Going vertical

[Mircula]

Hello,

I recently upgraded from 20D to 40D and I tried using my new camera without battery grip. It is a bit bigger and heavier than the 20D and feels really good to use without a bg.
Because I am going to travel for 5 months soon I considered leaving the battery grip and just taking the body…

The problem is….How do you shoot vertical pictures without a grip. With the separate control over exposure lock and focus as I have at the moment I cannot take vertical shots.

It is really hard to pres the AF on button when shooting vertical. So I can’t focus properly. My head always hits my hand.. ☺

How do you do this? Do you just use the shutter button for af and ae?


Ciao,

Mirc

[mikec]

Mirc, do you use your left or right eye through the view finder? I used to use my left and found it hard to use the body rotated vertically. That could be one issue.

Otherwise I really don't understand your problem, I used to shoot my 450D with a grip and now shoot my 5D without. I really thought I'd miss the grip but to be honest I don't really. I'm assuming you rotate the body so the shutter release is on top when your shooting vertical?

[vk2gwk]

I have never used a grip and I really do not understand the problem. It is not hard at all to press the AF-ON button when holding the camera vertical. You must be holding your camera in a very specal way....

[Mircula]

Hello,

thanks for the comments.

I feel a bit stupid hehe.

I use my right eye. Tried today with a left one but that would take some serious relearning i think.

Well my head kind of hits my thumb when I have it vertically and try to reach the af on button to focus....Maybe i am just too silly to use it as noone else seems to have this problem....
And yes i rotate it so that shutter is on top.....

[Tannin]

Mark me down as another one who doesn't really understand your problem. To shoot in portrait mode (that's its proper name, not "vertical") , I just lift up my right arm and twist it around a bit. I have never owned or wanted a grip, but my most-used camera has a built-in one, and even with the Mark 3 I often don't bother to use the vertical grip, just lift and twist.

I'm actually a bit torn both ways with your question. One part of me wants to say:

"stop sooking and just get used to it"

the other part wants to say

"comfort and habit are important if you want to be able to concentrate properly on stuff that really matters, such as composition, use a darn grip if it feels better!"

Take whichever bit of advice you prefer then!

[mikec]

No, right eye is the correct way. If you use your left it gets a little awkward hence why I asked.

[ving]

i am a left eye guy... but i just tried both... i have no idea how your hands are getting in the way...

i know its not an easy ask but can you take a pic of you taking a pic... maybe you are just holding the camera wrong...

[Mircula]

hehe yeah, maybe i should make a poll: With what eye do you shoot that would be interesting....

so maybe i just use the wrong eye, or really hold my camera really really awkward.....

[Mircula]

ok. i will try the pic of me taking the pic tonight...that will be fun!

[ving]

that poll is done. it interesting to read. you should look for it!

[Mircula]

so this is me holding the camera in "portrait" mode.

And if i press my eye against the viewfinder my thumb hits my forehead so i cannot get close with my eye to the viewfinder.....

I will get a shot from the side a bit later tonight or tomorrow.....

[Tannin]

What is your thumb doing way over there?

Your hands are too big. Get some smaller hands.

[Mircula]

my thumb is just lying relaxed on the af on button.....

here horizontal....

huge hands...hmmmm...could that be it?

[ving]

hmm, i see your point... if you arent using the ae-lock i'd move ur thumb to the top of the camera so its out of the way.

or tilt your head backwards a little and then the camera in the right direction, this should take the thumb in to acct.

[ving]

What is your thumb doing way over there?

Your hands are too big. Get some smaller hands.

you got little girly hands tony?

[ving]

oh and the writing on your canon is back-to-front... i think you bought a fake

[Mircula]

that is the point. i use the af on button for focusing.....because i want to have ae and af seperate.

And it is kind of logical that my thumb must hit the forehead in that position. wait for the side photo and you will see...

That is why i asked how anybodyelse is doing it.....

[William]

I shoot heaps of shots in Portrait orientation , I'm a left Eye guy, Shutter button on top , No worries

[in2fx]

I seem to be more comfortable using left eye (had not even paid much attention to it until resently while photographing around the rockly coastline and I tried right eye for a while) and have no problems with portrait and I'm using a baby size 550D

[dulvariprestige]

Why not just leave the BG on, will it not fit in your bag with it on, I've just come back from Fiji, took my 7d gripped and the 5d without grip, so if I went out for the day and only wanted to take one body and lens, I could take the 5d in a lowepro 160, but if the 160 could fit the body with grip, I would've left it on.