Tips on how to hold a DSLR camera to reduce shaking

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The Basic Hold

digital single-lens reflexs are in a different weight-class from pointand- shoot models. They tip the scales from two to over seven pounds, depending on the model, the attached lens, and whether a flash and/or a battery pack is being used.

A good grip is important, both to reduce camera shake (which really affects how sharp your picture looks) and to avoid dropping it.

His left hand is supporting the camera body and lens from underneath. The right hand is carrying part of the weight, while positioned to allow easy adjustment of the controls. The finger on the shutter is relaxed and ready to make an exposure.

Avoid using a grip with both hands holding the body of the camera, which does not also support the lens. It is often heaver than the camera. Also, there are usually controls on the lens barrel, like the zoom adjustment, which require frequent manipulation while shooting.

Many subjects look better in a vertical composition. Again, the left hand supports most of the weight and the fingers are positioned for easy lens adjustment. The right hand is used to “aim” the camera and hold it still. You want a firm grip, but not so tight that your hand tires or that your finger-press on the shutter is jerky.

Many digital single-lens reflex cameras offer an optional battery pack with a second set of controls designed for vertical shooting.

Earlier I referred to the camera as a picture-taking platform. Its stability during exposure can be as important as having the proper focus on your subject. And that becomes more important with telephoto lenses and slow shutter speeds.

The basic rule of thumb is that average photographers can hand-hold a camera at shutter speeds equal to or greater than the focal length of the lens.

That assumes a good grip and a cooperative subject. If you are using a 24mm wide-angle and photographing a landscape, then 1/25th of a second exposure shouldn’t show any blurring from camera motion.

The minimum safe shutter speed is 1/200th of a second for a 200mm lens.

Additional Support: Tripods, Trees, and Knees

Experienced photographers use a variety of tricks to stabilize their cameras, from body posture to tripods. It a good idea even when the shutter speed is supposedly fast enough to eliminate camera shake. Terrence Karney chose to go low and close to the subject in his picture of the tortoise.

That placed him in the perfect position to use his body to help reduce camera shake. If you are having trouble holding the camera still, for example, due to using a heavy lens, or if the subject is moving fast (that is a relative term we will define later in the article), then a faster shutter speed or some sort of extra support is required. Watch for hazards to both yourself and the camera when choosing a structure as a support before using it. Trees can be home to insects, poison ivy, and sticky resins.

Cars can be hot, or move, while doorways are traffic areas. There are also dedicated camera supports, which range from beanbags that can be placed over objects like a chair, table, rock, or fallen tree, to monopods and tripods. A monopod looks like a high-tech walking stick with a flat plate on top, with a screw for mounting a camera or lens. I’d suggest trying before buying.

Some photographers love them, while others find they are less stable than hand-holding. Their use seems to be an acquired skill. I have one, but use it most often to hold an off-camera flash. There is no doubt about the stability of a good tripod. Notice the adjective. The inexpensive light-weight models found near the video cameras in big-box stores don’t have the strength to support most digital single-lens reflexs.

Consider a trip to a real camera store when shopping for a tripod, and bring your camera with its largest lens. In addition to stability, weight (you have to carry the tripod when you want to use it), and how high the legs will raise the camera position, you need to try out the head. This is the top part of the tripod that actually mounts the camera and allows the photographer to move its position on the tripod to frame the picture. Notice how Brian is still using the same grip to control the camera.

This is how a tripod is used to capture moving subjects.

What he isn’t doing, is bracing or holding the camera tightly. The tripod is doing that part of the job. He has adjusted his grip to a very light touch.

If you are taking pictures with a tripod when the subject isn’t moving out of the frame, like a landscape or action taking place in a fixed location, you can let go of the tripod and camera assuming it’s stable and use a cable release to make the exposure. That’s a remote shutter release. Since you don’t have to press the shutter, it reduces the risk of camera shake. Some cameras can lock the focusing mirror up to eliminate the vibration caused when it strikes the top of its housing.