Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

After all, the heavier the gear, the more difficult it is to hold steady - right? ... No - you don't agree? ... Heavy hardware makes it easier to hold steady - are you sure?

BB4A

I have to disagree with your title; I’ve never heard this as an argument. After all, as “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, my perspective is that weight is in the hands of the carrier.

I may have equipment that is heavier than some photographers. I’m used to walking around all day with either a 5D Mkiv or a 7D Mkii, and the lens is often a 100-400mm L IS II USM; I don’t even notice that weight (6 lbs?). Sometimes I’m carrying both camera bodies equipped with two bulkier lenses, sometimes I have a camera bag on my back that weighs 30 lbs with water bottle; not a problem for me.

Dare I suggest that holding a camera and lens steady is in the same family of issues as holding a rifle or a sidearm steady, to use either effectively? It’s more a matter of training and technique, than the weight.

My sidearm of choice is a stainless steel Sig Sauer P226; it’s not the lightest pistol on the market (3.5 lbs loaded?), but with correct training and technique I regularly achieve 1 inch groupings at 25 yards with a combat stance (pistol held out in front of me, far farther than I would ever hold a camera!). If I miss with either my sidearm or my camera, it’s me, not the equipment. Same with a rifle. I don’t believe I’ve ever used a rifle that weighed less than 8 lbs loaded, but carrying one all day and regularly achieving 1 inch groupings at 100 yards is purely a matter of training and technique.

In summary, my perspective is that, if someone is complaining that their normal handheld camera equipment is too heavy to handhold for effective photography, then they may have a technique problem that they need to train themselves to resolve. As I said at the start, I’ve never heard a “camera body & lens is too heavy to use properly” as a complaint from any photographer, hobbyist or professional, that I’ve ever met. Of course, I’m not talking super-tele’s here (that you can’t use without a tripod), or folks who are advancing in years and are now struggling with steady aim.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

A lot depends on how you hold your camera/lens. Are your arms held firmly against your body or do they flop around like a chicken running from the butcher block? And that's just one lesson in handling your equipment.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

It depends - it depends how heavy it is and how fit you are.
From personal experience using a 100-400 tele zoom (3lb or ~1.3kg) its only good to shoot hand held for a few minutes at a time. Carrying it around is not a problem.

Chris - what is your experience?

One reason the guys are using monopods is to help with the weight on long shoots.

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500mm f4 - This guy always shoots hand held.

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Rhode Island Red Loc: Houston, TX

I think the "heavier is better" camp is counting on inertia to help them out. Inertia is the resistance change in motion. This includes getting moving from a rest. Inertia is proportional to mass, so larger masses resist changes in motion more than smaller masses.

Sounds good, but don't forget about our friend momentum. Momentum is going to build as an object gains speed and an object with more mass will be harder to stop once it has gained momentum.

If we're strong enough to ignore the never ending pull of gravity perhaps there is some argument that a bigger camera will stay more steady because it's harder to get moving. I know I'm not that strong.

From what I gather, some of these video camera rigs work with a similar principle. They use weights on a counter balance to create a mass with high inertia that will resist movement keeping the camera steady. -- For example: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/971203-REG/glidecam_gligld_bk_iglide_handheld_stabilizer_for.html

I'm a still image guy, so I'll stick with my tripod.

Chris

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Check out Mr. ChickenWings (first shot, orange vest).

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Thanks for your views, BB ....

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Very colorful, Bill ....

"Are your arms held firmly against your body or do they flop around like a chicken running from the butcher block?"

I had no idea chickens even had arms ....

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Thanks for your views, Chris ... and the link ... I'll check it out .....

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Cluck-Cluck-Cluck!!!!!

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Interesting, Chris ... just caught your line about a heavy camera being more steady, as it's harder to get moving ... neat perspective .... not sure of its accuracy ....

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Bill ... I suspect that guy Richard caught unawares, either, doesn't know what the hell he's doing ... OR, is trying to make a major adjustment on his lens ....

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

He does know what he is doing, I have been shooting beside him for years.
Maybe he is looking down at a shot list or the race program.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Well, Richard ... as you can see, I've bought quite a few cameras, in various sizes, through the years, and I've come to the conclusion, the body shell of the Sony a77 and its twin, the a77 II ... at 5.6" wide, is about the largest I can manage. The only one I have, larger than that - at 5.7" wide, is the Canon EOS 60D ... and THAT one, I cannot manage, no matter what lens is on it. It is unwieldy, and heavy, in the extreme. It can't be used on my normal half-mile daily walk. By the time, I get back, my shoulder hurts, and I've developed a tidy case of tennis elbow. And, THIS is using a simple leather hand-grip on it. Other cameras, I have, are normally carried in one hand, with the strap hanging to the ground. This technique works fine, I've found - with ALL of the others. I rarely hang a camera around my neck, but sometimes, when carrying something in addition - like a kit bag, I may put it cross-wise across my chest, and over one shoulder. But, hung from my body, in this manner, of course - I cannot use it ... this is just to keep it from flopping around. All of the others (apart from the 60D) are okay with this arrangement.

Smaller cams - like the Sony a58 - and, of course - all bridges (all but one are larger than the a58) can be carried in any way I choose to. Although, once again - rarely do I ever carry a camera over one shoulder, or around my neck. They are usually grasped in one hand, sometimes, with the strap bunched up, into it.

The 80-400 Tokina I have (by far, my biggest, heaviest, longest lens) is usable on both of the Rebels, but, when used on the 60D, it actually smarts! That combination is just deadly ... so much so, I no longer even use the lens, nor do I use the 60D, anymore, on long walks - it pretty much stays at home.

My heavier cameras - such as the Nikon D7000, and the Pentax K-50, are robustly built, and feel solid in the hand - no doubt, partly, because of the lenses attached to them (Tokina 16.5-135 on the Nikon, and Tamron 18-200 on the Pentax.) Those combinations, I feel - are maximum for those cameras. I can put heavier lenses on them, but I don't think I ever will. They are quite comfortable to me ... but, that same Tokina lens on the Canon EOS 60D - is not. I need a crane to lift it ....

In-between these extremes are the others - the Rebels, the D7100/D5300/D5500/D3200 ... they all are comfortable in the hand, but, as indicated earlier, the D5500 is a little on the light side, which is why I've chosen to put the Sigma 18-250 OS HSM Macro on it ... to give it back some heft. That combination has worked out rather well. I used to use the Nikkor 16-85 VR on it, which did not help matters much. So, I swapped lenses with the D7100 ... an absolutely perfect move !!!!!

WILLARD98407 Loc: TACOMA, WA.

Don't know where he's looking at in that pic, but just noticed that 3 of the other 5 shooters in this pic look like they are busy chimping. hope the 4 of them didn't miss THE shot.