How do you hold your SLR in Portrait mode (no vertical grip)

On shooting portrait - Do you have...

  • Grip side on top

    Votes: 73 86.9%

  • Grip side on bottom

    Votes: 11 13.1%
  • Total voters
    84
Voted

I always hold the camera with grip side up but every time I give the camera to my wife she holds it the other way up.
 
Grip side on as I find that's the easiest way to keep my left taking the weight of the lens.

John
 
Always the grip on top unless I am using on camera fill flash and want the flash light to come in from right of camera instead of left. When I do shoot with the grip to the bottom I find it extremely awkward.

Even with a camera with a portrait grip (1D3) I will more often than not swivel my arms and grip the camera at the top rather than readjusting my grip on the camera. That way I can still make quick adjustments to the AF point selection with the multi-controller.
 
Depends on how I'm positioning myself to take the shot - probably grip up if I'm leaning to the left or neutral, grip down if I'm leaning to my right (I'm a left eye, right handed shooter).
 
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Thinking back I shoot both ways... However no option for that so I'm saying grip side down :)
 
tdodd said:
Always the grip on top unless I am using on camera fill flash and want the flash light to come in from right of camera instead of left. When I do shoot with the grip to the bottom I find it extremely awkward.

Even with a camera with a portrait grip (1D3) I will more often than not swivel my arms and grip the camera at the top rather than readjusting my grip on the camera. That way I can still make quick adjustments to the AF point selection with the multi-controller.
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+1 the camera is all wobbly the other way and its too difficult to manipulate the exposure controls.
 
Grip on top for me, just feels much more natural to hold it that way.
 
grip on top for me ..feels more natural and easier to steady with the left if needed
 
Sorry complete rubbish post - I don't know my left from my right sometimes...
 
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Grip facing down. Feels odd having the hand triggering the shutter way up high, I want it as close to the same plane as it is when the camera is horizontal. Also, partly through practicality - my film cameras, especially the Pentax MX, often need the film advance lever coming slightly out to activate the meter, and if the grip was facing up, the lever would dig into my forehead (ouch!).
 
Grip side up. I normally use back button focus and find it very awkward holding the camera with the grip down.
 
grip side up , the strange thing is that even though I have a grip fitted I very rarely use the shutter button on the grip as I tend to shoot fairly quickly so I find it much easier to just turn the camera and shoot .
 
First time I held it grip down, but since I always go for the right eye I ended up repeatedly pressing the self timer button with my nose.

From then on grip at the top.
 
Need an option for both - usually grip on top but can be either.
 
Also a grip on top user! Must get a grip though, as my arms ache after a day shooting!!
 
Grip side up - I find that I can almost let go of the body and it just dangles there with pure friction. There are occasions when I may want the onboard flash to come from the other side, in which case I'll use it t'other way up (but that's very rare.) TBH, it's fairly rare for me to shoot in portrait orientation anyway!
 
If i'm laying down flat (which i do a lot) grip on bottom.
If the animal i'm photographing is nervous, grip on bottom (i've found hand going up in the air on the grip scares birds off more often).
Any other situation it depends if i want flash to come from a certain angle etc.
 
Have been holding it grip side down but have now realised how much better (stable) it would be the other way, so will be changing!
 
Grip side down but I'm left-eyed so it means my nose isn't squashed against the screen for once.
 
Grip up 95% of the time.
I shoot grip down only when grip up isn't possible. I can't hold the camera very steady grip down as my right arm is some what contorted !
 
Grip up for my, I personally find it very awkward to hold it the other way up.
 
grip on top for me, used to hold it the other way but find it much steadier with the grip on top
 
Grip on bottom for me (in a serious minority, it seems) but I'm a left eye shooter so it works out much better that way. I had a grip on my 400D which converted me to the other way for a while but as soon as I got my 50D (and I've yet to get a grip for it) I went straight back to grip on the bottom.
 
I'm grip on top. As others have said my nose would bump off it if it were the other way around as it always goes to the right eye.

Need to check which way the wife does it.
 
Grip on top, feels more comfortable and lest wrist bend.
 
Grip (or shutter button on top) is the correct way. The right hand is unstressed by supporting the camera.and just performs the function of pressing the shutter. The left hand takes the weight.

Try this with any telephoto lens you have...

With the camera in landscape (normal orientation) support the weight of the lens with your left hand cupped under the lens . Now twist the camera to the left to put the shutter button on top. Your hands don't need to change their grip on the camera at all and your left elbow stays tucked well into your chest for support.

Now try doing the same thing but rotating the camera to the right to see how well that method just doesn't work. Mind you don't have someone's eye out with your elbow.
 
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