sevo
Fokutorendaburando
In my experience (and I've been living with the same condition almost all my life) dials and knobs are not all that bad. Indeed less bad than the four-fingered AF-lock-AE-lock-exposure-override-release routine of the modern pro AF SLR - a single incapacitated finger on the right hand and the ergonomics of the current pro camera fall apart...
Ronald M
Veteran
Digital cameras are all buttons and I am familiar with Nikons. D810 with handstrap.
Medium size, pro build, and impossible to drop. Auto focus 1.8 G lenses are small and light.
D610 has one dial. Cheaper and lighter than 810
Both can be used in Manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and program, auto ISO.
D5000 series cheaper yet, smaller sensor. Pic quality the same up to 8x10 as better cameras.
D3300 $500 cheap, small and light, with impressive pictures. Feather weight camera. Wrap the hand strap around your wrist.
Medium size, pro build, and impossible to drop. Auto focus 1.8 G lenses are small and light.
D610 has one dial. Cheaper and lighter than 810
Both can be used in Manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and program, auto ISO.
D5000 series cheaper yet, smaller sensor. Pic quality the same up to 8x10 as better cameras.
D3300 $500 cheap, small and light, with impressive pictures. Feather weight camera. Wrap the hand strap around your wrist.
Addy101
Well-known
It seems we need a little more information.
If I'm following the light and a little bigger without the need to grip the grip - I second the Minolta Dynax/Maxxum 700si (or 800si) proposal. The grip is nice and rounded, so you don't need to really go around it. It has a big [P] button, if you had it set up for something smart on a good day, you easily switch it to [P] on a bad day. Get a first generation lens and you can't go wrong - the 35-70/4 would be the cheap option, but it might be a bit small with your condition, but the 35-105 and 28-85 are good zooms to, and the 50/1.7's are cheap and plentiful.
The other make I use is Canon. My 3000n might be the thing, it has a grip that probably is well suited. It is bit of plastic crap, but it just works. Put a plastic fantastic 50/1.8 on it and be done with it. The newer 300x/300v/3000x/3000v have a grip I think isn't as suited for you (assuming the stated circumstances).
Edit: I just realised that the original Minolta 28-85 and 35-105 lenses aren't that lightweight. Get a later 24-85/28-105 instead.
If I'm following the light and a little bigger without the need to grip the grip - I second the Minolta Dynax/Maxxum 700si (or 800si) proposal. The grip is nice and rounded, so you don't need to really go around it. It has a big [P] button, if you had it set up for something smart on a good day, you easily switch it to [P] on a bad day. Get a first generation lens and you can't go wrong - the 35-70/4 would be the cheap option, but it might be a bit small with your condition, but the 35-105 and 28-85 are good zooms to, and the 50/1.7's are cheap and plentiful.
The other make I use is Canon. My 3000n might be the thing, it has a grip that probably is well suited. It is bit of plastic crap, but it just works. Put a plastic fantastic 50/1.8 on it and be done with it. The newer 300x/300v/3000x/3000v have a grip I think isn't as suited for you (assuming the stated circumstances).
Edit: I just realised that the original Minolta 28-85 and 35-105 lenses aren't that lightweight. Get a later 24-85/28-105 instead.
Paul Jenkin
Well-known
Clearly, you know your condition and limitations better than any of us and I respect your comments.
All I can say, however, is that down the years I have owned Nikon F, F2, F3HP, F5, F6, F80, F100, FE, FM2n and FM3A (film), D70, D200, D300, D700 and D800 (digital) and that, I've found using the same film stock (or at least same ISO rating) means camera operation on the F5 and F6 are the simplest of the lot.
I love my FM3A but the ergonomics and balance are much improved when it has the motor drive attached.
Might be worth heading over to a camera shop and trying a few options?
rlouzan
Well-known
lynnb
Veteran
Jim, when your hands are misbehaving, do you get any shake? If so then something with image stabilisation (which both Nikon and Canon offer in their lenses - not sure about Minolta) might tip the balance.
I've always liked Nikon's ergonomics - I have the F80 and it's good. Also it's not too small if you have larger hands.
If you have smaller hands and don't need image stabilisation, I recently came across a Pentax MZ-5 with 35-80/4-5.6 kit lens and it's very good also: lightweight (plastic) body, KAF2 metal mount, choice of MF/AF, aperture ring on lens or via body control wheel (depending on legacy or modern lens), shutter dial and exposure compensation dials on top, motorised film loading advance and rewind, P/A/S/M. The only fiddly things are the small lever for metering mode and perhaps the interlock buttons on the top dials - which have to be pressed to change EC and to select/deselect the A position on the shutter speed dial. It's just a little larger than the OM1.
I've always liked Nikon's ergonomics - I have the F80 and it's good. Also it's not too small if you have larger hands.
If you have smaller hands and don't need image stabilisation, I recently came across a Pentax MZ-5 with 35-80/4-5.6 kit lens and it's very good also: lightweight (plastic) body, KAF2 metal mount, choice of MF/AF, aperture ring on lens or via body control wheel (depending on legacy or modern lens), shutter dial and exposure compensation dials on top, motorised film loading advance and rewind, P/A/S/M. The only fiddly things are the small lever for metering mode and perhaps the interlock buttons on the top dials - which have to be pressed to change EC and to select/deselect the A position on the shutter speed dial. It's just a little larger than the OM1.
Addy101
Well-known
Minolta didn't have IS/VR in the lenses, they did a sensorbased image stabilisation when they went digital. If you need stabilisation, if you get Canon, get a 35/2 IS (or 28/2.8 IS, 24/2.8 IS) - but it won't be cheap 
Richard G
Veteran
Some great suggestions. Dexterity, flexibility and pain your end are the issues, including whether you have pain in the wrists or shoulders. I reckon an OM 2 is out as you need to flex your fingers quite a bit and then grip firmly. A bigger body, not too light and not too heavy will be better.
John E Earley
Tuol Sleng S21-0174
Tejasican
Well-known
Having dealt with this for while, I will lay out some experiences and you can interpolate them for your situation as needed. i have some additional hand injury in addition to arthritis so what I need may be different for you. For me, I do not have a problem with knobs and dials, in fact, a large easy to manipulate knob or dial can be easier and less painful than a small button or constant pressing, which is actually more painful on the my bad days where fine motor control is a dream. On a bad day, I have to limit what I do with the iPad. For me camera weight is an issue with any prolonged use because of the strain on hands. My hands are fairly large. By controls I mean aperture, shutter speed, and loading film mainly.
Canon A-1 -> grip +, weight +, controls are meh, because of how they are executed except film loading which is good
Canon FTB QL -> grip is iffy, but good deal otherwise if serviced and lubed
Nikon F3 -> grip -, with MD-4 way too heavy, controls + except rewinding film
Leica R4-> grip ok, with winder feels like it puts odd stresses on hand and wrist
Leicaflex SL -> the odd shape makes it easy to hold which mitigates the weight issue somewhat (that was a surprise), controls are really easy to manipulate - the shutter wheel is surprisingly easy, the 2-cam lenses are really heavy though
Olympus OM 1&2 -> these are my favorites as aperture and shutter are in a line and large control so less stress on the hands overall, with a case the grip is good (my preferred) or with an empty winder (no batteries) which allows a large grip with virtually no weight gain - however, the film rewind button which is not great best of days is a really nasty on the bad ones.
You may also find that the throw on lenses matters. The Leica R have a long throw which means more turning of the lens when focusing which can be painful in itself at times. Hope some of that is useful.
Canon A-1 -> grip +, weight +, controls are meh, because of how they are executed except film loading which is good
Canon FTB QL -> grip is iffy, but good deal otherwise if serviced and lubed
Nikon F3 -> grip -, with MD-4 way too heavy, controls + except rewinding film
Leica R4-> grip ok, with winder feels like it puts odd stresses on hand and wrist
Leicaflex SL -> the odd shape makes it easy to hold which mitigates the weight issue somewhat (that was a surprise), controls are really easy to manipulate - the shutter wheel is surprisingly easy, the 2-cam lenses are really heavy though
Olympus OM 1&2 -> these are my favorites as aperture and shutter are in a line and large control so less stress on the hands overall, with a case the grip is good (my preferred) or with an empty winder (no batteries) which allows a large grip with virtually no weight gain - however, the film rewind button which is not great best of days is a really nasty on the bad ones.
You may also find that the throw on lenses matters. The Leica R have a long throw which means more turning of the lens when focusing which can be painful in itself at times. Hope some of that is useful.
kshapero
South Florida Man
I used to suffer from the same thing (PM me for what worked for me) and at the height of the discomfort, I used a light DSLR (Pentax). The camera grip of a DSLR seem to stabilize my pain. Hope you feel better.
raid
Dad Photographer
I wish you some relief from your condition.
There are many good suggestions above.
There are many good suggestions above.
ferider
Veteran
I wish you get better, autoimmune diseases s*ck.
I also recommend a Maxxum body. Nice big grips, the eye focus might help, great auto exposure and auto everything modes, and you can pick between a light body like the 7000i or a heavy one like the Maxxum 9. Good battery life time, and easy to change film and battery, too. Great and affordable lenses, too.
Roland.
I also recommend a Maxxum body. Nice big grips, the eye focus might help, great auto exposure and auto everything modes, and you can pick between a light body like the 7000i or a heavy one like the Maxxum 9. Good battery life time, and easy to change film and battery, too. Great and affordable lenses, too.
Roland.
Dwig
Well-known
The attributes that work best with my poor hands are things that keep me from needing to bend my fingers more that necessary:
- light weight
- absolutely no need to curly my fingers much to grip the camera (read: absolutely nothing close to the "OM-x with winder" type of configuration).
- fairly large overall but most importantly a wide "wind side", typical of classic Nikons, so I don't need to curl my finger much to hold the camera.
jmooney
Guy with a camera
This place is great. Thank you all for the wonderful info. I will answer some questions individually now since people took the time to write. I knew I get some great info here.
As a general answer to many: My hands are fairly big (I'm 6'1" 260) and on good days I could use just about anything but I need to plan for the bad days because they are becoming more frequent and the disease just spread to the base knuckle on my right index finger and since I'm right handed this has opened up a bunch of new issues hence my question.
If I had to name my style it would be documentary in that I photography what's around me and what I come across and of course my wife and daughters so I don't have any really specialised needs other than a wide normal lens and a box to hold the film
I do have a digital camera but it's small (Sony a3000) as are most cameras these days and this was a problem even when my hands were much better. A D700 or similar would be great but it's not in the budget and I prefer film when I can shoot it. My wife has taken over a lot of the digisnap needs with her D3100.
So that's where I'm at and as I said individual responses forthcoming...
Jim
As a general answer to many: My hands are fairly big (I'm 6'1" 260) and on good days I could use just about anything but I need to plan for the bad days because they are becoming more frequent and the disease just spread to the base knuckle on my right index finger and since I'm right handed this has opened up a bunch of new issues hence my question.
If I had to name my style it would be documentary in that I photography what's around me and what I come across and of course my wife and daughters so I don't have any really specialised needs other than a wide normal lens and a box to hold the film
I do have a digital camera but it's small (Sony a3000) as are most cameras these days and this was a problem even when my hands were much better. A D700 or similar would be great but it's not in the budget and I prefer film when I can shoot it. My wife has taken over a lot of the digisnap needs with her D3100.
So that's where I'm at and as I said individual responses forthcoming...
Jim
jmooney
Guy with a camera
I've never really looked at the Maxxums but the do seem to be nicely rounded and bulky which is a good thing. I'm going to look further. Thanks!
jmooney
Guy with a camera
Thanks but I've had a Maxxum 70 and the grips are too small on these guys and unfortunately battery grips are hard to come by and seem to cost a fortune. They are great cameras but just not enough real estate for my meat hooks.
jmooney
Guy with a camera
ferider
Veteran
Try a Maxxum 9. I'm big like you, the camera has a large grip and is comfortably heavy. Perfect viewfinder. If you are patient, they can be had for less than US 300.
jmooney
Guy with a camera
Thanks Murray....I actually have a Yashica D that I take out from time to time but with 2 young kids scurrying around and such juggling the camera, meter, and them get to be too much sometimes. But you are right it that it's pretty usable when I have time even when my hands are not cooperating.
Jim