I'm interested in big negatives of dancers shot in available light with moderate telephoto (200-300). When I've picked up the Pentax without grip it have seemed a challenge to maneuver and stabilize. How much would the wooden grip likely help, ore are fingertip pushups the only answer? Has anyone experience with Newton or Stroboframe for handheld or monopod?

-- Ted Daughety (TDaughety@Compuserve.com), January 13, 1998

Answers

I'm not sure how much the handgrip would help; haven't bought one yet. A monopod would help if you could tolerate the reduction in mobility..fast film may be the ultimate solution though.

-- Benson (btw@vnet.net), January 13, 1998.

The wooden grip definately gives you something to grab on to. Many shooters like it. I have one but don't use it that much. My advice is to try one out. The local dealer should have one and let you see how it feels on your camera.

One of the quick focusing rings fits the lens you want to use, it may be of some help when using the handle.

Regards, Jim

-- Jim Sabo (jsabo@vss.fsi.com), January 13, 1998.

I've used the Pentax 67 both with and without the wooden grip. The bottom line is that the wood grip does help in handling the camera. As to your particular problem (shooting dancers in available light with a 200 or 300 mm lens), it is going to be a problem, since the lens/camera combination is quite heavy. My suggestions would be (as a previous responder suggested) use fast film (maybe the Kodak 1000 speed print film), get the light as bright as possible (this is only valid if you're shooting during a rehearsal, rather than the actual performance), and consider a tripod. I know -- a tripod won't allow you to change angles as much as you'd like; still, if wildlife photographers can capture animals with a 35 mm camera and 600 mm lens using a ball head, you can probably capture dancers with the right tripod/head combo.

-- Michael K. Gardner (gardner@gse.utah.edu), January 13, 1998.

the wooden handle is nice, but i thought when handholding verticles it kinda made focusing tricky. sorry to say at a cost of 95 or so dollars mine is sitting in the bottom of a camera bag.

-- dave cichocki (davcic@aol.com), January 16, 1998.

May be heresy to say it on this forum, but P67 is probably not your best choice for this. You may want to go to a 645 camera which will have a vertical format.

-- chris patti (christopher.patti@ucop.edu), January 30, 1998.

Hold it like a 35mm camera with telephoto. Cradle the lens in the left hand and the winder at the top. This allows you to focus and shoot and wind like a regular 35mm. However, I am a big guy with large hands, so this be harder for others. To date I have not felt the need to purhase the hand grip. I learned to hand hold with 4x5 speed graphic with flash and push and pull film holders.

-- Gene Crumpler (crumpler.gene@epa.gov), May 08, 1998.