[CWRailman]

There has been much discussion about holding the Q series camera‘s as well as avoiding glare. I come from the old school of photography and continue to use the techniques taught by successful photographers when ISO/ASA speeds as well as shutter speeds were slow and shooting at small apertures was the norm.

The first image shows how I hold my Q7. Arms are tucked in close to the body in an attempt to reduce camera shake. The camera is held securely. (My glove size is large.) Many photographers would take a deep breath, exhale and then trip the shutter in much the same manner as a sniper would shoot a rifle. Note how the second finger of my right hand lays in the area formed by the Q7’s bulge. That is the main reason I find the Q10-Q7 series more comfortable than the original Q but that is a personal preference.

The second image is what we used to call the tripod. The camera rests on the palm of the left hand and the left elbow is tucked into the body. In this manner much of the weight of a heavy camera is carried by the left hand. This is one of the techniques taught in “The Pentax Way” book and is also how the author, Herbert Keppler is shown holding his camera on the rear cover. I use a variation of this when shooting my DSLR’s hand held. Both of these camera holding methods become second nature and automatic once practiced.

This third image is what we called the chicken wing which unless the photographer is using a fast shutter speed or a high ISO will result in a blurred image. (common to those of us of a certain age group.) This is especially true if the fingers of the left hand are on either the focusing or zoom rings. I have seen photographers with both arms sprayed out in this manner which reduces their chances of getting a sharp non blurred image.

The final image shows a technique I use to reduce the glare on the LCD. (sorry about the depth of field) By cupping my left hand around the camera it forms a sort of shield. Not totally but it does reduce the amount of glare which is a constant issue we have to deal with here in Arizona. Just to put that into perspective, our normal SPF for sun tan lotion is 100, in most other parts of the US, SPF 25-35 is normal.

Attached Images

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

View Picture EXIF

File Date

 

[Rimfiredude]

I am sitting here LOL. I know you are serious and please don't be offended, but with that tiny camera you look like a monkey having his way with a football.

[kiberkli]

For an SLR camera I would suggest holding the camera in the palm of your left hand, controlling aperture and focus. Use the right hand to trip the shutter. The Q7 looks like such a small camera it seems what ever feels comfortable is good.
For the glare problem, how about an auxiliary viewfinder? Pentax O-VF1 47mm Viewfinder - At $200 it seems expensive, though.

[Nilnoc]

There has been much discussion about holding the Q series camera‘s as well as avoiding glare. I come from the old school of photography and continue to use the techniques taught by successful photographers when ISO/ASA speeds as well as shutter speeds were slow and shooting at small apertures was the norm.

The first image shows how I hold my Q7. Arms are tucked in close to the body in an attempt to reduce camera shake. The camera is held securely. (My glove size is large.) Many photographers would take a deep breath, exhale and then trip the shutter in much the same manner as a sniper would shoot a rifle. Note how the second finger of my right hand lays in the area formed by the Q7’s bulge. That is the main reason I find the Q10-Q7 series more comfortable than the original Q but that is a personal preference.

The second image is what we used to call the tripod. The camera rests on the palm of the left hand and the left elbow is tucked into the body. In this manner much of the weight of a heavy camera is carried by the left hand. This is one of the techniques taught in “The Pentax Way” book and is also how the author, Herbert Keppler is shown holding his camera on the rear cover. I use a variation of this when shooting my DSLR’s hand held. Both of these camera holding methods become second nature and automatic once practiced.

This third image is what we called the chicken wing which unless the photographer is using a fast shutter speed or a high ISO will result in a blurred image. (common to those of us of a certain age group.) This is especially true if the fingers of the left hand are on either the focusing or zoom rings. I have seen photographers with both arms sprayed out in this manner which reduces their chances of getting a sharp non blurred image.

The final image shows a technique I use to reduce the glare on the LCD. (sorry about the depth of field) By cupping my left hand around the camera it forms a sort of shield. Not totally but it does reduce the amount of glare which is a constant issue we have to deal with here in Arizona. Just to put that into perspective, our normal SPF for sun tan lotion is 100, in most other parts of the US, SPF 25-35 is normal.

Thanks for posting this, Denny. I just bought a Q-S1 and this information will be helpful to me as I adapt to using something much, much smaller than my K-3. I'm figuring on using the Q for foreign travel and general out and around.

[Marktax]

Screen glare remains the deal-breaker for me in mirrorless. I use the Q7 a lot in many situations outside of harsh daylight

[CWRailman]

I am sitting here LOL. I know you are serious and please don't be offended, but with that tiny camera you look like a monkey having his way with a football.

If you think that is funny you should see me when I am shooting with my 5.1mp Minox camera. I get a lot of looks from folks when I use that one. It's the camera in the middle in this image.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/136-pentax-q/232349d140709905...amily-002a.jpg

[reh321]

The first picture shows how I've been holding a camera for 45 years since I got my first 35mm camera, except that I hold the viewfinder against my forehead, which provides a rigid 3-point connection; that, of course, isn't possible without a viewfinder.


I am one of those who momentarily holds his breath when taking a picture; in my climate that is necessary to avoid creating my own fog around the lens 6 months of the year, and I discovered that also makes me more stable.


For most of my career using film, I was shooting Kodachrome 25, so being still was very important. In my prime, I could take good pictures at 1/30 or slower, but I'm over 65 now.

---------- Post added 11-06-14 at 02:38 PM ----------

For the glare problem, how about an auxiliary viewfinder? Pentax O-VF1 47mm Viewfinder - At $200 it seems expensive, though.

Yeah, it is very expensive, especially since it makes sense for the 01 Standard Prime only.


IMHO, there are various third-party devices that would make a lot more sense. They come under various names, and all I have seen are less than $50 on eBay, but what they have in common is that they cover the LCD and basically turn it into a viewfinder. However, the method demonstrated here is free, which is even less expensive.

---------- Post added 11-06-14 at 02:55 PM ----------

There has been much discussion about holding the Q series camera‘s as well as avoiding glare. I come from the old school of photography and continue to use the techniques taught by successful photographers when ISO/ASA speeds as well as shutter speeds were slow and shooting at small apertures was the norm.

The final image shows a technique I use to reduce the glare on the LCD. (sorry about the depth of field) By cupping my left hand around the camera it forms a sort of shield. Not totally but it does reduce the amount of glare which is a constant issue we have to deal with here in Arizona. Just to put that into perspective, our normal SPF for sun tan lotion is 100, in most other parts of the US, SPF 25-35 is normal.

A major value of the Q to me would be in being able to use older legacy lenses to get even more reach.
I'm not sure how to block the glare while still having a hand free to focus the lens.

[monochrome]

I use #2 exclusively whether film body, Q / Q7 / K-01 or K-3. It's just habit. I like #4 for glare - hadn't thought of that. I use a large black cloth (like a view camera cloth).

[qblade]

Thanks for posting, Denny. And for the nod to Herbert Keppler - I've read and followed a lot of his articles over the years. #2 is closest to what I use for my non-medium format cameras, including the Q.

[Steve.Ledger]

The problem with the last image is that your hand in that position is not going to cut down on the bright 'reflected image' of the person holding the camera, usually the shirt. This is the main and inherent problem with LCDs in bright sunshine, they become mirrors. I've tried all manner of methods over the years, the only solution imho is a Loupe, such as the Hoodman which you can hang around your neck by it's lanyard and quickly bring it up to the camera as needed.

[reh321]

The problem with the last image is that your hand in that position is not going to cut down on the bright 'reflected image' of the person holding the camera, usual the shirt. This is the main and inherent problem with LCDs in bright sunshine, they become mirrors. I've tried all manner of methods over the years, the only solution imho is a Loupe, such as the Hoodman which you can hang around your neck by it's lanyard and quickly bring it up to the camera as needed.

At another web-site, a guy who teaches photography wrote today that the Hoodman Loupe is the best solution he has seen for cameras that don't come with an EVF.

[CWRailman]

At another web-site, a guy who teaches photography wrote today that the Hoodman Loupe is the best solution he has seen for cameras that don't come with an EVF.

That is a very interesting looking item and seems to get the job of reducing glare done, however it appears to be about the same size as the Q itself which again negates the reason for purchasing a small camera in the first place. If you are going to start carrying around that much stuff and adding bulk and complexity to a camera that was designed small for a reason, IMHO the only true solution for the issue is to purchase a DSLR and be done with it. Which makes me wonder, as shown in one of the You Tube demonstrations I watched on this product, why strap one of those onto a DSLR. Why not use the viewfinder that is built into the DSLR and uses less of the battery resources.

You Tube

You Tube

[reh321]

That is a very interesting looking item and seems to get the job of reducing glare done, however it appears to be about the same size as the Q itself which again negates the reason for purchasing a small camera in the first place. If you are going to start carrying around that much stuff and adding bulk and complexity to a camera that was designed small for a reason, IMHO the only true solution for the issue is to purchase a DSLR and be done with it. Which makes me wonder, as shown in one of the You Tube demonstrations I watched on this product, why strap one of those onto a DSLR. Why not use the viewfinder that is built into the DSLR and uses less of the battery resources.

I see absolutely no reason to use it with a DSLR.


In the case of the Q7, I was thinking I could strap it on only when I have good reason to believe that seeing the LCD will be an issue. For example, one value of a Q to me would be when I go bird-watching with my wife. I could attach a legacy lens to a Q via adapter and have almost as much reach as I would have with something like a Canon SX-50, but the entire outfit would weigh much less, and the camera would be more versatile in general. That scenario is what has motivated my involvement in this discussion - how could I use a legacy lens, which would require hand-focusing, and clearly see exactly what I am doing.

[Mikesul]

I have had the Hoodman for a couple of years and have used it on both the Q and K-01. It works well but is so awkward that I rarely use it except on tripod.

[crewl1]

For adapted lenses there is nothing like a hooded loupe on the Q, as it allows EVF like visibility.
For the AF OEM lenses on sunny days a hotshoe mounted viewfinder like the Tele-Wide is sufficient for me.