be and I’d be worrying about it when in use. I’ll stick with the ThumbsUp thanks.
I’m with Calvin. Cheaper, yes. Innovative, yes. However, I’ll stick with my ThumbsUp, which can’t physically come off of the camera when in use due to its design and lateral pull.
I agree. I’m not going to stick some adhesive thing onto the camera. And with the ThumbsUp you can remove it easily if you don’t want it on the camera. This new device is more of a permanent installation choice.
Plus I carry the camera with the weight and pressure on the ThumpsUp. If the adhesive on this alternative ever came loose then the camera would hit the ground. That would be constantly on my mind.
Thumbs up to the ThumbsUp.
I’ve used both and have to say the Thumbie is the better option in my opinion. Smaller, lighter, much less costly, and doesn’t occupy the hotshoe.
at 30 quid it can’t be Leica made
yuck… looks not very sturdy as compared to the thumbsup.. i have a thumbsup on m9.. and i m satisfied with it.. no thanks.. no confidence with using this also..
Dude… loving this since I LOVE my Thumbs Up but can’t use it while using my Pocket Wizard. This might be the answer to all my problems.
“Made for the amateur or working professional the M8 M9… ”
hmm
I would never trust by $7000 M9 and several thousand dollar M lenses to a small length of double sided tape. No thanks. Go with Thumbs-Up.
Sigh. Let’s face it. The ergos of the M8/M9 series suck. The loss of the film wind lever wrecked it for me. All Leica needs to do is put the M6 wind lever on the M9, and fix it so it can’t swing out beyond what the M6 would after cocking.
It is beyond me how Leica ever let the M8 out with such an easily-dropped design. I would have thought that someone would have said “This thing is much harder to hold without the film advance lever. Maybe we should put it back on.”
I agree. I have two older M6 bodies and they’re ergonomically perfect. The M9 is also too fat. If they could build it just like the M6, it would be the ideal digital replacement. I’d like it better even without a display screen. The whole point of the M series (beside its excellent optical rangefinder) is its form factor and ergonomics.
Every time I fire the shutter with the M9, my thumb automatically pushes towards the right. It’s an ingrained habit I guess I’m stuck with.
I ond’t have a problem holding the M8 without a Thumbs Up. Perhaps I was never enlightened with the “right” way to hold a camera as I’m in my 20s and films was a distant past.
great product. works very well.
i have no fear of it coming loose unless i deliberately remove it.
The e-bay link comes up empty!
I own both and prefer the Thumbie. The adhesive is way beyond sturdy. Its the same stuff they use in cars to keep various parts together. With the right application it is rock solid. But if you remove it according to directions it leaves everything pristine. If you’re worried about damage to the camera just think about what the pressure of the Thumbs Up is doing to the hot shoe. That worries me much more. But the final deciding factor was the use of flash. I like a little fill flash occasionally and on some important shoots that I have to have to get right I use bounced SF58. The necessity to constantly take the Thumbs Up on and off was just too much and I expect was more of a danger than the Thumbie ever could be. It comes packaged quite nicely and is a very nice looking, better than the photo makes it look.
Nothing on eBay. Where to buy?
it sold out, like everything else Leica
This is a great product. I have had mine for 6 months or more and I’m very happy I replaced the thumbs up with the thumbie. It’s rock solid on my M9 and more comfortable to use. Bought it through the EBay site and it arrived within 48 hours.
Hey Mr. ebay seller!
You should show as much creativity with your texts as you do with inventing names…
I have no control over what Ebay links people post. If you want a Thumbie and one isn’t available that day on Ebay then do what a lot of people do, save an Ebay Search for ‘Thumbie’. They are only available on Ebay or by word of mouth, or direct, barnet@globalnet.co.uk gets you a reply. A new batch is being cast and available in a few days. They are hand cast, hand fettled, and the response to customer questions is usually swift.
Concerns. Well I have had one or maybe two people misunderstand the concept of sticky tape, and not fathom how to attach a Thumbie, but in over a year I have never had a customer that has told me their Thumbie has fallen off. Mine was on my camera for two years, and it hasn’t fallen off, about 15,000 exposures. I recently removed it for a repaint and the paintwork on the camera body is perfect, better than the rest because it has been protected.
It does its job, is as small as it needs to be, and as light as it needs to be. What it doesn’t do is stop you using a flash, or position an accessory finder further away from axis. And with a flash it is just the sort of time you would want some extra grip. And it doesn’t apply considerable leverage to your hot shoe, nor seek to clamp down on it.
I am happy to answer any other question you may have about the Thumbie.
Steve
no thanks !
I’ve tried it and it’s great. Very sturdy. Well made, well presented & the maker considerately includes extra adhesive (for reattachment if taken off later). I was apprehensive at first about its strength and durability, but after a few goes I realised how sturdy it was – thereafter I used it with complete confidence. I can attest that it does come off fairly easily with no trace of it having being on. I’d still be using it if I didn’t put my camera into a leather case, however now that it’s off – I don’t feel a pressing need to have it back. If you use a pocketwizard or similar, I think it’s a no-brainer if you want this kind of stability (since I gather ThumbsUp doesn’t pass through the flash connections).