How to HOLD your camera (updated with pictures)

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MagRat Garlic
Posts: 63
Joined: 31 Mar 2020 17:15

How to HOLD your camera (updated with pictures)

Post by MagRat Garlic »

When I was studying photography, perhaps the single most important lesson I learnt is that "you hold the lens : you don't hold the camera".

This lesson is particularly important if you're working with the bigger and heavier PRO series lenses, or any of the longer telephoto lenses with an M43 system camera.

You'll see many reviews of Olympus's PRO series lenses where the reviewer will talk about the way the lens affects the balance of the camera. An example you'll often hear is that the 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO super wide angle zoom is too heavy and too large for the smaller Olympus OM-D cameras, such as the E-M10 or E-M5. Well, what I'd say is look at how the photographer is holding their camera system. Typically, they're not holding the lens; they're trying to control something, where the weight is way out front in the lens, by holding just the right side of the camera body. Of course it's out of balance.

In my many years of experience as a professional photographer, I have never experienced a problem of a lens being too big nor too heavy for a particular camera body! The problem only arises if you're fixated on holding the camera body rather than thinking about the camera + lens being a single item where you should hold/carry it in the most ergonomically satisfactory way.

To correctly hold your equipment, so as to maximize your stability (and security), you need to cup your left hand under the lens and remember that this is your primary grip on that lens and body. Your right hand has no role in carrying the equipment around, nor in holding the camera + lens combination while taking the shot. So, if you're walking around or resting between shots, you should be carrying your equipment in your left hand, holding it by the lens.

Your right hand is for pressing buttons, scratching your nose, attaching filters, or those lightweight tasks that require more dexterity.

Getting into the habit of holding your equipment by cupping the lens in your left hand will also remove strain on where the lens mounts onto the camera body, which is particularly important in lenses like Olympus' superb 300mm f/4 PRO mated with an E-M10 or E-M5. You should be holding the complete camera and lens system at its centre-of-gravity, which is where the lens designers put your focusing and zoom rings. This will reduce camera shake and also stops you getting fatigued.

Of course, if you're shooting with any of the very small and lightweight consumer Micro43 lenses, the centre-of-gravity will be in the camera body. Also, these lenses are too small to give you a secure carry-around grip by gripping the lens alone. However, for reduced camera shake and better handling, you should still cup the underside of the lens in your left hand, but this time, the fleshy part of your palm should be supporting the base plate of the camera body with your fingers wrapped around the lens tube. It is a good idea to grip on both the lens and the camera body as you press the shutter release, but your right hand is far less important than your right hand.

Getting used to carrying bigger or heavier lenses cupped in your left hand does take a bit of practice. However, you will find it is well worth the effort, as your equipment will be better balanced and less fatiguing to use. You'll also be freeing your right hand for easier manipulation of all those controls (which is one reason why Olympus' camera designers didn't think a joystick was necessary).

Please note that I'm not saying your right has no role in holding your camera steady; what I am saying is holding a heavy camera and lens combination by the rear right corner is absurd, especially when most of the weight is sticking out in front. In my view, it's trying to hold something heavy in the same hand that's operating the controls is why some people report that the control dials are easily knocked onto the wrong setting. You can't have a secure grip with the same hand you're trying to use to make precision adjustments.

Finally, what about those accessorie "grips", like the HDL-8G? Yes, they're extremely useful. I use them myself. After all, when I'm relaxing my grip on the lens tube to turn the zoom or focus rings, it's sensible to have a secure grip on the body in case someone jostles your elbow. But, when it comes to general carrying around and the crucial phase of shutter-release, get into the habit of holding the lens and not the right side of the body. That's the way professional photographers are trained to do it; and it's the way the photographic equipment designers designed it to be used.

Rick Bear


I've added a few smartphone snapshots to help illustrate. Not award-winning pictures, but they may help.

1. The compact E-M5 MkII with the large-ish 45mm f/1.2 PRO illustrates that the way to hold this outfit is to cup the lens from underneath, with the fingers around the focusing ring and, importantly, the weight of the body supported by the fleshy part of the palm.
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45mm f/1.2
45mm f/1.2
20200504_173440.jpg (1.75 MiB) Viewed 930 times
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2. The compact E-M5 MkII with the very large 300mm f/4 PRO, where you'll notice that the correct grip is cupping the underside of the lens much further forwards, at the centre-of-balance for camera and lens combination, which is why the lens' designers put the focus ring here, where your fingers wrap around the lens.
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300mm f/4
300mm f/4
E-M5 MkII + 300mm f4 PRO.jpg (1.28 MiB) Viewed 929 times
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3. With smaller lenses, it is tempting to attempt to hold the outfit by the camera body. Remember, this now requires your right hand to give a firm grip to avoid camera shake, while also doing delicate tasks to manipulate the controls; something that's physically impossible. So, here again, we see the correct hold is to grip the lens with an underhand cup, while resting the body (which is the centre-of-balance) on the fleshy part of the palm of the left hand. Here we have the amazingly small 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 "pancake" zoom.
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14-42mm f/3.5-5.6
14-42mm f/3.5-5.6
E-M5 MKII + 14-42mm 'pancake'.jpg (1.42 MiB) Viewed 928 times
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4. And, finally, what about if you have one of the grips fitted to the camera body or a tripod mounting ring on a longer lens. With the tripod mounting bracket, I simply rotate it upwards out of the way, or remove it altogether. In the cameraphone snapshot, below, we see the extreme example of the E-M5 MkII outfitted with both the Olympus HLD-8G landscape grip and the HLD-6P portrait grip and additional battery carrier. Notice that nothing's really changed other than that it's the front of the HLD-6P that's resting on the fleshy part of my palm. This isn't ideal, as the HLD-6P was designed for portrait photography, with the camera in vertical portrait orientation, but is perfectly workable if you need the P6's additional battery life with a longer lens. In this case, the lens is the 45mm f/1.2 PRO.
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HLD-6P
HLD-6P
45mm f1.2 PRO + HLD-8G HLD-6P.jpg (1011.52 KiB) Viewed 928 times
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5. As an afterthought, you might wonder how you'd cope with that jutting out HLD-6P with a tiny lens like the 12-42mm pancake. Remember, that "P" stands for Portrait. Most portrait photography is done holding the camera in a vertical orientation, and that's what the HLD-6P is designed to support. It has a second, right side mounted shutter release button, as well as allowing easy access to cup the lens from underneath when the camera is held in portrait orientation. Also, it's unlikely you'll have gone to the expense of buying the HLD-8G & HLD-6P combo (you need both to use the 6P) unless you're a serious portrait photographer who owns larger 45mm f/1.2 or f/1.8 or the 75mm. Yes, it'd be a bit fiddly with the pancake lens, but is perfectly doable. But, let's actually see how the designers intended you to hold the kit anyway.
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HLD-6P in Portrait
HLD-6P in Portrait
HLD-6P + Pancake .jpg (1.06 MiB) Viewed 927 times
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That about wraps it up. Sorry about the poor quality smartphone images, but I'm self-isolating so couldn't obtain an assistant. (It's also why my wrist is twisted.)

[ And a quick update: those with eagle eyes will notice that I had my safety strap on the wrong side, as this needs to go on your left wrist, as that's the hand that never leaves the camera! ]
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Wrist strap on Left wrist
Wrist strap on Left wrist
20200511_180410.jpg (966.17 KiB) Viewed 893 times


Any questions, just ask.

Rick & Maggie "The MagRat" cat



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Last edited by MagRat Garlic on 11 May 2020 18:10, edited 16 times in total.
User avatar
Rob Trek
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Posts: 672
Joined: 16 Mar 2020 14:27

Re: How to HOLD your camera

Post by Rob Trek »

Thanks for the tips, Rick.

I'll be sure to share these tips in future videos.

For me, the problem is I sometimes hold two cameras or more when I make vlogs.
You can support this forum here: Buy me a coffee

:D Thank you! :D
MagRat Garlic
Posts: 63
Joined: 31 Mar 2020 17:15

Re: How to HOLD your camera

Post by MagRat Garlic »

Rob, what you're doing with two cameras is called "juggling" :lol: . Whereas, sane photographers only use one camera at a time. :roll:

Interestingly, this is one of the few occasions when left-handed people have an initial advantage. Holding the camera unit by the lens, in your left hand, should come naturally to south paws.

Whereas, it comes more naturally for right-handed people to hold tools in their right hand, we do find our left hands are better at holding things steady, while our right hands are better at doing more intricate tasks. So, as a photographer, there's no advantage to being left or right handed.

This said, I'm right-handed, but it'll be interesting to hear how left-handed people find switching to holding the camera unit by its lens, rather than the body. Let's know how you get on. But, whether you find it easy or hard, it is important you learn to use your left hand underneath the lens as your primary hold.

Rick
1957PLATO
Posts: 31
Joined: 22 Mar 2020 18:52

Re: How to HOLD your camera

Post by 1957PLATO »

I.m a left hander and from when I first started photography it has always felt natural to rest the lens in my left hand. Yes, I let it rest and do not squeeze it tightly. Sometimes I will form a triangle with my thumb, index and middle finger and rest the lens on it.
MagRat Garlic
Posts: 63
Joined: 31 Mar 2020 17:15

Re: How to HOLD your camera

Post by MagRat Garlic »

1957PLATO wrote:
20 Apr 2020 13:15
I.m a left hander and from when I first started photography it has always felt natural to rest the lens in my left hand. Yes, I let it rest and do not squeeze it tightly. Sometimes I will form a triangle with my thumb, index and middle finger and rest the lens on it.
Hi 1957PLATO,
I'd say "grip" it firmly, as you press the shutter-release, but never tightly. If you grip too tight, you'll induce camera shake. Just firmly enough is sufficient.

By the way, I've updated the original article with a few pictures. Only smartphone snaps, I'm afraid, but I've not got a studio and assistants at this time of lockdown.

MagRat cat also sends her love to everyone 😸.

Have fun,
Rick
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