[Lord Lucan]

Is it common now for the camera to be held in just one hand? I have not seen many other [D]SLR photographers in recent years (last time was 5 years ago), so I don't know the answer. What is the practice among PF members?

I learned photography at my father's knee and he would cradle his Rolleiflex in both hands, and use both to hold his 35mm Minolta SRT101. Grips were unheard of except for heavy MF cameras, but even then both hands were expected - the Pentax 6x7 grip was on the opposite side from the shutter button. Old camera manuals told you to hold with both hands, or it went without saying that you should.

Then camera grips became, first a common accessory, and then built-in. For a long time I did not get the point until I read an obituary of Lord Litchfield, the society photographer, which said it was his habit to hold the camera with one hand while gesticulating with the other to direct his sitters. In his time it seems to have been considered eccentric behaviour, but today I see Youtubers doing it all the time, and they complain that the 6x7 grip is on the "wrong side" - do they really want to hold that thing up with one hand!? Is this why reviewers attach so much importance to grip shape and lightness?

Another clue arises in the context of high voltages on older flash units. I have seen advice to use a radio trigger so the camera won't see the voltage. But, outside the studio, that implies holding the flash unit up with one hand and holding the camera in the other. Do photogs cover events like that? I don't know, I never get invited to any . If so, things seems to have gone full circle : back in time, in the picture below, even before my father's time, photogs would hold up their flash units like animated Statues of Liberty, although at least their cameras were on a tripod.

I don't think PF does polls, so what is the consensus on this?

You Tube

You Tube

[othar]

Another clue arises in the context of high voltages on older flash units. I have seen advice to use a radio trigger so the camera won't see the voltage. But, outside the studio, that implies holding the flash unit up with one hand and holding the camera in the other.

You can use a flash camera bracket, then you can hold the camera with both hands again.

I usually hold the camera with both hands, the only exceptions might occur when I take a picture during a (easy) climbing route or when I hold the subject in place (leaves for instance)

[photoptimist]

Its a mostly two-handed mix, for me:

The Olympus OM-1 manual in the late 1970s taught me to cradle the camera and lens in my left hand with the left arm held against my chest for stable support. The left thumb & index fingers rotated the lens barrel controls (focus, zoom, aperture, and shutter speed on the OM-system). The right hand then provided a light, guiding touch for composition, film winding, and shutter button control as well as some added stability.

That way of holding the camera made it easy to flipping from landscape to portrait -- using the right hand to rotate everything 90°. I've never seen the need to a vertical grip because it would actually harm the cradling pose and seems more time consuming to flip because it requires the right hand to let go to shift to the other side of the grip.

With the K-1 flippy screen pointed up, it's sometimes nice to hold the camera and lens at chest, waist, or ground level in cupped hands for shooting from a lower perspective.

Rarely do I clench the camera in a one-handed, white-knuckled right-hand grip to squeeze off a shot when a better two-handed grip just is not possible.

[pschlute]

I have not seen many other [D]SLR photographers in recent years (last time was 5 years ago)

Quite understandable your Lordship, as you are still in hiding

[JohnX]

2 handed, as described by Photoptimist

[Mooncatt]

I've found shooting one handed to be great camouflage. I can pop off a quick shot or three without many people noticing, which is handy for candid photos. As soon as I bring my left hand up to cradle the lens, everyone in a half mile radius notices me and starts either posing or trying to get away.

[AfterPentax Mark II]

I never knew you could taking a picture one handed. I learned that when I was still a little boy and used my family's box camera. I still use that same technique. But, I sometimes do it one handed and the camera is my K-01, even worse I do not look at the screen I seem to talking to someone. My camera is somewhere near my right ear... You can get nice pictures this way, that is the fun with AF and a prime. And my camera is clearly to notice for anyone, it is the yellow version! With my K-3's and KP I never do it one handed.

[JensE]

I sometime do the flash (AD200pro+small softbox) in one hand, K-1 in the other when "hunting" insects. With lenses like the IRIX 150mm or Laowa 100mm, that's only practical in vertical orientation, grip at the top, camera with lens 'dangling'. At least with my hands.


A bracket often doesn't work for me, because the light source is too close and small to light the scene, causing a steep light fall-off towards the background. At more predictable locations, I prefer to mount the light up on a tripod.

[gatorguy]

With my lighter lenses on a K70 or K3III I'll often shoot one-handed. Something like a Sigma 30 is probably at the high end of the comfort zone though I know I've done so with the Pentax DFA50 on rare occasions. That's using a SpiderPro handstrap for added security (I almost always use a Spider belt too), one of the very first things I add to every camera.

[StiffLegged]

Two hands. I should like to see someone adjusting zoom while holding the camera with one hand. Or manually focussing. Or ….

The moulded grip just makes the camera easier to hold firmly on the shutter release side, but the camera should normally be cradled in the left hand too.

[luftfluss]

I frequently shoot one-handed, born primarily from necessity. Extending my arm through brush, and also simply to avoid shading or spooking insects.

[luftfluss]

Two hands. I should like to see someone adjusting zoom while holding the camera with one hand. Or manually focussing. Or ….

Not exactly what you're talking about, but frequently macro shooters will set their lens to a specific magnification, and then simply move the camera-lens combo until the subject is in focus. One-handed, too, eyeballing through the OVF...

[nicolpa47]

I use both hands as others have described. Back in the day I had to be very careful as I had a problem eradicating "cockeyed horizons" from my photos, so the two handed grip was essential. In recent years, I have continued the practice, but have taken a few photos just holding the grip. I can see that being good camouflage for candid shots, as would be a "flippy" screen. I suppose how you hold the camera depends on what you shoot and in what circumstances.

[jumbleview]

I can't event think about shooting single handed. I can't produce sharp image that way. Mostly (especially with manual lenses) I attach dedicated DIY left handle to the camera and always keep my left hand on it. Right hand does all the lens/camera manipulation.
KP: Focus confirmation pentagon - PentaxForums.com

[R.Miller]

Not exactly what you're talking about, but frequently macro shooters will set their lens to a specific magnification, and then simply move the camera-lens combo until the subject is in focus.

This exactly. Also, with the light weight m43 gear and great IBIS I can one hand shoot any time now. The DSLR was just too heavy and bulky for that and required two hands.