14
HOLDING THE CAMERA
Camera shake is one of the most common causes of unsharp
pictures, especially at slow shutter speeds. Learn to hold the
“mere correctly and practice steady shutter squeezing. The
photos show the best ways to hold the camera for sharp pic-
tures.
Wrap the fingers of the right hand around the camera body
so that the index finger rests comfortably on the shutter-re-
lease button and the thumb fits between the camera body and
the film-advance lever. Position the camera so that the eye
looks through the center of the viewfinder. Cradle the cam-
era in the left hand for additional support, with the left thumb
and index finger grasping the focusing ring. From this basic
stance, the camera can be properly supported and easily
switched from horizontal to vertical format shooting. As a
general rule, the slowest shutter speed you should use with
the camera hand-held is equal to the reciprocal of the focal
length of the lens in use (e.g., for a 500mm lens, use 1/500
sec.; for a 105mm lens, use 1/125 sec.). However, as the ability
to hold the camera steady may vary with each individual, we
recommend that you experiment. In general, the higher the
selected shutter speed, the sharper the picture.
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