First steps in photography: I bought a new camera, how do you hold it correctly? [8/8]
I bought a compact camera. How should I hold it?
Firmly with the right hand, preferably with the thumb under the base or, if you prefer, on the back part but be careful not to press the menu buttons, the middle finger on the front, avoiding covering the autofocus sensor, and always keeping the index finger on the shutter button, ready to press it halfway to focus.
A tip: if after focusing you continue to hold the shutter button pressed halfway, then just a very slight pressure of the finger will trigger the shutter, thus avoiding the risk of moving the camera during the shot. Many cameras have a vibration reduction system, but it is better to use the left hand to increase the stability of the device: thumb on the bottom and index on the top, pinching.
If you have vision problems and can’t focus the image on the monitor, don’t stretch your arms too much, otherwise you’ll increase the risk of blurry photos. You will have to trust the autofocus which, generally, works really well.
I bought a DSLR camera. How should I hold it?
In this case too, the right hand will hold it firmly, only that in this case the ring finger and little finger are also used because the camera body is much larger. The right hand must hold the camera with ease, as if it were an extension of the arm.
You will need to get used to lifting it, lowering it, moving it without any embarrassment or effort. The index finger must always stay on the shutter button ready to focus and shoot, but also to turn the setting wheel immediately below the shutter button, which generally modifies the parameters of the functions related to the lens.
The palm of the left hand, together with the ring finger and little finger, should be held under the base to support the entire weight of the camera and to help minimize micro movements. The middle finger will rest on the lens while the thumb and index will rotate the zoom ring.
If the lens is manual you will use these two fingers to focus and, if present, to rotate the aperture ring. With some lenses you have to be careful because using autofocus you might accidentally move the manual focus ring, which disables autofocus and you risk taking a blurry picture. I also recommend making half a turn of the strap around the right wrist to avoid accidental drops of the device and to prevent, at least partially, any attempted theft…
Complete photography course
- Photography course: which camera to choose?
- Photography course. The beginning: useful advice
- Photography course: sensitivity
- Photography course: out of focus or blurry?
- Photography course: the circle of confusion
- Photography course: the apertures
- Photography course: the battery
- Photography course: how to hold the camera
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