Holding heavy camera taking its toll on my small hands, any suggestions on braces or tools to use to take some load off?

[alexandrutunschi]

<p>You should try this strap:<br>

<a href="http://www.f64.ro/nikon-ah-4-curea-de-mana.html">http://www.f64.ro/nikon-ah-4-curea-de-mana.html</a><br>

<a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/37060-REG/Nikon_649.html">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/37060-REG/Nikon_649.html</a>#<br>

It's the same strap, but you can see the picture. I shoot also with Canon bodies, but this strap allows me to loose the grip and let go of the camera and it hangs on the hand, because it is different from the other straps as it has a three point connection on the hand, not a two point as the other straps.<br>

GL.<br>

A.</p>

[john_brown8]

<p>You might consider using the little Canon S90 some of the time. It would certainly provide relief, but also is much less intrusive and in-your-face than the Beast. Different tools give different opportunities, and the S90 has lots of good opportunities. Also, getting your left hand even farther out on the Beast's lens will help a lot. If you were simply carrying a big camera from one place to another you would not carry with both hands at one end, but with one hand at each end. Clearly this is an issue to solve earlier rather than later. </p>

[gregcoad]

<p>Another vote for a hand strap. My main set up is the same as yours but with the added weight of the 1Ds (mk I). I feel your pain. Fortunately the 1Ds came with the hand strap. I think you would need a battery grip to make that work though. A battery grip alone could change things a great deal though even without the handstrap. Before I got my 1Ds I was shooting with a Rebel. I found that the smaller grip was causing me hand cramps as well.</p>

 

[pete_s.]

<p>There are a few things I think no one has mentioned yet. The first is that your camera body is light (about 1 lb) and your lens is heavy (about 2 lbs). That means that the center of gravity is quite a bit forward. Actually the heavier the lens is in relation to the camera and the longer it is the further forward you need to hold.</p>

<p>You should support all the weight of the camera with just your left hand because the right hand is not in a position where it can hold the camera for any duration (as you have found out). So for this to work the center of your palm should be under the center of gravity. And your palm should be facing up. Your elbows should be tucked in and braced against your body as GF Kramer described above.</p>

<p>Problem is that because you need to zoom it is difficult to put your left hand in the right position for your camera body/lens combination.</p>

<p>As the 5D MkII is heavier the balance will likely be better (more towards the camera body) but the total weight of the body and lens will go from 3 lbs to 4lbs. If you can't find a good way to operate your camera the added weight will make things worse.</p>

<p>While you could improve your strength and and add straps and whatnot I think the primary problem is actually your hand holding technique.</p>

<p>I suggest you try first to hold the camera just with your left and then add the right to press the shutter. See what fingers you need to operate the zoom with without compromising your grip.</p>

<p> </p>

[Hector Javkin]

<blockquote>

<p>What is "not valid" is to assume that one can determine the cause of the pain so definitively with only a few written words, three posed photos and no physical examination or face to face interview.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That is why I am saying she should see a physician.</p>

[sherijohnson]

<p>I keep a wrist brace in my camera bag and when I know I will be shooting all day long, I put it on before I even start shooting. I do also use both hands to support the camera and when I am not shooting, I make a conscious effort to not hold the camera as I find your hands and fingers can get cramped and painful. On my last all day shoot when I came home I went to bed with a magnetic therapy wrist wrap and the next day I felt great.</p>

[fuccisphotos]

<p>Everyone, thank you so very much for the suggestions. Being that my undergrad degree was in Bioengineering, you'd think I would have thought about the center of gravity issue. I think you are totally right, I need to get my left hand forward. Now that I have isolated that as a problem, I will try to more consciously take more weight on my left hand. I think that should make a big difference! Hopefully this forum has saved me from years of pain! You are the best!</p>

[david_schilling___chicago_]

<p>For over a dozen years I carried a camera, equivalent size lens, Vivitar 283 flash, and a Quatum 1+ mounted on a Stroboframe bracket and never had issues with the hands, wrist, etc.... I suspect that you're carrying extra tension/stress across these muscles resulting in some fatigue. as you relax and gain more confidence/comfort in your shooting then I suspect it will become much less of an issue. If not, you may have some pretty under-used hands/wrist muscles and you might benefit from some sports medicine-style OT or work with a personal trainer to...... uh, "pump you up"!</p>

[joseph_wisniewski]

<p>The best bracing and support system is called "muscles and tendons", and it's made by the famed equipment manufacturer Vail Fucci.</p>

<p>Learn the proper exercises to condition yourself for handling a camera. If necessary, get a PT/OT or physiologist to help you. Believe it or not, you can get your physician to refer you, quite easily. They'll probably have you on free weights, mostly curls...</p>

[randy_ramkissoon]

<p>Hi Vail<br>

I wanted to chime in on your question as well. Personally I often shoot with a gripped Canon 50d and Canon ef 70-200 F2.8 so I can totally understand how you can get finger pain and possibly sore shoulders. I started shooting again 7 years ago and one thing I can tell you (now that I am in my mid 30's) is your body does go through a lot of changes. 3 years ago I did start seeing a chiropractor and massage therapist over some issues which turned out to be early repetitive stress injuries. The funny thing is even though I work in front of computers a lot it was the tiring of my muscles during the long shooting sessions which caused bad posture and holding technique.</p>

<p>The solution which has worked for me:</p>

<p>(1) Saw a a physio therapist for an exercise program to strengthen and protect my body.</p>

<p>(2) Took up Yoga to increase flexibility and build supporting muscles.</p>

<p>In my case I saw my physio therapist for a couple months to monitor my progress. It was worth the investment.</p>

<p>Good Luck</p>

[boinkphoto]

<p>Solution:</p>

<p>http://www.ruralcompanion.com/powerwagon.html</p>

[boinkphoto]

<p>PS: ;-)</p>

[robert_posey]

<p>Vail, <br />Any job or hobby that takes a toll on a particular part of the body requires extra attention to that area in the form of stretching and strengthening. Event photography certainly is no different. You should consider some (regular) exercises focusing on your hands and arms. Also practice your holding technique. As already mentioned, position the left hand under the lens and allow it to support the lion's share of the weight. Use the right hand mostly for control and stability - but with an ample grip Also concentrate on making your ring and little finger bear some of the work.<br /><br />Adding a battery grip does add a bit of weight to your rig but you'd be surprised at how much control and comfort comes with it - especially when shooting in portrait. The grip will also allow you to install a hand strap if you like. A hand strap does add a certain amount of comfort <em>(and confidence)</em> to working with a heavy rig, but I found they can also get in the way. You will also find that the extra weight acts as stabilizer to help with camera shake. <br /><br />One other thing - check out the "BlackRapid" camera strap. <em>(No, I'm not a salesman for them)</em> Unlike a neck strap, the BlackRapid is COMFORTABLE. I bought one earlier this year and now wish I had gotten one when they first came out. My favorite venue is family reunions <em>(the more people, the better)</em>, and this strap make it very easy to slip comfortably through crowds. When you're not actually shooting, you simply allow the whole rig to hang at you hip - which gives the hands and arms a rest. Bringing the camera up from the hip position for the next shot is amazingly fast and easy. They even make one specifically for the curves of a woman body. <br /><br />I won't go into its other advantages.<br />You can check it out here: http://www.blackrapid.com/product/camera-strap/rs-w1/<br>

Let me add one caution about the BlackRapid strap system; screw the "connectR" <strong>tightly</strong> into the tripod threads of the camera and make sure to check it on a regular basis.<br>

I hope this helps. Good luck.<br />Rob<br /><br /></p>

[Mark Keefer]

<blockquote>

<p>Are there any wrist/finger braces you use, or maybe taping techniques or additional equipment you use or means of holding the camera that take the load off? Any suggestions are much appreciated.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>"Wrist/Fingers braces" Nothing that I know of specific to photography, but there are braces or finger splints and wrist supports that you can buy at drug stores or department stores like Target or Wal Mart.</p>

<p>You may want to look at something like the "Mueller Lifecare for Her Contour Wrist Plum" that will help give wrist support.</p>

<p>You may also want to consult your doctor or consult a physical therapist to do some exercises and weight training to build muscle strength in your wrist and arms so your muscles are supporting the weight of the camera and not putting so much stress on joints and bones. They may have other suggestions. This may be covered under your medical insurance. At only 29, see what you can do now to prevent long term damage is worth it.</p>

<p>Also consider a light weight mono-pod like a Manfrotto with a nice quick release ball swivel head. Very light, basically a collapsible stick that will not get in the way with crowds and will give you very stable shots, they adjust to your ideal shooting height and you save the wear and tear on your wrist. you can even keep the camera strap on with the mono-pod attached. I use one for shooting bands in clubs or walking around.</p>

<p>I have also seen body harness supports the cinematographers use, but it might be a bit over the top for wedding photography. Your not shooting Star Wars. Still there may be some scaled down versions.</p>

<p>If your business is picking up that much, consider hiring an intern/second shooter trainee, they work on the cheap, can handle some of the grunt work, but learn from you and gain experience. When you feel they are ready, they could work some jobs for you solo. It's a thought as you grow your business.</p>

<p>Best of luck getting you hands feeling better.</p>

 

[ken schwarz]

<p>I developed hand pain not so much from holding the camera to shoot as just carrying it in my shooting hand--it put undue pressure on my index finger to carry it around in one hand, I believe. I found that adding the vertical grip and hand strap (from Kirk) was enough to relieve it and the pain has not troubled me since. This isn't the same issue as the one you describe, but it may point to a solution for you nonetheless.</p>

[laurel_jensen1]

<p>Vail, I have the exact same problem - index finger fatigue/stress on my right hand when shooting for hours. It started after I purchased a 24-70mm zoom for my Nikon D700 and shot a 10 hour wedding. Like you I started to wonder whether I could do this for a living at all.<br>

It's definately about the weight at the front of the camera and the index finger being the main support to keep it held up.<br>

I've decided it's a good reason to slow down, choose my shots more carefully and take fewer shots! Since I'm hyper-vigilant by nature and don't want to miss that all important shot, I tend to overshoot anyway - I'm the only one that suffers for that (in post-production).<br>

I'm finding that choosing my shots more carefully is making me a better photographer, the client gets better results and my index finger is far less stressed.</p>

[boinkphoto]

<p>Wow - I don't take weddings very often so that's probably part of why, but for me usually most of the weight is on my left hand. The right is really just to adjust and fire.</p>

<p>Regardless, doesn't sound like a lot of fun...</p>

[senseidad]

<p>I have adapted a mono pod with a camera bracket (custom brackets that rotates the camera) to hold my nikon d700 with battery pack, 70-200 and Quantum Trio as well the Quantum Batterry. The manfrotto mono pod takes the load and I can easily walk around with it out of the way. Holding the mono pod is easier on my hands even when I have to lift it off the ground for some shots. </p>

<p>I have a manfrotto quick release on the bottom of the bracket and when I remove it, i can still set the bracket with camera and flash on a table. It works for me.</p>

<p>If you're interested, let me know and I can send you pictures of the setup.</p>

 

[mike_hitchen]

<p>From your picgtures (the second especially) it looks to me like you are holding the camera mainly with the fingers and with the palm not pressed to the handgrip and if I am right then the middle finger will tend to take most of the strain. I have the palm of my hand firmly wrapped round the handgrip so the whole of the right hand (palm and fingers) are holding the weight of the camera.</p>

[ianivey]

<p>I suspect Vail will solve most of her problem by getting more center-of-gravity support in the left hand. The suggestion to hold the camera <strong>only </strong>with your left hand, and then just add your right hand for shutter actuation, is an excellent way to retrain yourself.</p>

<p>For what it's worth, I also second Robert's recommendation about the BlackRapid strap. I purchased the dual strap and used it at my last wedding, and found it to be very helpful. I can "drop" both cameras, even with a 70-200 on one of the bodies, and still be in the action. This won't solve the holding-technique problem, but it does give you a way to rest your arms, wrists, hands, and fingers from frequently, throughout the day, without being stuck in one place (i.e., next to the surface on which you've put your camera down). </p>

[redphoto]

<p>A monopod is inexpensive and could solve your issues.</p>

[melissa_sievers]

<p>I'm resurrecting a post here, but seemed most appropriate.<br>

I use two camera bodies. One with a 200mmL 2.8 lens and one with a Sigma 17-55 2.8 lens plus sometimes flash on a stroboframe bracket.<br>

I was going to get a black rapid double harness. But, I'm not sure how well a camera/flash/bracket combo would hang. So, I thought perhaps a single black rapid strap, layered with a Tamrac boomerang strap to hold the bracket setup upright in front of me.<br>

suggestions? Thanks!</p>

[William Michael]

<p>You might do better to begin another thread.</p>

<p>WW</p>