topic Re: TBH This Makes Me Wince! in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

TBH This Makes Me Wince! - How to hold your camera

Tronhard — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 13:57:50 GMT

So, at a recent Diwali festival I grimaced at this person up on the stage taking still images (I checked).
She was using a Canon EOS R5 with the EF 24-70 MkII f/2.8 with EF-RF adapter: a kit that weighs in at 1.7kg, or 3.75lb.
Having to lean far forward is going to be hard on the back, and single-handed is really depending on the camera/lens stabilization. Finally, on a bright, sunny day, I would say it's much harder to really see what you are shooting on the rear LCD.

Unsupported Forward Flexion. Not in video mode - no red light Single-handed even!

In an era when a whole new generation of stills photographers have migrated from cell phones to dedicated cameras, it seems to me that many have not appreciated that a dedicated camera like this is going to need a different technique from that of the small, light, and usually wide-angle cell phone.

I still much prefer when stills shooting hand-held to do so via a viewfinder for quite specific reasons:
1. It provides three points of contact (like a tripod) between the camera and the photographer's body, which is much more stable platform.
2. Especially with heavier lenses, it's much safer for one's back not to perform unsupported forward flexion with a decent weight held at distance from the body - it's just plain poor postural behaviour.

The longer the focal length and heavier the lens, the more these principles hold true. I am supported in this by several sources:
The correct techniques
and

Curious what others think...

Re: TBH This Makes Me Wince!

rs-eos — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:41:01 GMT

I wonder if she was doing this to get a tighter framing? Along with much better positioning and proper camera/lens support, a 70-200mm would have been a better choice.

Re: TBH This Makes Me Wince!

Stephen — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:48:20 GMT

i'm clumsy and don't trust myself to use my camera without the strap being firmly attached to my person. I'm so afraid I'm going to drop it, or something/someone is going to knock into me, and >crash< there it goes!

Re: TBH This Makes Me Wince!

Tronhard — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:01:33 GMT

Given the R5 is a 45MP camera, and she is working for a publication, I suspect she could have cropped if need be - I mean, would half a metre distance to subject make that much difference? I will note that, at most, she was barely 6m (20') from the action. I would prefer to crop than have a shaky image to begin with. I would have gone with the 24-105 f/4 personally for this scenario.
I will add that, as a professional, I would expect her to wear black clothing and bag to blend in with the stage setup, which is standard, and has been used at this venue for the same events regularly. That way she can get close and not stick out like a sore thumb!

Re: TBH This Makes Me Wince!

Tronhard — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:56:22 GMT

I think that's a wise precaution. I never use a strap, but carry my cameras in holsters - mind you most of the time I'm using big tele zooms that would kill my neck if I hung them by a strap.
In this case, the strap is not doing much for the photographer, it's not really stabilizing the lens and camera.

Re: TBH This Makes Me Wince!

Tintype_18 — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:50:01 GMT

Use a tripod if possible, monopod would be good and easier to move around. I keep the strap around my neck, no matter what lens I'm using. The 150-600mm and camera are mounted on a tripod with the camera strap and lens strap wrapped around the tripod in some way. Too much invested to let them hit the ground.

Re: TBH This Makes Me Wince!

Tronhard — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 18:52:19 GMT

Fair enough, what about this scenario?