Vertical shooting

[Herman Zhang]

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I'm just shooting with my M240 and I'm wondering how should I hold it while shooting vertically? Keeping your right hand on top will make the viewfinder blocked your left hand and arm, while keeping the right hand down will keep the focusing window blocked by your arms.

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[a.noctilux]

Why so many don't use vertical pictures.

Some take the horizontal pictures then crop for vertical afterward 🙃.

Some use square format not having to chose.

but vertical pictures may be great, here even with round subject

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[Datsch]

Right hand up, and yes sometimes you will block the VF with the thumb of your left hand, just learn to keep it out of the way. If you have a focus tab on your lens, then you may find it easier to have your left hand over on the right side and out of the way.

As a left-eye shooter I tend to have right hand down, then the lens is clear for my left hand to adjust the focus and no views or RF windows are blocked ...

[Lelmer]

Right hand down, no blocking 🙂

You can also try to shoot with the thumb.

[UliWer]

p.3 of the manual:

https://wiki.l-camera-forum.com/leica-wiki.de/images/0/09/Leica_M2.pdf

[jankap]

There were members, who asked for square sensors. My answer was, why not circular sensors with a diameter of 42.3 mm.

Lenses are developed for a 42.3 mm coverage.

Edited November 23, 2023 by jankap

[fotografr]

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I would estimate that I do vertical shots about 5 percent of the time. The main reason for this is that when shooting horizontal format I can brace both upper arms against my chest to steady myself. When shooting vertical format in the traditional way my right arm is not stable and the result is camera shake. I've tried reversing the camera and using my thumb to trip the shutter, but that method is hit and miss for me. 

Edited November 23, 2023 by fotografr

[dpitt]

Right hand up mostly. I shoot maybe 20% in portrait mode. High buildings mostly.
It is less stable, and sometimes I focus first and then turn, when focused you can use the most stable position of hands like the Leica M2 manual mentioned above:

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My position is more like this when I need to focus:

 

I now realize he is left handed. I do the same with my right hand and eye.

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by dpitt

[Herman Zhang]

Also, which eye should I use? left or right?

[newtoleica]

2 hours ago, Herman Zhang said:

Also, which eye should I use? left or right?

If you don’t have a dominant eye use the R. 
I am strongly L eye dominant and shoot vertical R arm down and held tight with the L free to use the focus tab. 

[a.noctilux]

7 hours ago, Herman Zhang said:

Also, which eye should I use? left or right?

either one

or neither one, "from the hip"

I've found how I hold M-A * for vertical-from-the-hip

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* I see here why the M4's selftimer was less than ideal for firm holding without some kind of handle (like 14405)

 

[VRA]

 Strange thing is, I am a left eye shooter when shooting horizontals, buit a right eye shooter when shooting verticals 😵‍💫 it just works out like that for me.

In vertical I still prefer the 'right hand down' method though. And not only me 😉

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[pippy]

Interesting to read all the comments and to see the sample pics; I haven't snapped myself taking a 'vertical' but I think that my own technique is unlike any already posted. I really must find a mirror when I have a mo'........

Personally I will generally favour right-hand-up as I find when shooting left-up that (lens-dependent) fingers using the focus-tab will tend to obscure the small range-finder frame. Conversely if stability is essential then I will focus in horizontal-plane first then rotate and use left-up as - agreeing with something mentioned by Al in post #13 above - I find that orientation to be superior when camera-shake might be a problem.

In terms of percentage - Horizontal v's Vertical - I have just had a quick check on my snapping taken when heading home from town yesterday. I shot 58 frames of which 22 were vertical so roughly 40% of the total. It could well be, of course, it was simply that the 'subject matter' suggested this (seemingly, to me, high) percentage of portrait-orientation would be the best way to go about capturing the images? I can't say I've ever given this H v's V question much thought.

Now; where can I find a looking-glass?....

Philip.

[pippy]

OK; in the interests of Science (and out of curiosity) I just did a test shot and FWIW here's how I usually hold the camera when taking Vertical snaps;

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My left hand (under) does most of the weight-bearing and stabilising-against-the-forehead duties and the right does a little bit more stabilising and trips the shutter.

I've also just double-checked and - on a point mentioned in my earlier post - all 22 of the Vertical snaps captured yesterday were taken with right-hand-up.

Philip.

Edited November 24, 2023 by pippy

[dpitt]

14 hours ago, Herman Zhang said:

Also, which eye should I use? left or right?

Leica Ms are designed to be used with the right eye. Then your face is not covered as much by the M body. This is easier for the photographer and for the subject, because it gives them a less intimidating impression of the photographer because most of his face is visible.

But of course people with a left dominant eye can use their left eye. Try what works most natural for you.

Some can shoot with both eyes open. This is easiest with the M3 (0,92x) and film Ms with custom 0.85x view finders. Digital Ms all have 0,68x view finders, so they are not as easy to use with both eyes open.

Edited November 24, 2023 by dpitt

[adan]

Follow-on to pippy's post.

This is the authorized way of holding a Leica M (or almost any RF camera) for vertical pictures. (Which BTW I do a lot, shooting for magazine covers/pages, and similar)

Right hand up

Left hand in an "L-grip" - index finger on the focusing tab, thumb on the camera top, other fingers out of the way on the camera bottom

Lenses without focus tabs - Pippy's solution is good.

Personally, with tabless lenses (generally longer than 50mm), I focus in horizontal position (which I usually find to be more reliably accurate anyway) - and then quick-like-a-bunny rotate the camera to the L-grip position (as below - only the left hand has to move and re-grip a little) to push the shutter button.

Unfortunately for the 33% who are left-eye-dominant, rangefinder camera designers did not and do not have to take "diversity training."

So they have to come up with their own workarounds.

Although over the long history of eye-level RF/VF cameras, there have been variations that are a bit more equitable - especially old folding-bellows cameras, often with only a (centered) viewfinder. E.G.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Zeiss_Ikon

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Edited November 26, 2023 by adan

[LocalHero1953]

I use the same technique as shown in @pippy's photo, with the left hand angled to grip the focus ring but not block the RF/VF windows. It does depend on a supple wrist joint.

Comparing your avatar.....please may I borrow your hirsute effect filter? 😉

[Ernstk]

I've never actually thought about how I hold the camera for vertical shots. Probably around 30% of my photos are vertical.

I've just examined how I do it. I hold the camera in my normal horizontal hold, with right hand on the shutter release, left hand forefinger under the lens, then simply rotate the camera through 90 degrees anti-clockwise. Maybe adjust the left hand position slightly but end up with a grip that's slightly closer to @adan than @pippy

Ernst

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Edited November 26, 2023 by Ernstk

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Hallo,

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[UliWer]

... wrong assumption...

Edited November 26, 2023 by UliWer

[Ernstk]

On 11/24/2023 at 3:12 PM, pippy said:

OK; in the interests of Science (and out of curiosity) I just did a test shot and FWIW here's how I usually hold the camera when taking Vertical snaps;

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My left hand (under) does most of the weight-bearing and stabilising-against-the-forehead duties and the right does a little bit more stabilising and trips the shutter.

I've also just double-checked and - on a point mentioned in my earlier post - all 22 of the Vertical snaps captured yesterday were taken with right-hand-up.

Philip.

Rick Wakeman is on the phone. He wants his photo back!