Thumbrest is what I miss from old days

[btgc]

Yesterday, carrying IstD, first gen DSLR, I realized how much space it has on right side. I never have changed settings by accidentally pressing nav. pad or other buttons. Some day I could use some newer digital camera and what I see they make 'em uncomfortably small with so large screens that there's no space on back for thumb. Even many rather expensive and powerful cameras are meant to be kept like compacts. They have either non-dedicated flat space for thumb or dedicated, but rather small pad, not rest.

OK, I see there some Pentax DSLRs, like K-3 having at least some space to allow tight grip. I don't really care if there are 16, 24 or 32 megapixels as I'm just hobbyist and can tolerate any of this, but if I want small body and less wasted space I could just use compact camera not DSLR, right?

Probably this is matter of getting using to it, as with everything. When I want less car for more money, I buy cabrio, but from now this applies also to regular cameras...How did you adapt to new ways of holding camera?

 

[Keith]

I am yet find a comfortable way to hold my M240 without having the feeling that it will leap out of my hands any second!

My most ergonomic camera by far is my F6. 🙂

 

[dave lackey]

I am yet find a comfortable way to hold my M240 without having the feeling that it will leap out of my hands any second!

My most ergonomic camera by far is my F6. 🙂

Yes! I just realized yesterday that my F6 works nicely with no strap at all. I discovered this when I took off the Op-Tech neoprene strap to try the F6 in my Domke 5xb Rugged Wear bag. I don't need a camera strap for the F6 with small primes! It feels so light and balanced with the rubbery finish.

How liberating!

 

[dave lackey]

Yesterday, carrying IstD, first gen DSLR, I realized how much space it has on right side. I never have changed settings by accidentally pressing nav. pad or other buttons. Some day I could use some newer digital camera and what I see they make 'em uncomfortably small with so large screens that there's no space on back for thumb. Even many rather expensive and powerful cameras are meant to be kept like compacts. They have either non-dedicated flat space for thumb or dedicated, but rather small pad, not rest.

OK, I see there some Pentax DSLRs, like K-3 having at least some space to allow tight grip. I don't really care if there are 16, 24 or 32 megapixels as I'm just hobbyist and can tolerate any of this, but if I want small body and less wasted space I could just use compact camera not DSLR, right?

Probably this is matter of getting using to it, as with everything. When I want less car for more money, I buy cabrio, but from now this applies also to regular cameras...How did you adapt to new ways of holding camera?

How do you adapt... Indeed.

We rode in my elderly sister's Town Car last year when we took her to a birthday luncheon. Oh my do I love those full bench seats!!! I miss those!!!

The space with no console was again liberating! And the legroom in back...again no console!

Brought back memories of dating with the old Chevy BelAir. I think bucket seats may be responsible for some of our road rage nowadays as we don't even get close to our loved ones anymore. I fear cameras will become just an electronic chip with no tactile feel, no space for your hands and no pleasure! It would be tough dating nowadays!😀

 

[FrankS]

Where there's a will, there's a way, at least in regards to "dating" in a vw bug. 😉

But yes, I agree with the OP. I'm waiting on a grip and a thumb rest for my xe2 to make it more holdable.

 

[BillBingham2]

Perhaps letting some air out may help......😱

B2 (;->

 

[Rob-F]

My most comfortable and natural cameras to hand-hold are my film Leicas; Nikon film cameras, e.g. FM3a; and my Mamiya M7ii. My Nikon D700 also feels quite natural to hold. All these feel like an extension of my own hands. My M8.2 isn't bad, just not quite as comfortable; though I don't get a feeling that I'm about to drop it. I think its front-to-back thickness, compared to my film Leicas and Nikons, is what feels wrong, more so than the lack of an advance lever.

 

[Darthfeeble]

It's "The Public". "The Public" demanded more buttons to avoid having to search the menu for various functions and thus we have tools that seem to go off on their own. Damn "Public" anyway.

 

[rbsinto]

I've got custom-made wrist strap anchor plates and home-made wrist straps on all my motor-driven film SLRs, so holding them is easy.
My CV R2S Bessa has a trigger-winder that adds an ergonomic touch to the body, but nevertheless, I still carry it and my Nikon S3s, and SP with the neck strap wound around my wrist.

 

[btgc]

F6 looks nice to hold and use. I suspect its display is as large as one on IstD. And here we come to issue of digital cameras - oversized screens. With fancy GUI screens have to be larger then small text mode screens. Or are they so big to make camera primary device for reviewing or even editing pictures? If not that screens, we could have all those dedicated buttons and still have space for fingers.

I'm glad they didn't make screen even bigger to play Candy Crush while waiting for decisive moment 🙂

>I think bucket seats may be responsible for some of our road rage
>nowadays as we don't even get close to our loved ones anymore.

Brilliant, simply.

 

[Godfrey]

I am yet find a comfortable way to hold my M240 without having the feeling that it will leap out of my hands any second!

My most ergonomic camera by far is my F6. 🙂

I put the M-P240 into a half case. It's as secure in my hands as the F6. Never liked resting my thumb on the film advance.

The F6 does feel delightful, and is nearly as good in the hand as the Olympus E-1 (which still takes my prize for the best SLR ergonomics of all time). 🙂

G

 

[KM-25]

I held a 240 the other day...it felt like a can of spam, not good, lol....not good at all.

On the flipside, I have really upped the ergonomics game with my M6 and the lenses by strategically adding griptac in places like the thumb rest area, the bottom plate and on either side of the focus tabs on my 35mm 1.4 Asph and 28mm 2.8 Asph.

I already had griptac on the M3 but this new setup on the M6 and lenses makes it about the best handling camera I have ever used. The lenses are now a dream to use as I can really exploit the options and are especially intuitive when shooting vertically.

Where there is a will there is a way...

 

[dee]

For me it's the Leica Digilux 3 and twin L1 - they feel like a film camera with plenty of size to grip - weird considering that 4/3rds was intended to create smaller cameras !