two handed grip for Tremor sufferers

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Terry
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I have suffered from age related Essential Tremor (with intent) for a number of years now.
And pressing buttons and making fine movements like firing a shutter are problematic. and writing near impossible.
However medication only partially helps, whereas Alcohol works rather better ( but I am not a drinker)
Using two hands to accomplish almost any task helps with fine movement control,
I have developed a way of holding a camera, which might seem odd, but involves firing the camera with the index fingers of both hands.
Any one with tremor problems might find using this technique helpful. ( though tremors and their causes vary enormously).
This shot was taken at 1/20 second and I have managed others at 1/10 and below.

grip WEB by Terry Andrews, on Flickr
 


Sorry to read that but glad you found a work around!

Alcohol works rather better
That is good news! :)
( but I am not a drinker)
Do you have to drink much for the desired effect? Would
it impair your driving…?

A neighbour in a similar situation ask me if I would have
an idea that could help him. After several questions and
two coffees, I learned that he has the strength to press
the trigger but getting it right on the nose was a problem.
The release buttons is well flush in the body surface and
the moving finger is missing the precision.

"I love taking picture of the grand-chidren and in the gar-
den… I would consider any possibility!" he said.

I gave it some thought and suggested a medium-hard flat
ring of rubberlike material that can be glued safely on the
button. I explained the pro and cons in the manipulation.
We even did a temporary test drive and, after a week, he
wanted a permanent solution of that idea.

Now I know all the kids by name and all that's growing in
his beloved garden… impressive it is, indeed! :D
 
That looks like a good method. I will have to give that a try. I suffered a stroke recently which changed things for me quite a lot. One of the lasting side effects was the inability to stop my hands shaking. The vast amount of medication I am on contributes to making things worse.

I bought a Sigma 150-600 from the Photography Show on Sunday but I am having to return it tomorrow due to being unable to hold it still. I thought the VR would be sufficient but the degree to which my hands shake can not be overcome by the best of VR systems.

Hopefully your method may help in conjunction with a lighter lens than the one I am returning.
 


Sorry to read that but glad you found a work around!


That is good news! :)

Do you have to drink much for the desired effect? Would
it impair your driving…?

A neighbour in a similar situation ask me if I would have
an idea that could help him. After several questions and
two coffees, I learned that he has the strength to press
the trigger but getting it right on the nose was a problem.
The release buttons is well flush in the body surface and
the moving finger is missing the precision.

"I love taking picture of the grand-chidren and in the gar-
den… I would consider any possibility!" he said.

I gave it some thought and suggested a medium-hard flat
ring of rubberlike material that can be glued safely on the
button. I explained the pro and cons in the manipulation.
We even did a temporary test drive and, after a week, he
wanted a permanent solution of that idea.

Now I know all the kids by name and all that's growing in
his beloved garden… impressive it is, indeed! :D


Alcohol works quite quickly sort of Five to twenty minutes for a double whisky. and will steady up for an hour or so.
However Driving is the problem.
If he has " intention tremor" it may not help. mine is essential tremor with an element of intent.
One of those so called soft screw in buttons might also help him. You could cover the top with glue, and dip it in sharp sand for an improved grip.
 
Yes, I can see driving being an issue too lol. A ban for drink driving will not help with my landscape photography.
 
Yes, I can see driving being an issue too lol. A ban for drink driving will not help with my landscape photography.


However the more I drink the steadier the glass becomes, and the easier it gets to pour, and the less bothered I am about photography and driving.
I got a taxi home at Christmas. (and I am not a drinker.)
 
fmUYJEV.jpg


would something like this help? cheap enough to try anyway

link

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...ol+grip.TRS0&_nkw=camera+pistol+grip&_sacat=0

or even one of these
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyV7CxcAbEs
 
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Sorry to read that but glad you found a work around!


That is good news! :)

Do you have to drink much for the desired effect? Would
it impair your driving…?

A neighbour in a similar situation ask me if I would have
an idea that could help him. After several questions and
two coffees, I learned that he has the strength to press
the trigger but getting it right on the nose was a problem.
The release buttons is well flush in the body surface and
the moving finger is missing the precision.

"I love taking picture of the grand-chidren and in the gar-
den… I would consider any possibility!" he said.

I gave it some thought and suggested a medium-hard flat
ring of rubberlike material that can be glued safely on the
button. I explained the pro and cons in the manipulation.
We even did a temporary test drive and, after a week, he
wanted a permanent solution of that idea.

Now I know all the kids by name and all that's growing in
his beloved garden… impressive it is, indeed! :D

Strangely enough only yesterday I was looking at sugru for this purpose.

I don’t have a problem with tremors or anything ( not unless I’ve had one too many) but the shutter button on the Fuji XT1 doesn’t sit very proud. I noticed this more when wearing thin gloves and couldn’t feel it without removing my glove.
Sugru it would appear could be really useful.
 
The one in the video has a switch for the trigger release


Believe me, switches or press buttons do not help. What you have to have is equal counter pressure balanced by the other hand.
 
Oh well I tried to show what might have helped. I use that pistol grip on my camcorder and makes it rock steady with the other hand through the wrist strap
 
For positioning, support and to aid "counter pressure" would a chestpod be suitable?

Here a Cullman brand one https://www.cullmann.de/en/detail/id/magic-chestpod-2.html

And a Novoflex version https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/clamps_arms_etc/novoflex_pistockc_chestpod/8414_p.html

UsIng something like this might be helpful for both the OP's double handed control by providing added counter pressure. And in Chris' case with a long lens weight relief and ''balance"

Of course using a chestpod does need breath control to avoid chest/diaphragm affecting to picture taking!

HTH :)
 
For positioning, support and to aid "counter pressure" would a chestpod be suitable?

Here a Cullman brand one https://www.cullmann.de/en/detail/id/magic-chestpod-2.html

And a Novoflex version https://www.speedgraphic.co.uk/clamps_arms_etc/novoflex_pistockc_chestpod/8414_p.html

UsIng something like this might be helpful for both the OP's double handed control by providing added counter pressure. And in Chris' case with a long lens weight relief and ''balance"

Of course using a chestpod does need breath control to avoid chest/diaphragm affecting to picture taking!

HTH :)

I have two chest pods a short one that I mostly use as an extension on my Brasher pole and an adjustable canon one that I hve drille and tapped so that it can also extend the walking pole.
Unfortunately the counter pressure thing is a nerve issue and needs to be a muscle type counter pressure where you neutralise your own shake. I even use a mouse two handed. One supplying the counter pressure. You increse the pressure on one hand to exceed the pressure from the other, that way you can move smoothly with out shake, and it is accurate enough to retouch in photoshop.
Unfortunately I have not found a way to make it work with my waycom tablet and stylus, there is too much going on in both pressure sensivity and fine movement. But a mouse works just fine.
 
Surely the camera+lens+stabilisation is vitally important.
Get the best!

(Begins with "O")

I certainly need stabilisation. And it works well in my Fujis.
Unfortunately tremor can overwhelm any system and it is better to control it in other ways as far as you can.
My method certainly helps a great deal in that respect,at the moment of release, that is so importantfor sharp images.
 
I also have essential tremors, but not very bad (yet). I'm not sure what the "intent" aspect is as it's not been diagnosed/described to me like that. But I have noticed that more effort/concentration applied (intent?) and the finer motor skill required can make it worse. I also have a large amount of muscle atrophy due to nerve damage resulting from a helicopter incident (I'm hesitant to call it a "crash" although the helicopter was scrapped afterwards). That's unrelated but affects how I hold a camera (more body/bone support)... I couldn't hold most of my gear like that for long at all.

For me the "rolling finger" technique works. That's where the fingertip is on the camera body rather than the button and you roll the pad of the finger over the button to activate it (fore/aft or L/R). This is how I learned to release the shutter so I don't really notice the issue with my DSLR's; but I sometimes notice it with my Nikon1 where there isn't really any camera body around the button and I can't use the technique. Even then I find using more of the finger pad and less finger tip works better. It seems to use coarser motor skills where there is less twitching/tremors.
 
I also have essential tremors, but not very bad (yet). I'm not sure what the "intent" aspect is as it's not been diagnosed/described to me like that. But I have noticed that more effort/concentration applied (intent?) and the finer motor skill required can make it worse. I also have a large amount of muscle atrophy due to nerve damage resulting from a helicopter incident (I'm hesitant to call it a "crash" although the helicopter was scrapped afterwards). That's unrelated but affects how I hold a camera (more body/bone support)... I couldn't hold most of my gear like that for long at all.

For me the "rolling finger" technique works. That's where the fingertip is on the camera body rather than the button and you roll the pad of the finger over the button to activate it (fore/aft or L/R). This is how I learned to release the shutter so I don't really notice the issue with my DSLR's; but I sometimes notice it with my Nikon1 where there isn't really any camera body around the button and I can't use the technique. Even then I find using more of the finger pad and less finger tip works better. It seems to use coarser motor skills where there is less twitching/tremors.

Sounds like you have things sorted for your condition, the more Ideas people have to try out for themselves the better.
The intent bit is as you suggest ,the harder you try the worse you get. Though some people have a condition which is not related to essential tremor but is intention tremor, which is in many ways more serious, as sort of oscillations set in as you approach your target and involves visual coordination as well.
 
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Far less convenient than my Brasher walking pole. (and I have no idea how those silly feet are supposed to help.)
As I have explained a pole only controls major movements it is the uncontrolled, twitch like, tremor that they can not deal with. nor can any other support that you hold.

The problem is rather like focus hunting, where the focus overshoots and goes back and forth because of lack of feed back when it passes the target. With shake it is lack of feed back with fine muscle control, this can be provided by the second hand acting as a counter force damper. No gadget can do that unless it was connected to your nervous system.
 
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Dad had an essential tremor for a few years and was very grateful for the advent of affordable digital cameras since it was starting to severely reduce his keeper rate. Being mainly a landscape shooter in his later years, he started shooting them either in short bursts, trusting there would be at least a couple of keepers out of the 3 or 4 he'd shoot or using a support of some sort - walls, posts, anything he could brace himself against! On the rare occasions he used a tripod, he'd usually use a remote release, having cobbled together a bracket to fit any camera he had (would probably have been cheaper and almost certainly lighter if he'd bought one "off the shelf" but designing and fabricating the DIY one kept him busy for a while!).
While I was ill, I developed a fairly severe twitch that was completely random and might have helped reduce the amount of photography I did for a year or so. Fortunately, the op sorted pretty much all the problems I was having, although I'm still a trifle (and several other desserts...) overweight!

Glad you've managed to find a solution to your ET, Terry.
 
Dad had an essential tremor for a few years and was very grateful for the advent of affordable digital cameras since it was starting to severely reduce his keeper rate. Being mainly a landscape shooter in his later years, he started shooting them either in short bursts, trusting there would be at least a couple of keepers out of the 3 or 4 he'd shoot or using a support of some sort - walls, posts, anything he could brace himself against! On the rare occasions he used a tripod, he'd usually use a remote release, having cobbled together a bracket to fit any camera he had (would probably have been cheaper and almost certainly lighter if he'd bought one "off the shelf" but designing and fabricating the DIY one kept him busy for a while!).
While I was ill, I developed a fairly severe twitch that was completely random and might have helped reduce the amount of photography I did for a year or so. Fortunately, the op sorted pretty much all the problems I was having, although I'm still a trifle (and several other desserts...) overweight!

Glad you've managed to find a solution to your ET, Terry.

I am a Bit of a gadget maker myself. In street type shots I now always shoot in bursts of three. and on most other hand held occasions as well, as the second shot is almost always sharper to some degree. I had thought of just taking the second shot, and not bothering with the others, but I can't work out how to do it.
 
It’s difficult to understand this unless you suffer from it, which I don’t, but thanks for your original post.

Would the tremor still interfere if you were using some kind of remote wireless release?
 
I am a Bit of a gadget maker myself. In street type shots I now always shoot in bursts of three. and on most other hand held occasions as well, as the second shot is almost always sharper to some degree. I had thought of just taking the second shot, and not bothering with the others, but I can't work out how to do it.


At least with digital you're not really wasting the binners, just the time spent weeding them out from the keepers.
 
I am a Bit of a gadget maker myself. In street type shots I now always shoot in bursts of three. and on most other hand held occasions as well, as the second shot is almost always sharper to some degree. I had thought of just taking the second shot, and not bothering with the others, but I can't work out how to do it.
Ideally the solution would lie with taking the photo before you pressed the shutter release - as already happens with some phone cameras because they are continuously recording.
 
Took this hand held 3 shot pan, this morning, on my little Fuji X30 no double grip ,as it won't fit my hands on this camera, and no other support.
So I am far from disabled with it.
Stitched with PTAssembler on auto, but had to correct some roll between pictures in preview, but it stitched with out errors. which is not always easy in interiors with foreground elements. output as recti-perspective.

satalite center pan WEB by Terry Andrews, on Flickr
 
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It’s difficult to understand this unless you suffer from it, which I don’t, but thanks for your original post.

Would the tremor still interfere if you were using some kind of remote wireless release?

The question then is how would you fire it and hold the camera at the same time. But I always use a release for tripod work.

I remeber Beken of Cowes always used a rubber bulb in his mouth when taking his sea going Yacht images. but he was hanging on to a 10x8 glass plate camera.
 
I’ve just be
The question then is how would you fire it and hold the camera at the same time. But I always use a release for tripod work.

I remeber Beken of Cowes always used a rubber bulb in his mouth when taking his sea going Yacht images. but he was hanging on to a 10x8 glass plate camera.
Ive just been playing with the phone cam Bluetooth release that I have. My suggestion is that it could be attached to the front of the camera and operated with the index finger against the pressure of your thumb on the back of the camera. I’m thinking that the “clicky” nature of an electronic remote is different from the “squeeze” needed with the normal shutter release.
 
I’ve just be

Ive just been playing with the phone cam Bluetooth release that I have. My suggestion is that it could be attached to the front of the camera and operated with the index finger against the pressure of your thumb on the back of the camera. I’m thinking that the “clicky” nature of an electronic remote is different from the “squeeze” needed with the normal shutter release.
There might not be much difference as far as tremor is concerned. However the position on the camera could make a difference to the grip and how it is squeezed. Thinking about it, it might be better to fix the release to the finger and press the release aginst some part of the camera? As the exact place would not be important.
 
I am a Bit of a gadget maker myself. In street type shots I now always shoot in bursts of three. and on most other hand held occasions as well, as the second shot is almost always sharper to some degree. I had thought of just taking the second shot, and not bothering with the others, but I can't work out how to do it.

Wouldn't having the self timer set to a very short delay achieve the same effect? So you activate the shutter release... short delay to relax and steady... shutter fires! Would this be a similar scenario to binning the first and keeping the second shot as you've described? I've probably misunderstood the issue entirely! :)
 
I suffer from tremors. Some days worse than others. The way I get around it is, a tripod and wired remote, or 2 second timer.

Mini pocket tripods. Small table top tripods. Medium size tripods.
I also have a small bean bag thing from the 99p shop . (for mft size camera) It does have a picture of Kung Fu Panda on it, but it works :)
 
I also suffer from a tremor, a technique I learned a while ago was to always take three shots in a row, the theory being the first shot will suffer movement from the pressing of the shutter button the third shot from releasing it but the middle one will be steady, may sound bit far fetched but it seemed to work for me.
 
I also suffer from a tremor, a technique I learned a while ago was to always take three shots in a row, the theory being the first shot will suffer movement from the pressing of the shutter button the third shot from releasing it but the middle one will be steady, may sound bit far fetched but it seemed to work for me.
I certainly is a help.
 
I'm guessing that many of us will end up with serious problems as we age. I'm generally OK myself, but yesterday I took part in a big charity clay pigeon shoot, but a couple of hours from the end it poured with rain and I was literally soaked to the skin, I became cold and by the time I got back to the refreshments marquee I was so cold that I couldn't hold my coffee cup even with both hands, because my hands had become too stiff and weak, and were shaking uncontrollably, and I couldn't put my wallet back into my back pocket.

I used to know a photographer who had a serious tremor problem, in his case it was caused by his alcohol addiction, so self inflicted, and he found what was, for him, a perfect solution - a gyroscope.

That was a few years ago, the modern (and better) version of this is now electronic and fairly affordable https://www.lencarta.com/sale/feiyu-tech-3-axis-a2000-stabiliser-gimbal
 
I'm guessing that many of us will end up with serious problems as we age. I'm generally OK myself, but yesterday I took part in a big charity clay pigeon shoot, but a couple of hours from the end it poured with rain and I was literally soaked to the skin, I became cold and by the time I got back to the refreshments marquee I was so cold that I couldn't hold my coffee cup even with both hands, because my hands had become too stiff and weak, and were shaking uncontrollably, and I couldn't put my wallet back into my back pocket.
Been there. Twenty odd years ago I used to get my hands cold and wet and then couldn’t turn the key in the car door until I’d warmed them up. The thing is I wasn’t suffering from the cold otherwise I obviously would have worn more protective clothing :mad: . I highly recommend keeping you hands warm and dry when possible :(
 
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