Holding dslr

Janice

Janice

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Janice
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Stupid question I know,, but if you are supposed to support your camera with your left hand under the body/base of lens, while only using your right hand to press the shutter so as not to take any weight on the shutter pressing hand, then how do you manually focus when the ring is usually half way down the lens? Every 2 seconds I have to take my left hand from where it is supposed to be and move it to focus, then back, and forth.
 
Hi Janice - the idea is to support the base of the lens with the heel of the left hand. That leaves your fingers/thumb free to rotate the focus ring. At least that's what I do - like this

dslr_using_holdcam.jpg


regards
 
Yep... me too.. I focus with the thumb and middle finger.
 
Thanks guys. One of those things I was too embarassed to ask!! :wacky:
 
No such thing as a stupid question - only stupid instructors.
Ask away. How else do we learn?
 
Janice said:
Thanks guys. One of those things I was too embarassed to ask!! :wacky:
Click to expand...

We all know that feeling Janice but remember for every question asked there are loadsa peeps benefiting form the answer who cannot bring themselves to ask !

No need for embarrassment on this forum I say ... 'cept when you call a Coot a Moorhen !?! :bonk:
 
Thanks. Well, now Im feeling rather more brazen ;) What if the lens is a longer one than in that photo...and the focus ring is a lot further down than your fingers can reach? Do you use your left hand then put it back under the cam when youve focused.....or use the right hand for focusing and put that back on the shutter button when finished?
 
With longer lenses Janice, you're far better off moving your left hand forward and supporting the lens rather than the camera, still using the thumb and long finger to focus. Don't take the 'not gripping the camera with your right hand' bit too literally (that's OK with short lenses) with a light grip with your right hand and your hand forward supporting the lens you have the best position for supporting the mass of the camera/lens combo. :)

Not a stupid question at all btw, this is the basis of a good sound technique.
 
Agree with CT ... it is all about finding the best point of balance under the camera/lens to position your mitt !

With a longer lens this point will naturally move further toward the front of the combination and should allow you comfortable access for focussing/zooming ... I am sure the manufacturers know this and therefore design their lenses, for the most part, with the holding thing in mind !
 
With a longer lens I hold the lens nearer to the focus ring. Having said this Janice, it caused me to think a bit :puke: I can't say I use the manual focus ring much other than for macro and close-up (well...maybe the 50mm for a portrait).

So I think it would be fair to say I use my grip more for turning the zoom ring rather than the focus ring. But I suppose the same principle applies - I hold it so that my finger and thumb are always round the ring, which ever one it is. If it's an even longer lens then it's probably so heavy that a tri/monopod would be appropriate. I get the feeling I'm driveling on a bit now but I hope you've got the drift.

regards

and those two sneaked in while I was typing !
 
If you tried to keep your left hand under the camera with the 100-400L racked right out to 400mm, the lens would be waggling about like you had a severe bout of DTs.:D

On a serious note, when a long heavy lens is being held at right angles to the ground, then without support under the lens, that's the position at which most strain is being placed on the camera lens mount, and there's a limit to what even pro build bodies can take before the mount gets stressed.
 
What happens if you've got one of those very, very long lenses? :LOL: Huge hands and long fingers? :shrug:
 
you need to remember that its designed to hold the cameras weight on the lens mount, so you can reach out as far as you like!
 
kamion said:
What happens if you've got one of those very, very long lenses? :LOL: Huge hands and long fingers? :shrug:
Click to expand...

I hold mine like this:LOL:

holding-dslr.jpg
 
You mad fool it looks like an exercet missile!! :D
 
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