The Right Way to Hold Your Camera
Want sharper photos without buying new gear? These tweaks to how you hold your mirrorless camera might be all you need!
Want sharper photos without buying new gear? These tweaks to how you hold your mirrorless camera might be all you need — stick around and I’ll show you which ones actually work.
Hi, I’m Rich Dyson from Edinburgh Photography Workshop and this is Coffee Break Photography. If you find this video useful, please share it with friends who complain their photos are shaky — and hey, leave a comment below if you learned something new.
Before we get into grips and viewfinders, quick reminder: the goal of good camera technique is sharp images. That means reducing camera movement between when you start the exposure and when it finishes. Simple.
The most important factor is shutter speed. No amount of clever bracing will reliably freeze action if your shutter speed is too slow. The rule of thumb is the shutter speed should be at least the reciprocal of your effective focal length — for example, if you have a 70-200mm lens then use the largest focal distance, 200 and put that under 1 to make it a fraction, 1/200th of a second, and that is the slowest shutter speed you should use when hand-holding your camera.
This lens is a 24-105mm lens, so the biggest number is 105 – the slowest shutter speed is therefore 1/105th. This camera doesn’t have that shutter speed, so we’ll go to the next one up, which is 1/125th of a second.
With steady hands or stabilization, you can push a little slower, but treat the shutter speed as your primary defence against blur. If you need to go slower then that’s when we use a tripod.
If you need to understand how shutter speed, aperture and ISO work together, watch my video, The Exposure Triangle Doesn’t Work.
Let’s start with the Electronic Viewfinder or EVF, the little window you press your face to. First, it tethers the camera to your head, creating three contact points — both hands and the face, which is inherently stable. You can brace your elbows against your ribs, tuck your upper arms in, and the viewfinder gives a steady frame.
Shooting with the EVF also helps when shooting in bright sunlight. Regardless of how bright the sun is, when we press our eyes to the EVF that sunlight isn’t going to be shining inside there, where looking at rear screens can be hard to see, particularly if the sun is behind us when shooting.
There can be downsides to using the EVF. It can feel a bit restrictive for quick, creative compositions. It’s also easier to miss what’s happening around you if you’re glued to the viewfinder, that’s how you walk into lamp posts and other photographers.
Do you prefer the EVF or not? Tell me in the comments — and tell us your worst 'walked into a thing' moment.
Now the rear screen. It’s great for low-angle or high-angle shots, I’m a bit of a short-ass, so if I need to get a downward perspective then I can’t get my eye high enough. Twisting the back screen so I can see it from down here, gives me an extra couple of feet.
Equally, my knees aren’t what they used to be, getting down on the floor, or more importantly getting back up, isn’t as quick as it used to be. Using the back screen gets that low angle with a bit ore mobility.
Some people find it faster to compose if you’re shooting from the hip, and if you are doing street photography some people find it less intimidating."
Now the downside. Holding the camera away from your body increases leverage — a small shake a centimetre from the becomes a bigger motion when it’s extended at arm’s length. By losing that third contact point, your face, you need to compensate with better hand/arm technique or faster shutter speeds. Faster shutter speeds mean less light, you might be pushing the ISO values higher which, as we know, leads to more noise in your pictures.
Who uses the screen more than the EVF? Drop a comment and include what you shoot and why.
Every four years, when the Olympics are on the TV, I am amazed by the accuracy of the competitors in the shooting events. They are shooting from 50 metres away and hit the centre of the target which is just one centimetre wide. To hit the bull as often as they do, they need to have the steadiest grip possible. Think like a marksman and a shooter’s stance shows useful principles.
Feet shoulder-width apart for balance.
Left foot slightly forward if you’re right-handed — it gives a stable base and helps absorb movement.
Knees slightly bent — not locked; that acts like a shock absorber.
Tuck your elbows toward your body to reduce pendulum motion.
Hold the camera firmly but not like you’re squeezing a lemon — tension transmits shake.
Right hand on the grip, index finger relaxed on the shutter button; left hand under the lens supporting and using the fingers to control zoom or focus ring. If the lens is long, try the 'left hand under barrel, palm up' method to better support weight.
Breathing helps: exhale slowly, gently settle the camera during the last bit of your exhale, and press the shutter.
If you don’t believe this works, think of the end scene of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Absolutely none of these techniques were used as Paul Newman and Robert Redford blasted their way out of the building – we know that didn’t end well for them!
Try that stance now and tell me in the comments if it felt steadier.
I’m sure that someone is going to tell me that this stuff isn’t important as the latest cameras all have stabilisation built in. That is true, but despite the claims of five, six or seven stops of stabilisation, I find that relying on the technology doesn’t lead to consistent results every shot.
Rules exist to get you sharp shots fast — but creative moments sometimes need compromise. If you want motion blur for effect, use a slower shutter speed and embrace the wobble. Photographers are problem-solvers, not rule-enforcers.
Quick recap: 1) Shutter speed first. 2) EVF gives three-point stability; screen gives flexibility. 3) Stance matters — feet, knees, elbows in. 4) Practice and experiment.
What’s your top holding tip? Share it below — the best tips might get a shout-out in a future video.
If you enjoyed this, please subscribe to Coffee Break Photography, hit the like button, and share this video with a friend who needs sharper photos. Also — share it with your camera club, your mate who never cleans their sensor, and anyone who thinks tripods are 'cheating'.
Thanks for watching — I’m Rich Dyson from Edinburgh Photography Workshop. See you in the next Coffee Break Photography video.
