Photography Using Only One Arm

[AndrewMcD]

Impending surgery is going to result in the complete immobilization of my left arm (fortunately I'm right handed) for four weeks and limited use for twelve weeks. My Sony NEX6 is fairly small and lightweight while my Canon 6D, though no heavyweight, is a bit much to use with one hand. Making camera adjustments will be slow and tedious with one hand. To support the camera while taking a shot I think a monopod may prove useful. I think setting up my tripod will likely be too difficult. I'm wondering about the value of a handstrap but have never used one on either camera.

I'm soliciting any ideas or suggestions that might make things a bit easier to use my cameras with one hand. I don't imagine I'm the first person in this forum to ever face this sort of limitation yet still feels the need to take photographs.

Thanks,
Andrew

[Mike Buckley]

I've never been physically debilitated but I've often handheld the camera using one hand while using the other hand to hold a filter in front of the lens or to hold a hat near the front of the lens to prevent glare. I've never done it using a focal length over 85mm on a crop camera and probably wouldn't be able to. You might want to consider doing photography at that focal length and smaller.

Once the quick-release plate is attached to the camera, I think it would be fairly easy to attach the camera to a monopod but I don't think I would be able to safely remove it with just one hand. If you can leave the camera on the monopod or get someone to remove it as needed, that would probably be the way to go.

Best of luck with your surgery and recuperation!

[Saorsa]

I find monopods quite useful and I'm old but not debilitated. Right now I am using an Oben CF with twist locks. Since you will effectively be losing one hand I would recommend the flip lock type which would be easier to deal with one handed. Both have a wrist strap which incorporates a belt clip for carrying hands free when not on the camera.

I show those as examples, there are plenty of other monopod vendors.

[Mike Buckley]

It just now occurred to me that I almost always use prime lenses and that trying to manipulate a zoom lens would be difficult if not impossible. If you only have zoom lenses, you might want to use whatever method of ensuring that they don't zoom. You would then look for scenes and compositions that are ideal with your selected focal length.

[PhotomanJohn]

Andrew - Sorry about your situation. I virtually always use hand or wrist strap on my cameras when I am hand-holding them and they are not on a Black Rapid strap. I would think the a wrist strap might be better in your case since you can completely release your grip on your camera if needed. I would also consider just using a good camera strap like a Black Rapid which is approach I think I would take.

I use a monopod periodically and can see that it would provide extra support of the camera when shooting but not sure if it wouldn't be more difficult to handle than the camera alone. Most monopods have a wrist strap which would be essential for you.

I think you will need to experiment and see what works best for each situation. Good luck.

John

[DanK]

I've never been confronted with this. I think a monopod would work if, as Mike says, you don't have to zoom while composing a shot. It seems to me that you could zoom a bit, but not while looking through the viewfinder. You could lean the camera back against you, use your right arm to change the zoom setting, and then grab the camera by the grip. You would have to lay the camera and monopod down to change its length.

I use the same monopod as Brian. However, I use an arca-swiss tilthead. They lock the camera onto the monopod very securely, but there weren't many when I looked some time ago, and they tend to be heavy and expensive. A benro or oben tilthead would be lighter and much cheaper.

[Manfred M]

Andrew - I sympathize. I had foot surgery about 20 months ago and was effectively unable to do very much photography throughout that entire period 5-1/2 month primary recovery period. It's tricky trying to handle camera gear while you are on crutches (your arms are pretty well dedicated to keeping you upright). By the time I could use a walking cast, it was winter and "toes in the snow" were no fun at all, but at least I could manage tabletop stuff with a tripod in the house..

Good luck with the surgery and frankly I suspect dropping and damaging the camera are going to be an issue unless you get yourself an assistant to help you shoot.

[KingsHockeyFan]

I recently had surgery on my right arm...I am right handed. While I was not completely immobilized post-op, I had zero ability to use my right arm for a little while. Once I gained enough strength in my right (about two weeks) I could use my left to support the entire weight of the camera (70D with a 70-200 lens....definitely not light) and my right to maintain balance. I was able to manipulate the zoom ring with my left fingers while camera weight was more toward my left wrist, again using my right for balance. Shutter and focus were still on my right hand. It took some getting used to. I had shift my camera sling to the other side of my body so I could grab if off my hip with my left versus my normal right arm. Thankfully after about 6 weeks I was able to hols some weight with my right and could return to normal operations.

Good luck!

[Shadowman]

Gave you considered the shoulder harnesses used by videographers?

http://www.alzovideo.com/camera-harness-bod-a-boom.htm

[chauncey]

Alright...no laughter allowed...rent one of these electric mobility scooters, one hand operation,
along with a tripod head and handlebar clamp and a remote shutter. Your in like flint.

[Shadowman]

Alright...no laughter allowed...rent one of these electric mobility scooters, one hand operation,
along with a tripod head and handlebar clamp and a remote shutter. Your in like flint.

Serious question, do you have to turn off to reduce vibration?

[Mike Buckley]

Serious question, do you have to turn off to reduce vibration?

I dunno, but he has to tell his daughter to get out of the seat.

[jcuknz]

I would think a neck strap is an essential accessory and I would be thankful we have P mode even in DSLRs. Like Mike I have often shot with just my right hand while hanging on etc with the other.
I assume the 'vehicle' is electric powered without vibration when stopped

[chauncey]

Serious question, do you have to turn off to reduce vibration

Don't know if ya need to, never noticed vibration...it's on when ya turn the key, like a light switch.

[Manfred M]

Every time you post that image I just shudder, Chauncy. A direct mounting to the vehicle frame (a vehicle that relies on a fairly basic vehicle suspension). That must be transmitting a lot of repeated forces into the camera and lens via the camera mount; it can't be that easy on the gear, especially when your are moving at higher speeds. The electric vehicles I've seen can easily travel two or three time the walking pace of a person; up to 12mph.

[William W]

One Hand Hold - Right Hand - Zoom Lens


Zoom lenses are not an insurmountable problem, especially if they are a short barrel zoom:

If you are happy to set up the camera before you head out and to use an Automatic Camera Mode (I’d suggest P Mode) and you are happy to use Shutter Release for the Auto Focus and Exposure Lock, then, you can use the camera in the right hand with the camera inverted.

> the thumb and middle finger (or thumb and ring finger) control the Zoom Turret.
> the ring finger (or the little finger) controls the Shutter Release (and also AF Lock and Exposure Lock)
> the Little Finger controls the Main Dial (Program Shift)

This is the RH grip that I use when I am shooting with two cameras and I need to have a Zoom Lens on one of the cameras.

Having your left hand disabled, you probably will have difficulty using Exposure Compensation, so I'd suggest loading a bracket in your Custom Functions to compensate for that exclusion.

You could include Auto ISO into the mix, if necessary. Personally I don't find that necessarily an advantage in most shooting scenarios.

This is a camera grip which will very likely be quite foreign to you and at first be uncomfortable and probably irritating. If you use the Viewfinder, you will elevate the Right Hand higher than normal, that feels silly at first. I suggest that you use the Right Elbow into the bottom of the Right Rib Cage to make a secure base point for the rig. However, I can say this is a suitable and effective Right Hand Grip for controlling a Canon DSLR with the right hand with a Zoom Lens loaded.

Here are two very quick and very rough pictures to indicate the hand grip. Obviously you’d dump the Battery pack.

I use a Wrist Strap secured at the camera Strap Mount when using this inverted RH Grip, so ignore the neck strap arrangement in these two pictures; I just grabbed that particular camera for the speed of making posting a couple sample images for you.



and



*

One Hand Hold - Right Hand - Prime Lens


If you are only using a Prime Lens, then I suggest a normal Right Hand Camera Holding position and a wrist strap is also my suggestion. I would still suggest using P Mode, and the arrangement of functionality to the buttons and dials as above. But with a normal RH Camera Hold, you can use the RH Thumb, for the application of Exposure Compensation.

*

Monopod?


I think that a Monopod will, for general purposes, be more trouble than value added UNLESS you are using a long and/or heavy Lens.

If you are using a long and heavy Zoom Lens, (70 to 200/2.8 or heavier for example) then ignore the inverted RH Hold - it will kill your wrist, and you will NEED a Monopod, well I do 'need' a Monopod if I am controlling that lens one handed.

I do not use a Quick Release Plate, but I secure the Monopod, direct to the Lens' Tripod Ring.

IF you choose to use a Monopod, even for a trial-run, I suggest that you make absolutely sure you have a wrist grip ON THE CAMERA and it is secured to your wrist.

I concur with the suggestion to use shorter and lightweight lenses: though as demonstrated Zoom lenses need not necessarily be excluded.

*

I like the idea of considering using/buying a shoulder harness - if that forward bar is secure enough to hold the weight of camera and lens steady and not fall forward (as just noted Izzie alludes in the post below) - then the right hand would be free for complete camera functionality when working one handed. That would be the major consideration, I would think.

WW

[IzzieK]

Gave you considered the shoulder harnesses used by videographers?

http://www.alzovideo.com/camera-harness-bod-a-boom.htm

That looks interesting, John...I wonder how effective it will be for a 150-500mm Sigma lens?

[Saorsa]

I've never been confronted with this. I think a monopod would work if, as Mike says, you don't have to zoom while composing a shot. It seems to me that you could zoom a bit, but not while looking through the viewfinder. You could lean the camera back against you, use your right arm to change the zoom setting, and then grab the camera by the grip. You would have to lay the camera and monopod down to change its length.

I use the same monopod as Brian. However, I use an arca-swiss tilthead. They lock the camera onto the monopod very securely, but there weren't many when I looked some time ago, and they tend to be heavy and expensive. A benro or oben tilthead would be lighter and much cheaper.

My Oben is also fitted with an arca-swiss tilt head and every camera I own has a plate attached. With the monopod, I put by hand through the wrist strap and also have the neckstrap around my neck. If I wanted to zoom I would simply move my hand to the zoom ring and zoom. Then, let the camera relax onto the wrist strap, grab the grip and pull it back to my eye to shoot.

[William W]

. . . I think that a Monopod will, for general purposes, be more trouble than value added UNLESS you are using a long and/or heavy Lens.

I disagree.

***

I've been re-thinking all what I wrote.

I now think that a Monopod and using the neck strap on the camera around your neck would be a good option for all lens types.

I was coming at Andrew's problem by applying my method for using TWO cameras, one in each hand. I realize now, that is not the most logical of thinking.

I mainly excluded the Monopod idea, because it is a problem for me (with two cameras) - but it would be a good idea to try it for Andrew who wants to use only one camera

Thank you, Brian for pointing that out to me.

WW

[chauncey]

Manfred...the vibration was a major concern when I first started playing with the set-up, anyone that
rides a bike on the sidewalk is aware of the kidney destroying jarring taking place, even @ 7 mph.
In spite of Canon's assurances that the repeated vibration would not be a problem, the camera/lens
rides in the basket equipped with foam padding until it's use, lag time is only a few seconds.