The Leica M240 finger loop

I wasn’t sure about the Leica M240 finger loop. To me, the handgrip doesn’t make the camera prettier or less obtrusive. Adding another ‘thing’ to the camera might seem not the smartest thing to do with an elegant camera like the Leica M240. But for me, the M is my workhorse. And if something adds stability, or makes the camera easier to handle, I’ll be happy to try it. I liked – and still like – the handgrip, so I ordered the finger loop and attached it to the grip, just one day before a long day of shooting.

Sizing

But first things first: my hands are average to slightly large in size. My North Face glove size is L. My Icebreaker gloves are size L. I used to have some Gore-Tex climbing gloves in size 9. However, it’s the thickness of your fingers that matters. You’ll use your ring and middle finger for the loop, so these are the ones that have to fit. If I pull these two fingers together, they measure almost 4cm in width together, at the thickest point. Height wise, both fingers are almost the same and measure a little more than 2cm. For me, size M is large enough to fit my fingers in fast and easy, but still provides enough support to use the loop.

With the loop there is less need to ‘squeeze’ the camera to get it steady…

Leica M240 finger loop in the field

The first day I didn’t like the loop at all. It started to hurt after a few hours and I found it hard to get my fingers in, when I needed to take a very quick shot. I took it off and decided to sell it again. However, a few days later I tried it again and this time I started to like it. For some reason it didn’t hurt at all and I only took my fingers out, when I changed lenses. With the loop there is less need to ‘squeeze’ the camera to get it steady, especially with heavy lenses. You can just let it hang from your fingers and it works great. When not using the camera, you can let it hang from your fingers vertically and relax your hands and fingers. When taking shots in portrait mode, the ‘letting it hang’ works even better, but here’s something you’ll need to know before you buy one of your own. The first few shots I took in portrait mode were a bit of a confusion. I couldn’t get my image in focus and – annoyed- I turned the camera in landscape mode and focussed again. Instantly, I knew what happened. My fingers were in front of the window that works with the rangefinder mechanism. My fingers were so relaxed that I covered the second most important window of the camera. During that day, I had to remember where to put my fingers during portrait shots. A little inconvenient, but you’ll get used to it.

Conclusion

Would I recommend the Leica M240 finger loop? Well, if you use heavy lenses and use the camera for hours and hours: yes, absolutely. If you use light lenses, carry your camera mostly on a shoulder strap and don’t want to ruin the good looks of your camera: maybe not.