jjcha
Established
Please let us know when you're ready to make a batch run of these. I would jump on the opportunity to purchase one.
Best regards,
-Jason
Best regards,
-Jason
TS ISAAC
Established
ERIK FIVE,
It's a good question you ask. The thumb grip can be removed with your fingernail. There is a recessed slot right on the top that will allow you to pull it back from the camera. On the prototype, it is working quite well, but takes a serious tug.
JJCHA,
Thank you for your interest in buying one. Also to you USCCHARLES....what a motivating factor you put in front of me. Of course, I would be thrilled to take it to that final stage of a marketable product. First I will compete the testing.
At some point I have to ask myself, will I really lay out the cash for the die cast mold. I must also try to predict how many I should produce. Classic product introduction problems. The remarkable feature now is, of course, this forum! Your reponses are driving this onward.
This may be subject for a poll. I will give this consideration and maybe we can cooperatively figure out how this is all going to get paid for.
ANDY AITKEN,
you have also shown sincere interest. I so much appreciate the sentiments and feedback these last three days. What a grand experience.
More to come.
Prototype #2 in just a few days, and this time the thumb grip will be painted.
It's a good question you ask. The thumb grip can be removed with your fingernail. There is a recessed slot right on the top that will allow you to pull it back from the camera. On the prototype, it is working quite well, but takes a serious tug.
JJCHA,
Thank you for your interest in buying one. Also to you USCCHARLES....what a motivating factor you put in front of me. Of course, I would be thrilled to take it to that final stage of a marketable product. First I will compete the testing.
At some point I have to ask myself, will I really lay out the cash for the die cast mold. I must also try to predict how many I should produce. Classic product introduction problems. The remarkable feature now is, of course, this forum! Your reponses are driving this onward.
This may be subject for a poll. I will give this consideration and maybe we can cooperatively figure out how this is all going to get paid for.
ANDY AITKEN,
you have also shown sincere interest. I so much appreciate the sentiments and feedback these last three days. What a grand experience.
More to come.
Prototype #2 in just a few days, and this time the thumb grip will be painted.
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usccharles
Well-known
Fin
Member
Prototype looks great - although I would make one aesthetic suggestion...
Have the top of the grip flush with the top of the body. That way it will look less like a "bolt on" and more like a seamless part of the camera.
Good luck - I will follow your progress with interest and wallet at the ready!
Have the top of the grip flush with the top of the body. That way it will look less like a "bolt on" and more like a seamless part of the camera.
Good luck - I will follow your progress with interest and wallet at the ready!
TS ISAAC
Established
FIN,
The top of the thumb grip is already flush with the top of the M8 body. You can run your finger right across the flash shoe and the grip and onto the body and they are all at the same level. Flat. Perfectly flat. (Well, within 0.04mm).
In fact, you can easily set the camera inverted on a flat surface, with the thumb grip attached. I will make a beter photo of this and attach it below. Seems like you read my mind back a couple months ago when I started the design! Many thanks for your keen consideration and attention to the details. Its what makes this whole idea fly!
I am a bit embarrased at the condition of my camera revealed in my photo here. Even my little point and shoot, which has a mind of its own when it comes to focusing, reveals I need a dusting on my M8!
The top of the thumb grip is already flush with the top of the M8 body. You can run your finger right across the flash shoe and the grip and onto the body and they are all at the same level. Flat. Perfectly flat. (Well, within 0.04mm).
In fact, you can easily set the camera inverted on a flat surface, with the thumb grip attached. I will make a beter photo of this and attach it below. Seems like you read my mind back a couple months ago when I started the design! Many thanks for your keen consideration and attention to the details. Its what makes this whole idea fly!
I am a bit embarrased at the condition of my camera revealed in my photo here. Even my little point and shoot, which has a mind of its own when it comes to focusing, reveals I need a dusting on my M8!
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aizan
Mentor
would it be a copyright violation to copy the typeface leica uses for engravings?
readingaloud
Newbie
A great idea--I'll take one, too!
You should talk to the Leicagoodies.com folks about this. They'd be able to tell you how many you can sell, and they'd probably be a terrific sales outlet for you.
You should talk to the Leicagoodies.com folks about this. They'd be able to tell you how many you can sell, and they'd probably be a terrific sales outlet for you.
TS ISAAC
Established
Leica Typeface / Font
Leica Typeface / Font
Leica's typeface, or font used on the M8 is not available to me. I do not know if it is propreitary or not. I searched through all of my fonts, and could not match it. Thanks for the observation. Its still not too late to change it, and I will keep searching in the meantime.
Leica Typeface / Font
Leica's typeface, or font used on the M8 is not available to me. I do not know if it is propreitary or not. I searched through all of my fonts, and could not match it. Thanks for the observation. Its still not too late to change it, and I will keep searching in the meantime.
2001alal
Member
Fin Prototype looks great - although I would make one aesthetic suggestion... Have the top of the grip flush with the top of the body. That way it will look less like a "bolt on" and more like a seamless part of the camera. Good luck - I will follow your progress with interest and wallet at the ready!.[/QUOTE said:
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aizan
Mentor
all of the numbers you need are on the shutter speed dial and hot shoe. it shouldn't take long to photograph or scan, then retrace in illustrator. 
Joe Mondello
Resu Deretsiger
Here's my 2 cents . . . OK SIX cents! (danged inflation!!!!) ;-)
1) I think the design is very clever and beautifully executed.
2) The little notch above the focal lengths could be made into a thumbnail-style curve and used to help remove the piece.
3) I wouldn't worry too much about the font. Leica's numerical font looks very unusual to me *but there might be enough numbers to cut and paste what you need from the dial) and the font used for the button controls and Leica Camera, MIG etc looks like a Helvetica (with some additional letter spacing) given the shape of the A and R.
4) Don't leave the chrome M8 out! Just show one of your renderings changing the M8 from black to chrome, leaving the grip black.
5) Is there some backing material that could be used to keep the piece from scratching the back of the M8?
6) I OFTEN use an external WA finder and would love it if there was an additional cold shoe option to retain that functionality.
7) Send one to me in NYC for um "testing"! I'll bet THAT will finally get a New York group of the RFF to come together for a coffee and to look over your invention!
1) I think the design is very clever and beautifully executed.
2) The little notch above the focal lengths could be made into a thumbnail-style curve and used to help remove the piece.
3) I wouldn't worry too much about the font. Leica's numerical font looks very unusual to me *but there might be enough numbers to cut and paste what you need from the dial) and the font used for the button controls and Leica Camera, MIG etc looks like a Helvetica (with some additional letter spacing) given the shape of the A and R.
4) Don't leave the chrome M8 out! Just show one of your renderings changing the M8 from black to chrome, leaving the grip black.
5) Is there some backing material that could be used to keep the piece from scratching the back of the M8?
6) I OFTEN use an external WA finder and would love it if there was an additional cold shoe option to retain that functionality.
7) Send one to me in NYC for um "testing"! I'll bet THAT will finally get a New York group of the RFF to come together for a coffee and to look over your invention!
aizan
Mentor
the letters and numbers are definitely not helvetica.
Joe Mondello
Resu Deretsiger
aizan said:the letters and numbers are definitely not helvetica.
The numbers certainly aren't but the letters look kinda Helvetica-ish, no?
TS ISAAC
Established
Surface features / touch and feel
Surface features / touch and feel
2001alal
You may be right about FINs suggestion. It was my design intent, as I think you suggest, dropping the arm portion of the grip down below the upper camera surface by 1.25 mm. This allows the original lines of the top edge of the body to be seen and felt.
The M8 body has a nice fillet on all the edges. Matching up these two surfaces would have resulted in a 'groove', and to my way of thinking, a design feature I wanted to avoid.
I am still liking the copper prototype and have taken quite a few shots with my M8 and the thumb rest already. I like the feel very much. It's very steady. It's meeting my expectations so far.
You are more than kind to express your exceptional comment about this thread. It is my goal to have a chance to affect the way we make photos with the M8. With users like us contributing our ideas, we might make that happen. Many thanks again.
Surface features / touch and feel
2001alal
You may be right about FINs suggestion. It was my design intent, as I think you suggest, dropping the arm portion of the grip down below the upper camera surface by 1.25 mm. This allows the original lines of the top edge of the body to be seen and felt.
The M8 body has a nice fillet on all the edges. Matching up these two surfaces would have resulted in a 'groove', and to my way of thinking, a design feature I wanted to avoid.
I am still liking the copper prototype and have taken quite a few shots with my M8 and the thumb rest already. I like the feel very much. It's very steady. It's meeting my expectations so far.
You are more than kind to express your exceptional comment about this thread. It is my goal to have a chance to affect the way we make photos with the M8. With users like us contributing our ideas, we might make that happen. Many thanks again.
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aizan
Mentor
aizan
Mentor
i volunteer to draw them up! i just need a good picture. do you have a flatbed scanner?
TS ISAAC
Established
Howdy JOE,
Thanks for your expansive list of suggestions. I will model up a silver body with the black thumb grip and we can all have a look. If I ever go to production, I have held your place in the beta line!
I addressed the fingernail groove in a previous response. The groove is already there and is a curved shape to allow your fingernail to get a good edge against which you can push the thumb rest out. It requires a hefty push, I am gad to say, so it is not going to come out on its own. Photo below.
With respect to the cold shoe / hot shoe design feature: As I mentioned earlier, my initial idea was purely motivated by my own selfish ideas. I just dont use a flash. But I certainly understand the need for the wide angle viewers and flash units to be installed. Accomplishing that hot shoe / cold shoe design brings with it a whole new set of problems to solve, and some of them involve electric contacts that must....well, make contact. There is a set of standards to impart to those design objectives. As I see it, my time must be spent on this first thumb grip design, getting the fit on the hot shoe, and the paint finish down pat. Those two projects alone are taking a lot of time. Once those are put to rest, you can bet I will move on to your other ideas.
Aizan and Joe,
With respect to the fonts....Leica I think, has a proprietary font. EUROSTYLE is as close as I can get, and I used it to model up my lenses and the M8 body in CAD. I also modeled my M6 while I was waiting for Tony Rose to deliver my M8. EUROSTYLE is close, but if you study my lettering on the speed dial and lenses more closely, you will see that the 8's and the 0's are not like your Leica or mine! So I cheated with EUROSTYLE. Love those 0's nad 8's from Leica, fantastic font design. (no one has yet pointed it out, so I will make a confession...accidentally, I put the Leica on up side down on the underside of my 28mm sun shade. Must get around to correcting that..my appolgies to the guys at Solms.)
If anyone discovers the cool Leica font, and finds its accessible somewhere, please let me know.
Joe,
here is a better photo for you to see. My little point and shoot has a mind of its own up close.
Thanks for your expansive list of suggestions. I will model up a silver body with the black thumb grip and we can all have a look. If I ever go to production, I have held your place in the beta line!
I addressed the fingernail groove in a previous response. The groove is already there and is a curved shape to allow your fingernail to get a good edge against which you can push the thumb rest out. It requires a hefty push, I am gad to say, so it is not going to come out on its own. Photo below.
With respect to the cold shoe / hot shoe design feature: As I mentioned earlier, my initial idea was purely motivated by my own selfish ideas. I just dont use a flash. But I certainly understand the need for the wide angle viewers and flash units to be installed. Accomplishing that hot shoe / cold shoe design brings with it a whole new set of problems to solve, and some of them involve electric contacts that must....well, make contact. There is a set of standards to impart to those design objectives. As I see it, my time must be spent on this first thumb grip design, getting the fit on the hot shoe, and the paint finish down pat. Those two projects alone are taking a lot of time. Once those are put to rest, you can bet I will move on to your other ideas.
Aizan and Joe,
With respect to the fonts....Leica I think, has a proprietary font. EUROSTYLE is as close as I can get, and I used it to model up my lenses and the M8 body in CAD. I also modeled my M6 while I was waiting for Tony Rose to deliver my M8. EUROSTYLE is close, but if you study my lettering on the speed dial and lenses more closely, you will see that the 8's and the 0's are not like your Leica or mine! So I cheated with EUROSTYLE. Love those 0's nad 8's from Leica, fantastic font design. (no one has yet pointed it out, so I will make a confession...accidentally, I put the Leica on up side down on the underside of my 28mm sun shade. Must get around to correcting that..my appolgies to the guys at Solms.)
If anyone discovers the cool Leica font, and finds its accessible somewhere, please let me know.
Joe,
here is a better photo for you to see. My little point and shoot has a mind of its own up close.
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Gid
Well-known
aizan said:
Those were mine - before I was seduced by the M8
TS ISAAC
Established
Silver M8 with thumb grip
Silver M8 with thumb grip
JOE,
Here are is your request...I like the contrast. Silver is hard to get right with my CAD, but I think the contrast is good. You are right to have a look at the thumb grip with silver. Makes me think I might want a second M8.....this could get expensive!
Silver M8 with thumb grip
JOE,
Here are is your request...I like the contrast. Silver is hard to get right with my CAD, but I think the contrast is good. You are right to have a look at the thumb grip with silver. Makes me think I might want a second M8.....this could get expensive!
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Joe Mondello
Resu Deretsiger
Tim, the whole thing is brilliant!
Thanks for the close up of the thumbnail curve -- it was there all along!
Thanks also for the look at the chrome body. I think the black Thumbs-Up looks great on the chrome body.
Hey if you DO go into production you may be able to get at least a 2nd M8 body (chrome) out of the idea!!!
I think it has already been suggested to you that you approach Leica Goodies or Tom Abrahamsson as potential sales outlets. I'd suggest you also run the idea past Stephen Gandy at cameraQuest (our Head Barkeep), Tony Rose at popFlash, the Tamarkins, and also the folks at larger distributors like B&H or Amazon or those big Japanese stores. If priced right, this could really take off.
And of course best of luck!!!
Thanks for the close up of the thumbnail curve -- it was there all along!
Thanks also for the look at the chrome body. I think the black Thumbs-Up looks great on the chrome body.
Hey if you DO go into production you may be able to get at least a 2nd M8 body (chrome) out of the idea!!!
I think it has already been suggested to you that you approach Leica Goodies or Tom Abrahamsson as potential sales outlets. I'd suggest you also run the idea past Stephen Gandy at cameraQuest (our Head Barkeep), Tony Rose at popFlash, the Tamarkins, and also the folks at larger distributors like B&H or Amazon or those big Japanese stores. If priced right, this could really take off.
And of course best of luck!!!