How to keep your hands steady?


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yamcake

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Aug 11, 2003
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To all experts down there...

how to have steady hands?

and how long can you go? like 1/20 or even 1 sec without shaking?
 

Use both hands, resting your elbows on your chest, or use a wall for support.

how long can one go depends on the situation.. like any support?

normally, the rule is to set the speed to 1/(focal length) to prevent hand shake. Eg, on a 50mm prime lense, the shutter should be 1/60s.
 

uhm.. do more excerise?
 

Ya

exercise is important. do push ups and chin ups for upper body strength and sit ups for stronger posture.
 

YOGA helps too :bsmilie: :bsmilie:
peace.....concentrate.....breathe in....out......
 

No expert here, but what I usually do:
- Keep your legs shoulder width apart, one feet slightly in front of another.
- Don't do 'chicken wings', i.e. keep your albows tucked in close to the body!
- Breathe naturally, don't heave. For extra stability, hold your breath before squeezing the shutter.
- Don't snap the shutter. Squeeze gently. Most modern AFs have double action (half-press to focus, full-press to release shutter).
- For SLRs/big cameras, keep your left hand on the lens barrel to support the camera.

For those who shoot your M16s before, it's the same principles... :D
 

yamcake said:
how to have steady hands?
and how long can you go? like 1/20 or even 1 sec without shaking?
Practice.
Hold breath or breathe out as you press the shutter.
Use a ledge, a wall for support.
Use a tripod (which I don't).

How long? Longest tried 2sec. Usually 1/4 sec.

Suggest you go out and join the various photoshoot outings and shoot and learn from others.
 

for guys ... don't surf porn 2 often ;)
 

Just to add one more - squeeze between heartbeats. Once you've stabilised, held your breath, etc, the viewfinder bobbing up and down is due to heartbeat.
 

ST1100 said:
Just to add one more - squeeze between heartbeats. Once you've stabilised, held your breath, etc, the viewfinder bobbing up and down is due to heartbeat.

Actually, in general, you should exhale as you press the shutter. If you try to hold your breath, you will realise that your body tends to be more tense....and when u breath out, your body tends to be more relaxed. Try it for yourself....:D
 

ndroo said:
for guys ... don't surf porn 2 often ;)

:bsmilie: :bsmilie: :bsmilie:
 

The issue with hands and stability is that if you use the LCD to compose and take your shot, your arms are wide spread to the front holding the camera, a little bit of shake will thus cause heavy blur to the shot you are going to achieve at slow shutter speed. And when you press the button you shake the camera, and definitely it will be blur. No matter how still you think you have been, you'd have moved that little bit to blur the shots.

If you can, use the viewfinder to compose instead. tucking in your 'chicken wings' close to your body, apply the HABIT in BMT, it should get you pass quite safely even at 1/6, 1/8.
 

espn said:
If you can, use the viewfinder to compose instead. tucking in your 'chicken wings' close to your body, apply the HABIT in BMT, it should get you pass quite safely even at 1/6, 1/8.

Exactly. That's why even when I go digital, I still use the viewfinder over the LCD. Helps if your digicam has a usable viewfinder. Press the camera firmly against your face, so that your head and arms form a "tripod". This also helps to keep the camera level. It's far too easy to shoot a slanted horizon when you hold your camera at arm's length in front of you.
 

Firers, watch your front.
Own time own target.
Carry on.

Sorry, can't resist this ;p
 

coke21 said:
Actually, in general, you should exhale as you press the shutter. If you try to hold your breath, you will realise that your body tends to be more tense....and when u breath out, your body tends to be more relaxed. Try it for yourself....:D

yah like shooting gun... i do that too.
 

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