any tips on hand holding a crown graphic with b&w film?

V E R Y S T I L L.

okay I had to do that. I usually put my left hand through the strap then "cup my hand" so the strap is pressing against the back of my hand.

After focusing and fiddling, my right thumb goes under the bed, my forfinger is ready to tripsthe shutter, I pull the camera into my body as much as possible, exhale, and trip the shutter. The body release on my camera was never reliable, I ignore it.

Some Crown specials came with a little plastic part screwed to the body above the strap. This allowed a cable release to be used without a tripod. When using this my right hand falls on the right strut, my thumb is under the body so help steady everything.

At all times my elbows are tucked in and yes I've even hunched down abit to allow my arms to rest on my chest.

For anyone wondering, there's no difference if you use color film instead!

All photo courses I've been in say take a breath, let half of it out, hold and squeze the shutter release. It works, I'm stable enough to do a 1/10 sec with 35mm.

Quote:

On 2001-11-16 22:10, 45PSS wrote: All photo courses I've been in say take a breath, let half of it out, hold and squeze the shutter release. It works, I'm stable enough to do a 1/10 sec with 35mm.

I didn't hear that in a photo course, but I heard it on the rifle range often enough.

The technique is useful for either kind of shooting, since what you're doing is trying to limit motion.

That half breath out advice is good... on the rifle range or shooting low-light with Panatomic X or Verichrome Pan (am I dating myself?)

Also, another technique used on rifle ranges is to squeeze rather than pull a trigger. You don't want to try to quickly press that release, do it slowly and carefully so as not to shake the camera. Most lenses suitable for a Crown Graphic have a cable release attachment point. You can still find pneumatic bulb cable releases. You can then hold the bulb in your left hand against the camera body, squeezing it for a smooth release. This may work better for some than others. Speed Graphics, at least mine, has a cable release socket on the camera body for the focal plane shutter.

Probably the best advice would be not to hand hold at all. A good rifleman shooting a heavy black powder flintlock will rest his weapon against a tree, or better yet cradle it in between a pair of "shooting sticks". Flintlocks have a very long "lock time" and "hang time", and there is a noticable lag between the release of the flint and the strike of it, as well as the time required for ignition of the powder in the primer pan, the ignition of the main charge, and the time required for the bullet to exit the barrel. Being absolutely steady is critical if you want to win the turkey shoot or take that trophy buck home.

A Crown Graphic is fairly heavy, though not as heavy as a Speed Graphic. Get yourself a tripod or a monopod. A monopod can be used almost as quickly as hand holding, and it leaves your other hand free for focusing, checking your Weston Master IV again, and releasing the shutter, with or without the cable release.

Dale A. Raby
Editor/Publisher
The Green Bay Web
http://www.thegreenbayweb.com