Photography and Arthritis

[jmooney]

Hi All,

I'm looking to see what those of you that suffer from arthritis of the hands and wrists use and find that works well for you from an equipment standpoint.

Yes I'm young (33) but I have what's known as Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA, it's an auto-immune arthritis, not your run of the mill old folks arthritis.

It affects several fingers on each of my hands and also both thumbs and my left wrist.

What gear works well for you? What type of accessories have made it easier for you to photograph? What hasn't worked?

I shoot 35, MF, and LF, and some digi so any and all advice or opinions are welcome.

Take care,

Jim

 

[RMP-NikonPro]

Have you tried copper bracelets?

I don't have RA, But for years I've suffered from Cold injuries in my hands Wrists & Feet, (Military Service) plus Many Broken bones (Many Motorcycle accidents!)

My be a shot in the dark, but I've worn one (copper bracelet) for over a year now and most of my Aches & Pains I've forgotten!

 

[Rick A]

Hi Jim-- My condolences on the RA. I suffer from osteo-arthritis, you call it old mans arthritis. I have my good and bad days, and there is nothing I can take to alleviate the pain. I use hot packs(a microwaved rice bag) helps sometimes. My biggest problem with my hands, is the pinched nerves in my neck from five collapsed discs. Most days, I have almost no sensory reception(other than pain)in my hands, which makes it difficult to load film reels for processing. I also have three collapsed disks in my lumbar, that limit walking. Exercise and stretching do help, but not enough. Most days I feel like I'm walking bare foot on sharp rocks, those are the good days. the rest of the time, it feels like spikes or razor blades. Some times I can wear carple tunnel braces on my wrists and that helps with my thumbs, but man when they hurt, there is nothing that takes it away. I refuse to take the meds that are available, as they cause more harm than help. All I can tell you is try out different gadgets until you find what is useful. Modify some of your gear and personalize it. I use my tripod a ton now. I'll pray for your healing.

Rick

 

[Christopher Walrath]

My brother has RA triggered by an auto accident in 98. Couldn't peg it because my great grandmother had it. But I am familiar with the effect it can have on someone. I would say anything lightweight but not necessarily small. Get something that doesn't feel like your lugging around a full suitcase. But not so small that you cannot manipulate the controls. I would think your average modern 35mm SLR would fit the bill. This is not to limit you 'cause you're gonna have good days where you could deal with a Hassy or an RB67, maybe even set up a LF. There are days where you won't be able to adjust a camera strap. Left wrist would affect the ability to focus. Thumbs might be alleviated by an auto winder.

 

[jp80874]

Jim,

Sorry of hear of the RA. I have old man's arthritis of the hands and a not so strong back. You are welcome to what ever of this information that might help you. I will be 70 in March, carry my gear in the following and hike 8-12 miles a week with two Labrador Retrievers. My doctor and their vet say “motion is the best lotion.” When I think that won't work both the 12 year old dog and I take Tramadol Hydrochloride 50 mg twenty minutes before a hike. Ask your doctor if this would help you. Your pain may be too strong for this because it is pretty mild. I posted the following on the LF Forum in a thread about old folks and baby joggers. Hope there is something here that will make easier.

http://babyjogger.com/perf_jogger_lp.aspx the Performance single by BabyJogger

It has 20 inch wheels and 100 pound shocks. The larger wheels help you over uneven terrain, offer less rolling resistance and the shocks make the ride smoother on your gear. I bought mine second hand on eBay three (now five) years ago. That vintage only had a front brake. There is not much weight on the front, so the parking brake doesn’t do much for you. The current model has a parking brake that locks the rear wheels. Lacking that I usually just wedge it up against a tree, rock, or fence.

Today I carried seven 7x17 film holders in a bag on the bottom rails; a 12” x 12” x 10” cooler bag full of lenses, meter, loupe in the seat, and a 7x17 RH Phillips mounted on a big Ries. The tripod spikes go through two holes cut in the foot rest. The tripod leans on the cooler bag and is bungied to the shocks and axle. When I stop, the camera, tripod and tripod head are all connected for instant set up.

I have used this jogger for 4x5, 8x10 and 7x17. The only modification was drilling two holes for the tripod spikes in the foot rest. I also carry 60 feet of ¼” line and a water bottle. I added a bicycle handlebar compass to tell what time to return if the light is not what I need now. A hand held compass would be as good, if not better. The rig allows me to go out two miles from the car on trails. I can usually find a parking space closer then that.

My MF is a Mamiya RZ67 so it weighs about the same as my 4x5 or my 8x10 and would be a good candidate for this. I just prefer a bigger negative now.

John

 

[Mahler_one]

Jim: Your disability is one that you can overcome. Indeed, it sounds as if you have made a good start, and are able to do almost everything that is necessary. Some of the obvious steps to take would include making your set up on the tripod as easy as possible, using a camera of relatively light weight, mastering the use of one lens for most of your work, etc. A suggestion that might not have occurred to you: Canham cameras are made here in the USA, and the maker and "founder" of the camera company is easily accessible, and extremely helpful and pleasant. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he might be able to modify one of his cameras to make such easier for you to use, i.e. knobs and controlls that are larger and easy to grasp and turn and a back ( bail back? ) that might be easier to use as well. Why don't you consider giving him a call, and telling him of your problems and asking him about some possible solutions? His site is easily located. Also, the suggestions about using a cart to roll your equipment sounds great. Mr. Canham might be able to make your camera ready for instant use similar to what has been detailed above. Hopefully you will not have that much trouble loading film holders, because unfortunately, ready holders are no longer available for many films. As far as developing....well, a Jobo would appear to offer great advantages. The tanks are easy to load, and once loaded the process is very simple except for the need to raise and lower the lift, and pour in solutions. One would hope that using the enlarger is still possible. However, if not, contact prints of your large negatives is definitely possible, and relatively easy on your hands and muscles. You can probably sit down during the entire process. Alistair Ingliss makes a front loading contact frame that is very much easier to use than the back loading frame, and no hard effort is necessary to close and secure the frame. Finally, try to standardize on chemicals that are easy to mix from either powder or liquid. In your case is might be easier than weighing out individual components. Feel free to PM me for more details. I am a retired MD...not a rheumatologist, but nevertheless, perhaps I can help you with some of the practical aspects.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Have you tried copper bracelets?

I don't have RA, But for years I've suffered from Cold injuries in my hands Wrists & Feet, (Military Service) plus Many Broken bones (Many Motorcycle accidents!)

My be a shot in the dark, but I've worn one (copper bracelet) for over a year now and most of my Aches & Pains I've forgotten!

Placebo effect.

If not, take copper pills.

Try taking pictures with familial tremor.

PE

 

[RMP-NikonPro]

Placebo

Could be! then could everything just be in the Mind!

 

[mopar_guy]

Jim,
I am sorry to hear about the RA. While I don't have arthritis (either kind) I did have problems with my knees a few years ago. I second what Rick said about avoiding pain meds as long as you can. Any pain medication will have a tendency to be less effective the longer you take it. I hope that you have more good days than bad. You are in my prayers.

Dave

 

[whlogan]

You don't need another sob story. The Vietnamese put me in a wheelchair some years back which medicare turned into an electric scooter a couple of years ago and I now work with a Rollei SL66, Bronics SQ's, a Bronica GS1 but mostly with a bunch of Rollei TLR's. The TLR's are light especially reliable and of super quality; easy to use and just great. I am going on a trip to Monument Valley in the Spring and all that stuff is getting to go. The TLR's will probably carry most of the load. I have an old Tele Rollei (135mm Distagon) and a .7 Mutar making a 75mm Tessar into A 52.5mm.... I love the SL66, but it weighs a ton. The SQ is super but again, weighs a ton. Get light stuff. Rolleis are best above all else. Use Trix or Plus X and you'll never be sorry.

Logan.... see you guys out on the road somewhere...... '73 and still kickin

 

[jmooney]

Thanks for all the wonderful advice so far folks. I do have a bit of a plan but I wanted to see what others have done first.

As far as the arthritis itself goes, I have good and bad days. Good days are not so bad, bad days can involved a cane and trouble tying my shoes. Biggest limitations are gripping and turning (two things that there are a lot of in photography and life for that matter) but again, somedays are much better than others and thankfully so far I've had a lot more good days. In this vain I'm sorta trying to plan for the future with this stuff because I refuse to stop photographing and because this is not the sort of thing that gets better with time. With regards to medications I'm currently using Humira twice a month and Celebrex. I was on Enbrel which worked much better than the Humira but I had bad reactions at the injection site. It makes it tolerable but not great. I also do short runs of Prednisone for flare ups.


Back to photography....A suggestion I've gotten here and a few other sites I posed this same question is to use a tripod. This is something that I think will make a big difference and I'll have to get used to it. I'm newish to LF where a tripod is pretty much a requirement previously with MF, 35, and digi I think I can count on one hand the times I've used a tripod. It's going to be a big change for me but it should help improve the sharpness of my photos either way.

I have found that bigger cameras do help. I love my Leica but it's become difficult to use to it's on it way out. I have it's big brother, the Mamiya 6 but I think that's going out too. The manual focusing and thumb wind can be a bit of a problem too.

I have a battery grip for my D80 digi cam and I'm switching to zooms so I don't have to change lenses as much, I honestly never print those above 8X10 or 11X14 so better consumer zooms will work fine for my needs.

I think I'm done with 35mm for the most part. A 35mm cam big enough to be comfortable will be the same size and weight of an MF camera so I might as well have the bigger negative. Plus the MF film is bigger and a little easier to handle. I'm looking at a Hassy and a Pentax 645N in this department. The Pentax is AF and some zooms are available and the Hassy has focusing handles available most lenses so focusing won't require a gripping twisting action and cable release could be used.

I'm also thinking of doing a lot more LF. I currently have a B&J 5X7 with a 4X5 back and a Bender 8X10. I might also pick up a smaller 4X5. Kind of in the same vain as above, if I going to put it on a tripod I might as well use a bigger negative. Handling sheet film shouldn't be a problem. I do have an enlarger but realistically contact prints are probably easier to do as I don't have a dedicated darkroom right now and would have to set up in a bathroom.

Thanks again for all the thoughts and keep the ideas and experiences coming!

 

[jmooney]

Jim,

Sorry of hear of the RA. I have old man's arthritis of the hands and a not so strong back. You are welcome to what ever of this information that might help you. I will be 70 in March, carry my gear in the following and hike 8-12 miles a week with two Labrador Retrievers. My doctor and their vet say “motion is the best lotion.” When I think that won't work both the 12 year old dog and I take Tramadol Hydrochloride 50 mg twenty minutes before a hike. Ask your doctor if this would help you. Your pain may be too strong for this because it is pretty mild. I posted the following on the LF Forum in a thread about old folks and baby joggers. Hope there is something here that will make easier.

http://babyjogger.com/perf_jogger_lp.aspx the Performance single by BabyJogger

It has 20 inch wheels and 100 pound shocks. The larger wheels help you over uneven terrain, offer less rolling resistance and the shocks make the ride smoother on your gear. I bought mine second hand on eBay three (now five) years ago. That vintage only had a front brake. There is not much weight on the front, so the parking brake doesn’t do much for you. The current model has a parking brake that locks the rear wheels. Lacking that I usually just wedge it up against a tree, rock, or fence.

Today I carried seven 7x17 film holders in a bag on the bottom rails; a 12” x 12” x 10” cooler bag full of lenses, meter, loupe in the seat, and a 7x17 RH Phillips mounted on a big Ries. The tripod spikes go through two holes cut in the foot rest. The tripod leans on the cooler bag and is bungied to the shocks and axle. When I stop, the camera, tripod and tripod head are all connected for instant set up.

I have used this jogger for 4x5, 8x10 and 7x17. The only modification was drilling two holes for the tripod spikes in the foot rest. I also carry 60 feet of ¼” line and a water bottle. I added a bicycle handlebar compass to tell what time to return if the light is not what I need now. A hand held compass would be as good, if not better. The rig allows me to go out two miles from the car on trails. I can usually find a parking space closer then that.

My MF is a Mamiya RZ67 so it weighs about the same as my 4x5 or my 8x10 and would be a good candidate for this. I just prefer a bigger negative now.

John

Thanks for the tip on the jogging stroller, that's a great idea. I'm going to look into it.

 

[jmooney]

Jim: Your disability is one that you can overcome. Indeed, it sounds as if you have made a good start, and are able to do almost everything that is necessary. Some of the obvious steps to take would include making your set up on the tripod as easy as possible, using a camera of relatively light weight, mastering the use of one lens for most of your work, etc. A suggestion that might not have occurred to you: Canham cameras are made here in the USA, and the maker and "founder" of the camera company is easily accessible, and extremely helpful and pleasant. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he might be able to modify one of his cameras to make such easier for you to use, i.e. knobs and controlls that are larger and easy to grasp and turn and a back ( bail back? ) that might be easier to use as well. Why don't you consider giving him a call, and telling him of your problems and asking him about some possible solutions? His site is easily located. Also, the suggestions about using a cart to roll your equipment sounds great. Mr. Canham might be able to make your camera ready for instant use similar to what has been detailed above. Hopefully you will not have that much trouble loading film holders, because unfortunately, ready holders are no longer available for many films. As far as developing....well, a Jobo would appear to offer great advantages. The tanks are easy to load, and once loaded the process is very simple except for the need to raise and lower the lift, and pour in solutions. One would hope that using the enlarger is still possible. However, if not, contact prints of your large negatives is definitely possible, and relatively easy on your hands and muscles. You can probably sit down during the entire process. Alistair Ingliss makes a front loading contact frame that is very much easier to use than the back loading frame, and no hard effort is necessary to close and secure the frame. Finally, try to standardize on chemicals that are easy to mix from either powder or liquid. In your case is might be easier than weighing out individual components. Feel free to PM me for more details. I am a retired MD...not a rheumatologist, but nevertheless, perhaps I can help you with some of the practical aspects.

Thanks for the tips, especially on the front loading contact frame, that is on the shopping list now for sure.

I have pretty much standardized my chemicals. I don't have a ton of time to mess with mixing chemicals and such so I stick to off the shelf stuff -- D76, Dektol, TF-4 and Silver Gelatin materials. I can get help mixing up my chems if need be. My wife and mother are both pharmacists and are pretty hand with graduates and such

I have to look into a Jobo too, right now I'm looking at Unicolor rollers but it would be nice to have the Jobo's convenience. Shame of it is I got a incredible deal on a Jobo once but never used it so I sold it.

The Canham is out of my price range at this point but I'll keep it in mind for the future.

Take care,

Jim

 

[jmooney]

Jim,
I am sorry to hear about the RA. While I don't have arthritis (either kind) I did have problems with my knees a few years ago. I second what Rick said about avoiding pain meds as long as you can. Any pain medication will have a tendency to be less effective the longer you take it. I hope that you have more good days than bad. You are in my prayers.

Dave

Thanks Dave and everyone else for the prayers, I truly appreciate them!

 

[jmooney]

You don't need another sob story. The Vietnamese put me in a wheelchair some years back which medicare turned into an electric scooter a couple of years ago and I now work with a Rollei SL66, Bronics SQ's, a Bronica GS1 but mostly with a bunch of Rollei TLR's. The TLR's are light especially reliable and of super quality; easy to use and just great. I am going on a trip to Monument Valley in the Spring and all that stuff is getting to go. The TLR's will probably carry most of the load. I have an old Tele Rollei (135mm Distagon) and a .7 Mutar making a 75mm Tessar into A 52.5mm.... I love the SL66, but it weighs a ton. The SQ is super but again, weighs a ton. Get light stuff. Rolleis are best above all else. Use Trix or Plus X and you'll never be sorry.

Logan.... see you guys out on the road somewhere...... '73 and still kickin

I never considered TLR Logan, I do have a Yashica D around here somewhere, it was my first MF cam. I'll have to get it out and see how it does for me. It'll probably need a CLA but that shouldn't be too expensive.

Thanks!

Jim

 

[jp80874]

I have to look into a Jobo too, right now I'm looking at Unicolor rollers but it would be nice to have the Jobo's convenience. Jim

Another vote for the Jobo, CPP-2 or CPA-2. I have a thread going on the LF Forum asking how to maintain them if that is of concern. There have been some helpful answers. http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=57813

John

 

[eddym]

I don't have RA, but do have osteo in my neck and knees. Five herniated lumbar discs and three cervical. The neck hurts the most, and if I don't take an anti-inflammatory daily, I can't turn it far enough in either direction to safely drive a car. My wife has degenerative OA in her hands, and most doctors think it is RA when they see her, but the tests show that it's not. Both of us are under 60. My sympathies for your RA, and to all of us who can't do the things they want to do. This growing old crap sucks, but I guess it beats the alternative...

 

[DLawson]

Hi All,

I'm looking to see what those of you that suffer from arthritis of the hands and wrists use and find that works well for you from an equipment standpoint.

Yes I'm young (33) but I have what's known as Rheumatoid Arthritis or RA, it's an auto-immune arthritis, not your run of the mill old folks arthritis.

It affects several fingers on each of my hands and also both thumbs and my left wrist.

What gear works well for you? What type of accessories have made it easier for you to photograph? What hasn't worked?

I shoot 35, MF, and LF, and some digi so any and all advice or opinions are welcome.

My only extensive usage is with 35mm. I guess advice depends on what kind of shooting you do. My main thought is spreading out usage, avoiding repetitive-stress type exacerbation of the pain. The main thought I have there is winders.

I've always used an OM-1, which has the shutter speed around the lens mount -- one less small thing to need to grip.

I don't have arthritis, but my doctors said I do. Diagnosis in 1973 was juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but more recent bloodwork just drops me to nonspecific chronic joint pain.

 

[Rick A]

Jim,
I am sorry to hear about the RA. While I don't have arthritis (either kind) I did have problems with my knees a few years ago. I second what Rick said about avoiding pain meds as long as you can. Any pain medication will have a tendency to be less effective the longer you take it. I hope that you have more good days than bad. You are in my prayers.

Dave

MoparGuy, another point on the meds, that doctors wont tell you, is that "nsaids" impair healing. Studies show that large doses block or prevent specific healing factors from being used by the body. This is a [catch-22] problem, as the drugs mask the pain and relieve the inflamation, but slow or even prevent healing. Then there in the effect on the heart itself! I can live with pain, dont want the heart attack!! I do take pain-killers on a maintainance basis- i dose a specific narcotic in low-dose form three times daily. The problem with that is building a tollerance and needing increase adjustment from time to time. I guess being slightly stoned all the time works(for now), but major corrective surgery is looming in the near future.

Enough already, lets ignore the pain, and can the self-pity, and get out there and do what we love --LIVE LIFE!!!

Rick

 

[JBrunner]

A friend of mine has arthritis in his hands. He finds heat brings improved mobility and lessens pain almost immediately on application. He uses those pocket warmer packs in the field. I've seen him cradle a hot cup of coffee and literally watched his hands "un-knot", so I know it isn't just in his head.