Review of the new ABRAHAMSSON Rapid Grip For LEICA M-series Rangefinders

I. ERGONOMICS

When it arrived in the late autumn of 2002, the new Glossy Black Abrahamsson Rapidgrip with it three finger grooves looked formidable and a little ominous (did Darth Vader lose this)? I attached it to the Rapidwinder on my M6 TTL 0.85. I was immediately impressed with the ergonomics. My fingers fell naturally into place as I raised the camera to my eye. This was the best version of the Rapidgrip yet since its birth in October 2000, I thought. A few days later I was using this grip at an academic conference where I was photographing the speakers. With other cameras and other grips along with me I became convinced that this was the best camera hand grip I had ever used. Over two years later (January 2005), after using the Rapidgrip in street shooting in Japan, San Francisco, Paris and New York, I remain impressed by its ergonomics.

Hands are complex organs. They have their subtle differences in the way they hold cameras. The fairly extensive evolution of the Abrahamsson Rapidgrip shows the difficulties involved in trying to accommodate the vast variety of hands that hold Leicas.

The Rapidgrip prototype had no finger grooves. The first production version had a top finger groove. The version after that also had only one finger groove but the palm side of the grip was shaved down considerably. The latest and the last is not only the most comfortable it is also, marginally, the lightest.

II. HOLDING THE RAPIDGRIP

There is a temptation to hold the Rapidgrip by all three grooves at once (like brass knuckles). If you do that, however, your index finger will not be able to comfortably reach the shutter release button. You'll also not be able to fully appreciate the bottom groove . It lets the little finger exercise a firm grip control over the Rapidgrip, hence the camera.

Let your middle finger goes over the top. Then your ring finger will come to rest either in the top groove or the one bellow while your little finger will grip the bottom groove. The design of the new Rapidgrip is such that you can comfortably rest your ring finger in between the two top grooves as the grooves do not come to a point as they would on typical pistol grip designs. The flat rise between these two grooves is such that you can comfortably hook your ring finger firmly around it.

The space between the middle and bottom grooves is nearly twice as wide as between the top and middle grooves. This keeps the ring and little fingers from rubbing against each other.

Another temptation is to "white- knuckle" the Rapidgrip. The balance of the grip is such that an ultra-tight grip is not necessary. To avoid hand fatigue, hold on to the Rapidgrip in a relaxed manner as you would hold the hand grip of a motorcycle or the handlebars of a bicycle. When you relax your hold on the Rapidgrip you will feel the subtle strength of your little finger unleashed.

I recommend using the wide Abrahamsson Softie shutter release in combination with the Rapidgrip. While your usual finger position will not be radically altered with the addition of a Rapidgrip, the Softie is an added comfort..

III. MICRO-ADJUSTMENTS

The first micro-adjustment you will make will be in your choice of which version of the Rapidgrip you get. It comes in silver, flat black and glossy black. Your choice may be entirely visually aesthetic, based on how your camera and Rapidwinder look. Or your choice maybe entirely tactile. I attached my glossy black Rapidgrip to my silver Rapidwinder and M6 TTL. I also like the but the feel. It is like running your fingers over the bodywork of a Rolls-Royce.

I padded the bottom of the grip with very thin soft leather. This will somewhat reduce the wear on the finish on the bottom of your Rapidgrip and make a slightly more secure fit by acting as a washer. It will also lower your Rapidgrip by about half a millimeter or so. This should not significantly affect the ergonomics.

Making this leather shim is relatively easy. Take an ample piece of very thin leather and press it to the bottom of the Rapidgrip. You'll get an outline of the edges and the center screw. Cut around the edges with a sharp pair of scissors and punch out the hole. If you do not have a punch, fold the shim and cut a triangle where the screw's outline is. It won't look as elegant as the punched out hole, but who cares? It will be hidden from view. Don't bother gluing the shim in. Stick it on with any double sided tape. Considering the pressure the shim will be under, it will have no chance to shift around. You'll be able to easily lift it off without damaging the Rapidgrip's surface.

IV. MISCELLANEOUS

Is it as easy to shoot verticals and horizontals with the Rapidgrip? Yes.

What about waist-level ("blind") shooting, particularly in street photography? When shooting waist-level with the Rapidgrip try this. Index, middle and ring finger in, respectively, the first, second and third grooves, little finger at bottom of the grip and thumb on the shutter release (preferably with Softie).

How well does the new Rapidgrip work on an M Leica with the regular baseplate? In my view it is quite good. It is practically as good as when using it with the Rapidwinder and better than any other grip I can think of that is made for Leica M cameras. I now use a second identical Rapidgrip with my single stroke M3. As with my Rapidwinder-equipped Leica Ms, the M3 is equipped with a Softie. It's especially good with heavier lenses, like my Canon 50/1.2, and telephoto lenses (90 and 135).

There are purists who lament the Rapidgrip is "unLecica" in its feel. This something one cannot argue with because this is a matter of personal comfort and aesthetic sensibilities. (Some people won't use perfectly good accessories on their cameras because they think they look weird--and that's fine.) I am not sentimental about Leica cameras. If something helps me to take pictures I use it. The nice thing is that if you get lonely for the classic Leica feel you can take the Rapidgrip off.

Is the Rapidgrip essential to the Rapidwinder? Of course not. For most of it life, since its birth in 1987, the Rapidwinder did not have a grip option and it worked just fine. The great photographers who used the Leicavit, the progenitor of the Rapidwinder, never had a Rapidgrip option either. The current Leicavit has no provision for an add-on grip. There may be occasions when you will want the Rapidgrip off. But that said, is a very useful tool. And its comfort is addictive. You may wonder, as I do why the Rapidgrip wasn't invented back in the days of the old Leicavit!

What good is the hollow inside the grip if you don't feel like carrying batteries in it? Well, you can put you name, address and the serial number of your Leica on a piece of paper, roll it up in cellophane and put it in the Rapidgrip. If you Leica is stolen, heaven forbid, the bad guys might not realize you have done this and when they are trying to fence it they will get caught. Don't leave the plug off even if you put nothing inside the Rapidgrip. Little things like that have a tendency to get lost, particularly when you suddenly need them.

What works best to unscrew the plug and screw in the Rapidgrip? Always use something like a coin. Avoid screw drivers, which can cause major damage if you over-tighten or the screwdriver slips. The ideal coin is probably the Japanese 100 yen piece. A quarter (U.S. or Canadian) will do. Most of the old European currency was fine for the job. Some Euro coins are too thick. The back of a spoon (as long is it is flat) could work too. Don't use a knife.

In this regard, I've read and heard laments that the Rapidwinder and Rapidgrip do not have hinged locks like Leica's grip, motor winder and new Leicavit. A hinged lock would be nice; but in the end, the more basic Abrahamsson lock might prove to be stronger.

The Rapidgrip is not without its drawbacks. It is a little on the heavy side, which you begin to feel if you are carrying a couple of cameras. You might not like the metallic feel of the Rapidgrip. No matter how careful you are, you are going to wear the finish of your Rapidwinder if you are in the habit of taking it and putting it back on. The positive side is that while not a featherweight, the Rapidgrip is bombproof and might even protect your Leica from serious damage if you drop it.

One afternoon in Naples, Italy I dropped my Rapidwinder with an older version of the Rapidgrip on my friend's nineteenth century marble floor. The front edge was bent but my friend, who is an artist, managed to bend it enough back into shape so that it was usable. The Rapidgrip only had a little dent. Had the intricate end hooking into the Leica body been damaged it would have been almost impossible to right it at the time.

Do you need a Rapidgrip? If you use heavy lenses, especially if they are telephoto, the Rapidgrip will do a lot to improve stability. The same is true if you shoot available darkness with little depth of field and at slow shutter speeds. As a street photographer, I have found it equally useful when shooting in blazing sunlight at f16.

Can the Rapidgrip be improved? Yes, like everything else, it probably can. Meanwhile, Tom Abrahamsson must be belatedly congratulated for this latest version of the Rapidgrip. It could be the most comfortable and versatile grip ever made for Leica.

Editor's note: The rapidgrip retails for $110 and the rapidwinder for $425. They are available from http://www.rapidwinder.com/