Handholding Tips?

[Leigh Wanstead]

One way to get some reasonable smooth handheld shot is by eating some bananas. ;-)

Regards
Leigh

[Bob Hart]

I think I mentioned this before somewhere relating to the PD150?

I find I don't use the palm strap a lot. I have this sense that my sweaty palm will somehow contaminate the tape in its bay underneath.

I tend to use the camera with a modified Bolex H16 hand hold, left thumb under the carry handle, index and third working the zoom rocker, fourth and fifth working the focus and zoom rings, right palm beneath with fingers forward to work the focus and zoom ring if not already using the fingers of the left hand.

It takes a weird pivoting on the heel of the palm and a contortion to button on and off with the right fifth fingertip.

The fact that I am both left-handed and right-handed, am one of the minority with wrong eye dominance for lefthandedness (also forced to righthandedness in school on risk of a painful rap across the knuckles with a ruler edge) and a musician, may be a factor in this unorthodox method.

This handhold favours an angled crossbody posture with the camera and I tend to use the LCD viewfinder more than the eyepiece.

When handholding in an aircraft, I tend to support the bottom of the lens hood wit the heel of the left hand, use left thumb and fingers index and middle for the zoom and focus and palm of right hand under the rear base and battery with right 5th finger to button on and off.

I don't use the eyepiece viewfinder when being agile-portable as this tends to introduce a rear anchor point. Any movement of the camera provoked by vertical motion of the aircraft has a radial element introduced by this rear anchorage, whereas when using the LCD, the movment remains more parallel and you can stay closer on the shot.

The arms partially extend in this position tend to work parallel and absorb some roughness somewhat like a steadycam. It helps to add a little mass to the baseplate of the camera with the tripod mount bolt hole, as much as is comfortable to hold over a long period in thatposition and also not so heavy as to become a hazard.

The camera in an aircraft should also be restrained with a stout lanyard fastened to the airframe to pull it up short before it can incapacate the pilot if things becomes exciting and momentarily uncontrolled. This is also a good move in motor vehicles working off-road.

[J. Stephen McDonald]

Brace your elbows into your chest and put one or both hands far out on the lens. This also works for using big binoculars.

[Larry Kamerman]

Bob, can you point me in the direction of the Bolex H16 hand hold? Haven't been able to find what you're referring to. I do nearly all my doc work handheld for a number of reasons and arm fatigue - especially with the heavier Canon XH A1 - is always an issue. Have been searching for just the right type of support that will allow me to keep the camera in my hands but can help "carry the load".

[Bob Hart]

Larry.

The Bolex "handhold" I refer to is a method of holding, not an actual piece of hardware. I'm sorry if my careless use of words had misled you.

I am left-handed but also a bit crosswired to righthandedness, so my way of handing right-handed cameras is a workaround.

The Bolex does have a handgrip, but it is a pistol style grip and run trigger which fits underneath the camera on the tripod grip. This style of grip would be useless on the XL.

My method is a sort of left-handed way of using the camera which I carried over to using a CP16 handheld after the Bolex.

The Bolex has a palm strap but this is high on the very top of the camera body.

I carry the modern cameras around by the overhead handle by the left hand with the lens facing backwards, then swing it up and around onto my rght shoulder, use right hand onto the normal grip.

I don't think this is unusual but my firm supporting grip is with the left hand on the camera from overhead, not with the right on the normal grip handle.

This is an awkward posture to look at but conserves my right elbow and wrist joints which get a bit sore (age and arthritis) from the constant twisting action one adopts to keep the camera horizon correct.

I keep my right hand for manual lens adjustments and supporting grip of the normal handgrip but not always under the palmstrap.

Finger 4 or 5 of the left hand I use to press the top run button. Thumb goes under the overhead carry handle and fingers 1 and 2 stay over the top in a firm grip and correct the horizon.

I recently had a bit of a play with a JVC HD100/Mini35 combination. The owner has also fitted P+S Technik's added adjustable arms and handgrips. They look like a set of mutated bicycle handlebars.

I looked at them initially with some suspicion but found in short time they were very useful. The left arm and its handgrip can be lowered to rest on centre chest, the right arm and its handgrip can double as the normal right hand hand grip.

In combination with the left-hand overhand grip on top of the camera body, I can use the thing all day and remain steady and it doesn't kill my right arm joints.

The handlebars can also be used as an impromtu tripod at groundlevel or on a higher uneven surface like a sandbag wall as the arms can be adjusted in many arrangements.

With the JVC HD100 you have to be careful as the battery on the back ends up carrying some of the mechanical load if you tilt the camera up to steeply.

That's what I like about the XL and its side mount for the battery, out of harms way.

I have seen other similar style of add-on handlebars. I think there is one published from time to time on top of the main portal to this site for one of the sponsors. Spider brace I think it is called.

If this is as adjustable as the P+S, it would be a very useful means of reducing arm fatigue.

[Brian Standing]

Zoom out to as wide an angle as you can without distorting the image. If you need to, get a wide angle adapter.

Brace your elbows against your body, use the viewfinder and make all pans by pivoting from the waist, rather than using your arms.

Use your body to move in and out rather than the zoom.

Walk as if you're holding a very hot, very full cup of coffee.

[Herman Van Deventer]

I use this recipe for superior handheld shots /

1 Draught Glas
2 Redbulls
2 tots Read Heart Rum (approved by the heart foundation )
2 Bioplus tablets.

Herman.