What's the best way to hold a DSLR?

Question

So, I've seem that some photographers are extremely sensitive about how to hold their camera. What's the best way to hold a DSLR? Or does it even matter at all.

Answer 1

Ah...da Grip. One option that Joe McNally advocates is using your shoulder as a brace and standing up straighter - or at least not leaning over. He claims to be able to shoot a couple of stops faster doing this.

Answer 2

It surely matters, and the best way is the one which allows you to control the shooting as precisely as possible to achieve your goal. So if you want to try a longish exposure you will usually try to reduce the hand shaking (so hold your breath, near your arms to your body, avoid shaking the camera when firing the button...), but this cannot be necessarily suitable for street photography (quick reaction to something which is happening right now). In the extreme case, the best way can be to let a tripod hold the camera for you and so on.

From this it follows that there cannot be a single best way suitable for everybody in every situation. This probably explains why there is a debate at all: I wonder why you cannot understand why MY way makes so much more sense than YOURS... ;-)

In any case, I would recommend against dropping the camera, so in the vast majority of cases a firm grasp on the camera body is a good idea... :-)

Answer 3

If you use your right eye or your camera is too small for "da-grip" this is the traditional way to hold a camera:

• Back strait, legs slightly apart
• Right hand on the grip, where your fingers reach the shutter button and various dials
• Left hand supporting the lens, the root of your hand in contact with camera body (or lens - for very long lenses)
• Eye pressed against the viewfinder
• Both elbows touching body

Answer 4

Like this