I was very saddened to hear the news of Tom Abrahamsson’s death on January 3rd. For those not familiar with this wonderful man, he was the designer and maker of the Rapidwinder, a nifty finger operated device that rapidly advanced film on Leica M cameras (an accessory based on, but better than Leica’s own Leicavit), as well as the Softie soft release button for use on Leicas and many other cameras. Tom was also a renowned Leica film photographer and fountain of knowledge to the black and white film community. When not manufacturing his wonderful products or making photographs he could be found on the RangeFinderForum dispensing useful advice and answering anyone’s questions on all things Leica, black and white film and developers. Most importantly, by all accounts, Tom was just an overall good guy.

Over the years I bought many of Tom’s Softies and asked him for advice concerning Leica cameras, film and developers. Both he and wife Tuulikki were always helpful and generous with their time; be it on the phone or via email. He was a true gentleman for sure and thus somewhat of a rarity in today’s world. While I never met Tom personally, I am certainly better off for the experiences I had with him.

In a world filled with overly complicated products with features in search of a mission, Tom produced simple but wonderful creations that fulfilled compelling needs. And while this is a wonderful achievement, my guess is that he touched people in ways more profound and enduring.

RIP Tom.