hogilbert

At a young 84 I find I am no longer able to hold my D750 steady enough for good images. Unless I use a tripod most images are soft. I have tried monopod with some success but I really like to shoot street photography so that does not work well. It has been suggested by some of my camera club friends that I may be able to hand hold a lighter camera. Any suggestions would be appreciated. The mirror less 4 3rds such as Olympus OM-DE-M10 Mark IV looks like it would be a lot lighter than the D750. Any experience with mirror less 4 3rds?

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

I don't have any experience with a MFT camera, but one thing I would recommend is that whatever body you get, get one with In-Body Stabilization. I got a Pentax Q-7 {no longer made} with IBIS, and as soon as I tried it {on some pictures inside a church} I realized how much it raises the effective shutter speed, how much it reduces the effect of my hands moving as I photograph.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

That is something we are all going to face if we live long enough. Question: Is it the camera or the camera/lens combination that weighs too much? The D750 weighs ~ 1.7 pounds. According to Ken Rockwell: The Nikon Z6 (Z mirrorless lens mount, $1,797, 23.5 oz./667g with battery and XQD card) and 24-70mm f/4 S weighs about 1.5 pounds. Don't know it that's any help

anotherview Loc: California

Meanwhile, try setting the shutter speed to 1/250 sec or to 1/500 sec. This speed should return sharp photographs.

You will likely have to increase the ISO setting for a correct exposure at this shutter speed.

CO

Stringpods work really well. I was unable to bring my tripod with me on a trip to Long Island last year so I made two stringpods. It's just a 1/4"20 eyelet bolt and heavy string. It screws into the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera. You step on the end of the rope and pull up a little to put tension in the rope. The tension stabilizes the camera. You can then just roll it up and put it in your pocket.

This is one that I made. The eyelet bolt screws into the tripod socket on the bottom of the camera

(Download)

I took this photo with the stringpod attached to my D7000

(Download)

Bill_de Loc: US

https://totalgymdirect.com/shop/total-gym-xls/

Never too old.

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LewSpecker

Sherpa

Ourspolair

Very smart... I'm going to build one tomorrow!

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

My long term plan if and when things get too heavy it to keep the cameras and adjust what lenses I use. I've already added a 24-120mm f/4 for those all day outings when I just don't want to carry a 24-70mm f/2.8. Let's face it...for a lot of what we photograph, the requirement to use the highest tier premium lens is only in our minds. I've identified a path to reduce lens weight while keeping good performance and the camera, which, regardless of what gets said here, is the most important part of the equation. If I ever find myself reduced to just a D500 or D850 and just a 35mm or a 50mm or an 85mm, I'll still be many miles farther along in capability from where I spent many years with a Minolta DSLR, and it delivered many, many excellent images over many years.

LewSpecker

Consider a Nikon Z6. Lighter and smaller + great glass

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

I went from ~45 years of Nikon SLR and then DSLR (DX and FX) to micro 4/3 and have been delighted with the transition. I started by just getting a small M43 camera (Lumix GX85) to use in the car to take pictures out the window when traveling, something the big Nikons were not good for. But the images were so good and the equipment so small and light I pretty quickly decided I could do everything I needed to do with a MUCH smaller and lighter kit. Sold off all the Nikon gear and replaced it with Olympus and Lumix bodies and lenses over about the next year.

In addition to the size and weight, two of the features of the mirrorless design really made the switch attractive - the ability to select the image appearance and aspect ratio in the viewfinder and screen, and the ability to see the effect of exposure changes before you press the button. I always make square B&W prints, and being able to properly frame a shot so as not to have things not quite fit at print time was a huge benefit to my process. I shoot RAW files, so I actually capture the full sensor frame in color on the SD card for later processing, but being able to compose square and see brightness/darkness in monochrome while shooting was a revelation.

In summary, the quality of M43 is more than good enough for my purposes and the functionality of the equipment is better. I have never wished I had one of the DSLRs back.

a6k Loc: Detroit & Sanibel

While a DIY solution is certainly good, if one wants, for example, the ability to set the camera down flat, this is something to consider:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1068642-REG/oben_rps_14d_screw_1_4_20_for_rp.html

I remember using your approach years ago and want to thank you for reminding me of it. Another useful techniques although a bit less solid is to use the rifle sling technique (around the elbow). This link may help.
https://youtu.be/Z_sP0R39Wz0?t=35

CO

I actually bought D-ring screws like the one in the link you supplied. The ones I bought are made by SmallRig but are the same as the Oben screw you listed. I replaced the standard screw in an L-bracket that requires a coin the tighten with the D-ring.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

One very good answer to your weight problem is Fuji. A Fuji XT-2,3 or 4 is half the weight of your FF. I have a Canon 5D4 FF, which is comparable in weight to your D750. It’s a great camera, and for corner cases like shooting indoor sports at ISO 12,800, it’s the answer, but for everyday shooting, the Fuji produces great images, the ergonomics/controls are first rate, and the Fuji lenses are comparable to anyone’s.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

I went the mirrorless route with Olympus M4/3 system, and I am happy.