Big grip vs small grip vs no grip

[Chan Tran]

I post the question in this forum because many of us here 35mm shooter still often use old cameras that has no hand grip on it. Some cameras introduced in the 80's has a small grip like Nikon F3, FA, Canon AE-1, A-1 and then those cameras of those era had motor drive which had the big grip. Later on in the 90's almost all 35mm SLR's have a rather large grip and some with either built in or add on vertical grip. My question is that which type is the most ergonomic? I found that the no grip type is better for me, it's easier for me to hold as well as shooting in either landscape or portrait orientation.

 

[darkosaric]

With bigger lenses like 200mm or so - I like grip. With small lenses like 50mm f2 - all is ok for me.

 

[bob01721]

My cameras are older ones with no grip. Can't say I ever wished I had one.

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

I love grips.

 

[wiltw]

I have an OM-1 and OM-4, I have a motorized film winder to fit both. I used it for a while and enjoyed having the grip, especially for pro work when the immediate readiness of autowind was so valuable. But later decided that the increased weight and bulk defeated the compact size and weight of the OM bodies in smaller camera bags when simply being a tourist on vacation!

 

[Peltigera]

I have a couple of fairly modern EOS cameras and the grip is fine. Most of my cameras do not have grips and I prefer them that way. Basically, it is of no great concern to me but I prefer no grip.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I only have one camera with a grip the rest no grips. I can live without them.

Jeff

 

[pen s]

Don't care for them myself. But then I entered photography in the golden 1965~1975 decade with the best mechanical cameras ever made. None with grips, so it is what I'm used to.

 

[MattKing]

For my use, the right grips are a pain, because they constrain one's options on how to hold the camera and release the shutter.

If your right hand doesn't work the "normal" way, they often get in the way.

I'd like to try a camera with a left hand grip, shutter release and film advance.

 

[AgX]

With a grip like that incorporated in the Canon T-90 I can hold more weight with less strain than without.
A handstrap is less needed, though still a fail-safe means.

 

[sepiareverb]

Almost always a grip. Exceptions are the little p&s cameras without them (T3, Ti28) and those MF cameras that one looks down into. With a view camera, the tripod tends to act as grip.

 

[thegman]

Either is fine for me, but no grip is smaller, so I tend to prefer that for carrying about.

 

[fotch]

I never considered the F3 to have a grip but I guess your right. I would not want it any larger than that. If I did, would mount a motor drive to it.

 

[Chan Tran]

I never considered the F3 to have a grip but I guess your right. I would not want it any larger than that. If I did, would mount a motor drive to it.

Oh yes I wouldn't want it any bigger. I posted the question because I believe the grips in modern SLR not so much for user ergonomic but because the need for room to house the batteries and motors.

 

[Dr Croubie]

I got a PB-E2 to use with my EOS 3, mostly to use it easier in portrait-orientation, not for the 10fps (I rarely even shoot high-speed on digital, I don't particularly want to be changing film rolls every 4 seconds).

I have some RSI problems in my right wrist, mostly computer/work related, and a skiing accident a few years ago busted my right shoulder so I can't hold heavy weights above my head for too long. So I thought a grip would be the perfect solution, I could hold the camera the 'normal' way in portrait orientation, especially when I can't stabilise it with my left hand because I'm using a 'smaller' lens (mostly Tak 50/1.4, FL 55/1.2, EF 85/1.8, EF 100/2.0 in the 'portrait' range).
But it's actually a lot harder to use than I'd thought, because when it's rotated the eyepiece is actually halfway down the left edge and the shutter is above my right ear. So I've barely used it, it's no better (and possibly a bit worse) than just holding the ungripped 3 rotated shutter-over (sometimes when my arm gets sore I'll swap to shutter-under, but I can't do it for too long and can't be as soft pressing the shutter button). One day I think I'll just on-sell it (although it's a nice AA-holding backup, so maybe I won't).

 

[kitanikon]

The reason most cameras after the Graflex came without grips is because they are designed NOT TO BE GRIPPED....
....BUT rather, they are to be CRADLED in the left hand....
The right hand should only be used to adjust the "attitude", to level the horizon of the shot...excessive pressure only causes camera shake and shudder, resulting in blurry shots, misaligned horizons, and worse, carpal tunnel/tennis elbow pain for the photographer....less than 20% of the camera's dead weight should be "held" by the right hand...

 

[benjiboy]

Some of my cameras have small grip,some a large,and one has no grip,but I've had them all for more than 25 years and am so used to them I don't really notice, which is one of the advantages of not constantly changing your cameras.

 

[LiamG]

I thought I liked the boxy no-grip shape, but times change. The larger the grip, the better, as far as I'm concerned, it's a huge help when maneuvering very large lenses. The mamiya 7 has a great grip, I could grip that all day.

 

[Chan Tran]

The reason most cameras after the Graflex came without grips is because they are designed NOT TO BE GRIPPED....
....BUT rather, they are to be CRADLED in the left hand....
The right hand should only be used to adjust the "attitude", to level the horizon of the shot...excessive pressure only causes camera shake and shudder, resulting in blurry shots, misaligned horizons, and worse, carpal tunnel/tennis elbow pain for the photographer....less than 20% of the camera's dead weight should be "held" by the right hand...

I agree with you but cameras like that of my F5 there is no way I can craddle it with the left hand because of its big bottom (so called vertical grip) and so I have to grip the right hand grip which is much less comfortable than cradle the camera like my F3.

 

[bob01721]

Don't care for them myself. But then I entered photography in the golden 1965~1975 decade with the best mechanical cameras ever made. None with grips, so it is what I'm used to.

Same here. With me, it's Minolta SRTs. No grips. And my B&J 4x5, of course, has no grips. I guess it's all in what you grew up with. With us ol' codgers, "we don' NEED no steenkin' grips."

We humans don't know what we like. We like what we know. If I had been brought up with grips, I'd probably prefer grips.

 

[hoffy]

I have 3 cameras with accessory grips (2 film, 1 digital).

I find them particularly useful for my film cameras (both Minolta AF cameras), as they take common garden variety AA batteries. That in itself is worthy of having them.

As for the electron exciter, I thought it was a good idea, but have very recently taken it off. It's become very liberating now that its gone!

 

[markbarendt]

Big late model grip please.

 

[Neal]

An interesting question. I had to think about it as I use cameras with and without grips regularly. This might be simply because when I started cameras did no have grips, but I support the camera with my left hand and hang it diagonally so that the strap is over my right shoulder and the camera hangs just in front of my left hip. Of course with the more modern cameras, one nice thing about the grip is that it makes it easy to find the "home" position for your hand and therefore easier to find all those little wheels and buttons.

Neal Wydra

 

[KennyMark]

Left hand carry. When using only one body, I'll wrap the strap around my left wrist. Two bodies, one around my neck, another on my left shoulder (usually the bulkier and heavier of the two). If there's a third body, the least used will hang across my chest on my right side. Least likelihood of gear collision. Grips are preferred, even (perhaps especially) on an RB/RZ.
Yes, as the offspring will testify, I usually look like the dork that I am.

 

[AgX]

The reason most cameras after the Graflex came without grips is because they are designed NOT TO BE GRIPPED....
....BUT rather, they are to be CRADLED in the left hand....

I need my left hand for focusing.