Bob Buchanan
Well-known member
Tom said:How do you both hold that small camera steady? One reason I bought (another) bridge camera was the easy (for me) grip that allows me to hold it steady.
Tom, it does take a bit of getting used to as my main camera it a full sized Canon DSLR 50D. The 260 comes with a wrist strap and if not in it's case, it is strapped to my wrist. It is so small that dropping would be easy - especially when placing it back into the soft case on my belt.
I also always use two hands when shooting. The left only holds and the right to zoom and shoot. When shooting I hold it pretty much the way I would hold a smart phone in landscape ready to thumb type. There is no handle otherwise as on larger cameras.
To steady especially when in full zoom I place my elbows on my chest. That places the camera about a foot from my eyes. When shooting with the 100-400 on my 50D, I hold the zoom in my left hand with my left elbow on my chest.
The moon shot in my album here was shot while leaning again the back corner of my RV - so I will to that type of thing whenever the shot or situation warrants it. I use whatever I find to lean or hold the camera against.
TomS mentioned using faster shutter speeds and I also do that. The IS and AF locking on the camera are very advanced for such a small box. So when spot metering as soon as I am over the target spot I'm looking for, I press the shutter half to lock the setup. Then, even though the camera may move a bit, I get a stable shot. That assumes I have set the shutter speed fast enough.
Some use a mono pod with this - or any camera for stability when time or the shot does not warrant a tripod. I've never used one and I know TomS hates them - but some find them helpful.
I've had to learn and make adjustments - but otherwise, the 260 perfectly fills my needs for a walk around. I was hating that when out and about coming across an image that I couldn't capture with any quality beyond the ability of my smartphone. And I didn't want it to be harder to transport than the smartphone. Small camera, small case vs. my 50D - big camera big case.