Beep, Boop, Bip, Bug, Dragons, Sunflower, and Fish
Our soft releases Beep, Boop, and Bip complement our Thumbs Up grips perfectly. To reduce camera shake, some experts recommend gently squeezing the shutter release button. Unfortunately, the recessed design of many shutter releases makes squeezing off shots difficult. Beep, Boop, and Bip screw into the shutter release button, thus raising it and overcoming the problem – allowing you to take hand-held shots at slower shutter speeds.
We also produce our soft releases with custom paint jobs in limited production runs, such as Bug, Beast, Bush, and Fish – see "Special edition soft releases", below.
Our soft releases fit many makes and models of camera, not just Leicas. For example, Boop significantly improves the shutter release of the Nikon FM and Nikkormat SLRs. Here's Bug on an Epson R-D1:
What makes our soft releases special?
You might think that soft releases are simple products – but that's not the case. Here's why you should buy ours.
Materials
We use solid brass to make Beep, Boop, and Bip because it does not bind in threads and does not break easily – unlike some metals – eliminating the possibility of our soft releases jamming or snapping off in the shutter button.
Quality
Beep, Boop, and Bip are manufactured to very high tolerances using computer-controlled CNC machining – unlike some poorly made soft releases that we have seen with inaccurate threads made by stamping or casting, which can be so tight as to damage your camera or so loose that they soon become lost. Also, our soft releases are individually boxed after painting, keeping them in pristine condition until they reach you.
Comfort
Another reason for making Beep, Boop, and Bip from brass is so that we can coat them with thick, high-quality gloss-black paint. This is a time-consuming process, but one that while still hard-wearing provides a warmer, more comfortable surface than stainless steel or anodized aluminum soft releases, which are left unpainted.
Design
First, the profiles of Beep, Boop, and Bip have been carefully designed to release the shutter button gently and smoothly as well as for comfort – unlike some other manufacturers' soft releases. The height of the domed profile and its curvature are crucial for the soft release to work correctly and minimize camera shake.
Secondly, soft releases from some other companies work loose because they have angled or knurled edges that catch on bags, clothing, and the like. Beep, Boop, and Bip are perfectly smooth and won't catch on anything. This, in combination with their accurate computer-cut threads, means that Beep, Boop, and Bip will stay on your camera!
Boop
Boop has a dished (concave) profile, allowing you to gently press the shutter release button with the softer, padded part of your finger just before the finger tip. This is a gentler, more controlled motion than the usual downwards jab with the finger tip itself.
Beep and Bip
Beep and Bip have a domed (convex) profile. These can be pressed with your finger in the same way as Boop. But there is another technique that can be used with convex soft releases that reduces camera shake to the minimum – think of squeezing the trigger of a target pistol.
1. Control your breathing – take a breath, let it out, inhale normally, exhale a little until comfortable, then hold your breath.
2. Place your finger across the top of Beep or Bip so that the soft release is between your first and second joints – the exact position depends on the length of your finger and comfort.
3. Apply pressure to depress the shutter button partway (on the Leica M7 and M8, this is the point at which the exposure is locked in AE mode).
4. Continue squeezing gently until the shutter fires.
This technique may need a little practice, but, once mastered, it can allow you to hand hold your camera one stop slower by not only minimizing jerking (caused by pressing the shutter button too aggressively) but also by preventing flinching (a reflex caused by anticipating when the shutter will release) – if done properly, you will not be able to tell when the shutter will release, so you won't flinch.
Beep soft release:
Bip mini soft release:
Bug mini soft release (identical to Bip apart from the paint):
The difference between Beep and Bip
Why do we have two different sizes of convex soft releases – Beep (standard) and Bip (small)? First, some camera brands have a collar surrounding the shutter button that will foul our standard-sized soft releases, Beep and Boop (15.5 mm diameter) – Bip has a smaller diameter of 10 mm (note: Beep, Boop, and Bip will fit all Leica M models). Secondly, personal choice – for example, some people with small, thin fingers find Bip more comfortable than the larger Beep.
Fast and furious!
We've explained two ways to use soft releases, but there's a third. If you need to take a sequence of shots quickly, you often have to keep your finger on the shutter release button, owing to its small size. As our soft releases increase the size of the shutter button, all you need to do is tap Beep, Boop or Bip anywhere on its surface – no need to fumble for the shutter button!
Photos of Beep, Bip, Boop, and Bug on a Leica M8
Beep. Solid brass, 15.5 mm in diameter – the convex shape is perfect for wrapping your finger across the top:
Bip. Solid brass, 10 mm in diameter – the mini version of Beep, it provides the same height and convex shap. Bip available with our logo (as below) or all black – please indicate when ordering:
Boop. Solid brass, 15.5 mm in diameter – with a concave shape for those of who prefer to use the end of their finger to release the shutter:
Special edition soft releases
Special editions of our soft releases are available with custom paint jobs. They have limited production runs, so if you want one, order now!
Like all our soft releases, they are machined from solid brass and coated with tough, wear-resistant paint.
Bug. Identical to Bip but with a ladybug paint job:
Bugs are available in orange, white, silver and red:
Dragons. Our Dragon Beep and Dragon Boop. The Dragon is engraved through the black enamel down to the brass, then clear coated. Suwen Chee of Malaysia is credited with renaming this special pair or solid brass soft releases.
Fish. A limited production Boop depicting ornamental carp: Sunflower. A limited production Beep with the image of a sunflower – for those who like a splash of color: