cool one handed operation of the S2

[xayraa33]

this one handed operation feature possibly started with the S2,
" advance film, focus, and shoot"
it must have been a selling point, but I would use two hands as in this postcard, as I would not want to drop such an expensive camera.

 

[VinceC]

It started with Contax in the 1930s. It's a more useful feature than you might expect. If you're out and about doing shopping or whatnot, it's easy to hold onto packages, etcetera, while taking a picture. At parties, you don't need to set down your drink. You can climb up on things for a better view and have a free hand to steady yourself. You can use a long flash-sync cord to hold a strobe at arm's length for very effective flash photography.

 

[40oz]

how else would you hold it?

 

[jlw]

It started with Contax in the 1930s.

I can see focusing and shooting one-handed with a Contax, but winding the film (via a knob) would have to be a bit trickier than with the S2's lever.

Yes, I've owned both a Contax III and an S2, but I don't remember trying the one-handed shooting trick with the Contax. In fact, the pain from that damned little pin near the self-timer digging constantly into the ball of my pinkie made me want to grip it as gingerly as possible!

 

[VinceC]

The Contax Grip certainly makes you want to use two hands.

 

[VinceC]

I think Nikon tried to make "advance, focus, shoot" a selling point. Not sure it got them many sales.

I do like using the lever rewind one-handed. I never bought into the idea of using my middle finger to focus while keeping my pointer finger on the shutter release. Most of the time, I use my pointer finger to focus, then bring it back to the shutter release. However, if I'm following some critical action and waiting for a so-called decisive moment, I have used my middle-finger to focus so that I can shoot at the correct instant.

 

[BillBingham2]

I have a Gordy strap on my S2 and have no worries about droping it.

I used to always use off camera flash and this would have come in handy compared to my Nikkormat FTn and Konica IIIm that I used throughout high schoool.

B2 (;->

 

[VinceC]

Here's a page from my 1957 Nikon Manual.

 

[VinceC]

>>I can see focusing and shooting one-handed with a Contax, but winding the film (via a knob) would have to be a bit trickier than with the S2's lever.<<

I just got home and tried out my Kiev for one-handed focusing. Two problems. One) The RF window is so close to the edge that you're fingers easily cover it. Two) The focus wheel is further away from the edge of the camera, closer to the lens, than on a Nikon, so it's a much longer reach for your fingers.

Conclusion: If you're hanging from the engine cuppola of a Zeppelin in order to get an aerial shot of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and using your left hand to hang onto the engine strut for safety, I suppose it would work if there was no other option. But it's kind of a pain in the neck in everyday use on a Contax II/Kiev 2.

 

[jsuominen]

Conclusion: If you're hanging from the engine cuppola of a Zeppelin in order to get an aerial shot of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and using your left hand to hang onto the engine strut fro safety, I suppose it would work if there was no other option. But it's kind of a pain in the neck in everyday use on a Contax II/Kiev 2.

I have found out that my Nikon S2 suits better for one handed operation than my Contax IIa. Even if IIa would have the same kind of lever as S2 has. They are about the same size, but somehow S2 fits into my hand better and feels a bit bigger than IIa.