Which camera for disabled person with only a left hand?

Is there a camera made for use only with the left hand? There are many disabled

people, veterans included, who have only a left hand to use. Is there a digital

camera for these people, that doesn't have to be turned upside down? There are

cameras like the Sanyo CG65 that come fairly close, but the display would seem

to be in the way for a left handed person.

 

Or, is there a left hand pistol grip available incorporating a cable type

release that could be put onto any digital P&S camera? Seems like that could be

a solution too.

The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Cybershot-DSC-M2-Digital-Optical/dp/B000CSYZ1K/photonet">Sony DSC-M2</a> has a novel design that looks suited for left-handed use (though I've never used one).

I remember seeing a documentary about Steve McCurry, the National Geographic photographer who took the famous photo of the Afghan Girl. His right hand was banged up from covering so many wars-n-stuff. He was using a N90 Nikon film camera, left handed, with a shutter release on the accecsory outlet on the left side of the camera, I believe. If I recall, he held with his palm, focused with is middle/ring fingers and uses his index finger for the shutter. I think it was the same dohickey that went on MD12 and MD4 motors for a vertical release. Is it called the AR-3? Do any of the modern Nikon DSLRs still use this outlet?

this guy has a similar problem, and ended up using a cell phone camera

 

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1002&message=20775738

 

 

the other link provided is in the right direction, the "vertical" format is probably better. Canon TX1 or whatever it's called, a digtial/video combo, ability to release shutter with thumb? I think the pistol grip with release could be done, but would make a compact p&s unwieldy. There is a fellow in my neighborhood who shoots from a wheelchair with a release, but his camera is mounted on an moveable arm. This is a good question for an occupational therapist, if you live in an area big enough to support this type of specialist. Regards, Tom

My son has cerebral palsy, with an almost completely paralyzed right hand. He simply uses a

small point and shoot camera upside down with his left hand.

I just tried using my Panasonic DMC-FX7 with just my left hand. The camera is so tiny that it's no problem to hold it the right way up and press the shutter button with the index finger of my left hand, and I can still read the screen (my hands are not especially large, by the way). The FX7 is not a current model, but the more modern equivalent would probably be the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-FX30K-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B000MW5JMU/photonet">DMC-FX30 </a>.

Here's how my Panasonic DMC-FX7 fits in my left hand. I would think many tiny cameras might work this way too.<div></div>

Thank you all for the responses to this question. It appears that most options for this handicapping condition fall into the realm of compromises. In a perfect world, I would propose that a small digital camera with the same form factor as my Spotmeter M; front trigger shutter release plus a top/rear thumb controlled joywheel for zoom and other functions. No need for a display, just an eye level viewfinder would be sufficient. And, it would be fine for both left and right hand independent operation. Shame that not one manufacturer goes there.

Gerry wrote:

 

"I just tried using my Panasonic DMC-FX7 with just my left hand."

 

I just tried the same thing with my Panasonic FX01, and sure enough, it worked out quite well. The optical image stabilization in all of Panasonic's P&S cams is a particularly good and useful feature for someone who will be holding the camera with only one hand.

Being left-handed, I use my Fuji F10 with my left hand when my right-hand is holding my 1D + 400/5.6 . It works okay. I've used it both right-side-up (same way as Gerry above) or upside-down.

 

If you have a digicam with a flip-out LCD, you don't even worry about blocking the LCD.

 

On my cameras (slr's & dslr's) with a vertical shutter release, I find that it works reasonably well enough using the camera upside down with my left hand. The controls are also accessible.

One reason why I recommended upside down rather than right side up is so not to block the

flash with the last fingers on the left hand. Notice in the above illustration where the last

fingers are falling - below the top of the camera on the left side, where the flash and

possibly metering window on some models is located. If you're never using flash, right side

up looks good, too.