Photography after Shoulder Replacement? Any Hoggers out there who have had Shoulder Replacement? How has it effected your photography? Can you still hand hold a DSLR with a 400mm lens?

Dickbas Loc: Southern New Jersey

Any Hoggers out there who have had Shoulder Replacement? How has it effected your photography? Can you still hand hold a DSLR with a 400mm lens?
Have any tips or tricks to pass along?
Many thanks in advance!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Dickbas wrote:

Any Hoggers out there who have had Shoulder Replacement? How has it effected your photography? Can you still hand hold a DSLR with a 400mm lens?
Have any tips or tricks to pass along?
Many thanks in advance!

I had surgery on my left shoulder which is the arm that I hold the lens with. I came out about 90% of normal. If you follow the doctor's orders and go through the physical therapy you should come out at least that good some people can make it 99% you'll never go back to 100% is what my doctor told me.

Surgeries help with pain and doing away with it hopefully, because it's usually done for arthritic condition or an injury. In my case it took away all my pain. the physical therapy helps to get full motion back so follow the plan of therapy to the t.

Good luck with your surgery. I hope it is as successful as mine was. It did not affect my ability to use my camera.

lwerthe1mer Loc: Birmingham, Alabama

Because of elbow problems, I haven’t used my Sony a7iii and heavier lenses for a year. Not as much fun, but I’m very satisfied with photos from my new SonyRX100vi.

Dickbas Loc: Southern New Jersey

Thank you, Frank, for that encouraging reply and for taking the time to share your positive experience!
How long was it after surgery until you could hold up your equipment and take an acceptably sharp photo?
Thanks,
Dickbas

ejones0310 Loc: Tulsa, OK

Dickbas wrote:

Thank you, Frank, for that encouraging reply and for taking the time to share your positive experience!
How long was it after surgery until you could hold up your equipment and take an acceptably sharp photo?
Thanks,
Dickbas

No replacement, but I had a long head tenotomy on both shoulders two years apart. Aside from hurting like the dickens when the tendons snapped and when they were pinched by the bones, once the surgery was done and after the rehab, the shoulders work as well as they ever did. Of course that's not shoulder replacement. But I presume that if you follow the physical therapist's instructions you should be close to normal at the end.

MW

Dickbas wrote:

Any Hoggers out there who have had Shoulder Replacement? How has it effected your photography? Can you still hand hold a DSLR with a 400mm lens?
Have any tips or tricks to pass along?
Many thanks in advance!

Yes I have and it presents no problems provided you go through the whole course of physical therapy. (I even still run obstacle courses / mud runs). The main restriction is to avoid reaching in a way that raises your elbow above shoulder level while holding more than 5 pounds - conversely if used to do curls with 30 lb dumbbells you will still be able to do them safely.

Dickbas Loc: Southern New Jersey

Thank you, MW, much appreciated!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Dickbas wrote:

Thank you, Frank, for that encouraging reply and for taking the time to share your positive experience!
How long was it after surgery until you could hold up your equipment and take an acceptably sharp photo?
Thanks,
Dickbas

I can't remember, (I have crs syndrome). I think it was 2-3 months.... It depends a lot on the individuale..... They said I healed quicker than most..... Some thing on my knee ....I think the day that to everyone....

Bottom line, do exactly as they say, and you should be ok.......

Dickbas Loc: Southern New Jersey

Thanks again, Frank!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Dickbas wrote:

Thanks again, Frank!

I will add this much..... Therapy WILL HURT. some people don't do it like they should because of this, this they don't get to full use again.... DO THE THERAPY, EVEN IF IT HURTS. Get your teeth........

DEW54 Loc: Charlotte, NC

Dickbas wrote:

Any Hoggers out there who have had Shoulder Replacement? How has it effected your photography? Can you still hand hold a DSLR with a 400mm lens?
Have any tips or tricks to pass along?
Many thanks in advance!

I had a total shoulder replacement on my left shoulder in March 2019 and am still in therapy 2 times a week. Right now I could not hand hold a 400mm lens at any position higher than horizontal, so no BIF photos. Handholding from the horizontal position and lower might be possible for a minute or two but that would be about it. The shoulder replacement requires that many of the muscles in the shoulder be cut and getting them to work properly is painful and takes time. When I go out shooting now I always use a monopod with any lens over a 100mm-400mm zoom. Best of luck and follow the doctor and PT's directions. It's not an easy surgery to come back from.

Dickbas Loc: Southern New Jersey

Thank you!
Best wishes for your continuing therapy and recovery!

mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

I too have had a shoulder replacement. I have found NO limitations that I can’t account for by my age, after the first few months of recuperation and gradually increasing activity. I’ve lived with the replacement for about twelve years now, and only when the subject of joint replacements comes up am I reminded of it.
I can’t think of a single thing that others my age can do that I cannot do because of the shoulder replacement.
I use a 5Div, often with long lenses, sometimes hand held, and while the infirmities of age creep in at times, none of the problems I occasionally have are related to the shoulder replacement.

Flickwet Loc: NEOhio

I’m 62, Both shoulders replaced, took a year for each, I carry a D700 and D300S, and my D2x with 80-400, no problem, cycling and kayaking also.
Physical therapy wasn’t what helped, time did.
I should also mention that when my shoulders were bad, I used Oly em-1, went back to Nikon when I healed and became frustrated with the haptics of the em-1, couldn’t relate to mirrorless

d2b2 Loc: Catonsville, Maryland, USA

Dickbas wrote:

Any Hoggers out there who have had Shoulder Replacement?

I had a shoulder replacement in December of 2017. I was able to hold my D 7100 and my D 300, each with an 80 - 400 Zoom lens about 4 weeks after surgery. I have not had any difficulty in holding the camera since then. I was extremely aggressive with my rehabilitation and now, at 66 years of age, the only problems I have with that shoulder is in throwing a baseball. Sadly, my dreams of being a major league pitcher are gone forever. On the other hand, I can still take pictures of those people without any problem whatsoever. Other than that throwing action, the only restrictions I appear to have is in reaching behind me. There is some limitation on flexibility, but certainly not any on strength. And the flexibility issue does not in anyway cause a problem from the perspective of my photography.