Shooting following hand surgery (or reduction in hand mobility)

dubnut71

dubnut71

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Ok bit embarrassing this but here goes:

On the 1st Dec I am going in for carpal tunnel surgery on my right (master) hand. Stitches should be out in 10 days but my main worry is that i am going off to the states on the 18th where I usually shoot every day as part of my holiday. I use a D700 with a grip (I reckon thats got to come off!!) but do have the option of shooting with my EP-1 instead. Consultant tells me I will have a fair amount of time where my right hand will not have the grip strength to deal with tasks like shooting.

Does anyone here have any experience of having limited feeling / sensation / strength / movement in their master hand? Is there any ideas as to what I can do? turn the cam upside down perhaps? use a monopod maybe? Think I should try the EP-1 instead of the DSLR?

appreciate your help:$
 
Nothing embarrassing about needing surgery mate!
I haven't had your problem but I'm going to say that you should ask your Consultant for his advice on using your hand after the op, he may suggest limiting its use. Could the D700 cause problems? Could you drop it? Would a small point and shoot allow you to still be creative although limited?
If you're dead set on taking the D700 then a monopod will help carry the weight whilst you are using it.
Think of your hand before thinking of your camera.
 
I cut clean through my thumb tendon last year so went through something similar to you. With me they removed a tendon from the finger to replace the thumb one. I was in a cast for 6 weeks - not only no camera but also no driving which was more of a problem. Then about 2 months of physio to get the full motion and strength back.

It will take time to get better. If you don't have the range of motion or the strength to do things then you simply can't do them with that hand. Might be worth practising doing things with your left hand now?
 
Cheers guys, the consultant says I will have a limitation of grip and strength and thats whats leading me to worry about the D700. I do get good results with the EP-1 maybe it would be refreshing to just take that?, I might limit myself to just shooting with it in the run up to the op and see how that works.

For the life of me I can't seem to work out how to shoot left handed, I have tried crossing my arms across my body and then tried the cam upside down, just feels wrong!!!!!
 
A cable release would allow you to activate the shutter with your left hand easily.
 
I was without my right arm (total loss of feeling and use) for about 4 months last year.

I've now been without my left for 2 weeks and expect it to be a similar amount of time.

I posted a 'one handed thread' a while back - I'll try and find it for you......

link to 'one handed thread'..............

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=166860

For composing on a tripod - I found this grip a godsend 'one handed'

4675216794_66ecd70a70_z.jpg
 
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Swiped from another thread..........

Ongoing health problems (use of only one arm) saw me resort to the 322 RC2 Heavy Duty Grip last year for single handed landscape framing.

After recovering I sold it on but the problem is back.

I now have a 808 RC4 Manfrotto Tripod head and wanted to flag it up as as a great head for anybody that has mobility problems.....

Whilst I only have one arm that I can use - anybody with issues such as arthritis should consider this. When you release the handles the whole camera isn't free to suddenly drop down 90 degrees - it's softly sprung to prevent it crashing down in any direction.

There are two balance springs in the vertical tilt (forward/backward) and horizontal tilt (left/right) movements. These springs enable you to more comfortably handle 8KG.

http://www.manfrotto.co.uk/product/0/808RC4/_/Standard_3-Way_Head

Just thought I'd point it out as I'm sure I'm not alone in having some kind of frustrating disability

5117066633_5bb82f9a6d.jpg


Make sure you get an appointment with 'Occupational Therapy' at the hospital. They will give you loads of free aids for coping one handed - silly little things like - foam tubes to put on cutlery, rubber grips for opening jars and bottles, foam grips to put on a pen for writing, gizmos for doing buttons and laces etc etc.
 
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Dinners - thats incredibly helpful, I have the 322RC (the original one) so thats going to be an answer I think. I have also had a kind offer of a manfrotto c/f tripod to travel with too, that should lighten the load as my 055pro B is just too heavy to take.
 
iancandler said:
A cable release would allow you to activate the shutter with your left hand easily.
Click to expand...

PsiFox said:
A bit exteme and pricey, but a Bushhawk grip would allow you to use other hand.

http://www.bushhawk.com/
Click to expand...

Thanks guys, I have no remote for the d700 yet so thats a plan. Is it just me or did anyone else watch that bushhawk video on the website and have a bit of a "day of the Jackal" type feeling:):)
 
dubnut71 said:
Thanks guys, I have no remote for the d700 yet so thats a plan. Is it just me or did anyone else watch that bushhawk video on the website and have a bit of a "day of the Jackal" type feeling:):)
Click to expand...


The funny thing is it really works, I remember the old zenit photosniper outfit from years ago, it too worked a treat for steadying long lenses.

You can make one quite cheaply from an old air rifle stock if you have a little skill with your hands.
 
Hi, I have had carpal tunnel surgery on both my hands so maybe can help a little. By the time my stitches came out, I was able to drive and hold the wheel so unless you're badly affected by the surgery, maybe you won't need any aids. To be honest, going to the loo was the hardest.

When the surgery is done, the hand is pretty heavily bandaged but this dressing is usually reduced within 3-4 days.

Hope this helps a little. Good luck with the surgery.

Jak xx
 
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