Anyone had forearm pain due to using camera?

[Juli Valley]

I had been blaming my forearm pain on golf, but it dawned on me that I think it was really repetitive lifting of my 5D with a large flash during event photography. I do rest the gear on my shoulder to rest my arm. I'm taking anti-inflammatory meds and have a velcro brace for my forearm.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries



Canon FiveDee, Canon 4oD, Canon Gee 9, Canon S7o, Fuji Eff3o, Canon Ess Three IS.

http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/image/106765479

 

[JonMcG]

Not forearm pain but after about 6 hours with my 1 series I get lower back pain. Luckily leaning on walls helps.

 

[Juli Valley]

I had the 1D mkII and had to get rid of it because it was so heavy. I understand the smaller battery on later models helps, but I don't shoot action much, so I really didn't need it.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries



Canon FiveDee, Canon 4oD, Canon Gee 9, Canon S7o, Fuji Eff3o, Canon Ess Three IS.

http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/image/106765479

 

[gdanmitchell]

No, so far for me the only pains have been in my wallet.

Dan

I had been blaming my forearm pain on golf, but it dawned on me that I think it was really repetitive lifting of my 5D with a large flash during event photography. I do rest the gear on my shoulder to rest my arm. I'm taking anti-inflammatory meds and have a velcro brace for my forearm.
--
Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries



Canon FiveDee, Canon 4oD, Canon Gee 9, Canon S7o, Fuji Eff3o, Canon Ess Three IS.

http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/image/106765479

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[Juli Valley]

I had that pain long ago, but I've mostly caught up on what I need. It helped that I quit coming here often. LOL.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries



Canon FiveDee, Canon 4oD, Canon Gee 9, Canon S7o, Fuji Eff3o, Canon Ess Three IS.

http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/image/106765479

 

[JonMcG]

I don't notice any difference (in pain) between mkII and mkIV

 

[TimR32225]

Hi Juli,

Good to see you posting again.

I've not had forearm pain, but strangely enough I seem to get lower back pains if I wear a waist pack that I had always worn before with no problems. It seems if I even have 2 or 3 pounds in the waist pack, it causes this. But sometimes using the waist pack is a necessity.
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Gallery at: http://www.pbase.com/tim32225
Photoblog at: http://timrucciphotography.blogspot.com/

 

[zsd101]

Tuck your elbows in when shooting - that was the advice given to me, and it helped, A LOT. Just some advice to try.

 

[Dave1234]

Forearm pain here, too. I also have shoulder and neck pain if I take too many portrait mode pictures, although having a vertical grip and button has really helped. Now my neck is not in a weird postion while doing portrait mode pictures. I might add that I am almost sixty-two and mostly have problems taking dance pictures where I might take more than one thousand pictures in two hours. Fast action and non-stop. The camera weight is an issue, but oh the joy of a 1D camera....lol..

 

[Paul Stout]

I shoot about 10 hours a day with a 1D MK IV, 580EX II flash, 70-200 f2.8 IS II, and 1.4TC. A really slow day is around 900 shots, a day with really good light is over 3,000 shots.

My left arm is holding up 80% of the weight, and my left wrist is pretty sore and tired by the end of the day.

anti-inflammatory before I start shooting helps. Working with a 10lb dumbell at my desk at work also helps.

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Photography on the Run
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[JonMcG]

Thanks, but not possible as I switch between vertical and horizontal all the time at speed.

 

[chuck nakell]

I had a terrible time at first hand holding my 300 2.8, but learned that if I lifted light weights for ten minutes a day (I did both arms for symmetry, but only needed to bulk up the left), then my problem went away. I guess your situation depends on whether its ergonomic issues or muscle condition, or both. I thought I was fit, but my big lens wore me out after 5-6 hours; the brief weight routine fixed it all.

 

[Chris Strobel]

If you want a good workout, start shooting with an 8x10, then when you go back to your dslr it will seem like a feather in your hand



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[Swim Fast]

Last year, Four days of shooting a national level swim meet for over 8 hours each day using my 1DM3 and the 70-200mm f/2.8 as my primary gear and whammo - big case of tennis elbow in my right arm that still gives me problems today.

Obviously, my style is to carry too much weight with my right hand - especially with my rig turned for portrait style puts too much stress on the old elbow. I now use a tennis elbow support every time I shoot and that helps, but I still have soreness.

Dr. says get a monopod - I can't bring myself to do it!

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On Flickr River: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/lane4imaging/popular-interesting/

 

[Juli Valley]

My first serious camera was my father's Speed Graphic. I know.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries



Canon FiveDee, Canon 4oD, Canon Gee 9, Canon S7o, Fuji Eff3o, Canon Ess Three IS.

http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/image/106765479

 

[Juli Valley]

I use a monopod at the zoo with longer lenses.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries



Canon FiveDee, Canon 4oD, Canon Gee 9, Canon S7o, Fuji Eff3o, Canon Ess Three IS.

http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/image/106765479

 

[Juli Valley]

Thanks, Tim. I sort of left here when it got pretty nasty with newcomers being ridiculed. I found a really gentle forum related to a favorite author and have been hanging out there for the most part. I visit occasionally.
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Juli
http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries



Canon FiveDee, Canon 4oD, Canon Gee 9, Canon S7o, Fuji Eff3o, Canon Ess Three IS.

http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/image/106765479

 

[ntal]

Last year, Four days of shooting a national level swim meet for over 8 hours each day using my 1DM3 and the 70-200mm f/2.8 as my primary gear and whammo - big case of tennis elbow in my right arm that still gives me problems today.

Obviously, my style is to carry too much weight with my right hand - especially with my rig turned for portrait style puts too much stress on the old elbow. I now use a tennis elbow support every time I shoot and that helps, but I still have soreness.

Dr. says get a monopod - I can't bring myself to do it!

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On Flickr River: http://www.flickriver.com/photos/lane4imaging/popular-interesting/

I had tennis elbow last year as well, made worse by my 5DM2 plus zoom. I found a great treatment online, and have little pain today - (search tennis elbow nytimes).

 

[Jim Cassatt]

After I finish a shoot with my 5D, EXII mounted on a bracket, and 70-200 f2.8IS, my forearm is sore. If I had to shoot like this every day, I would have a forearm like Popeye.

Welcome back.
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Jim
http://www.pbase.com/jcassatt

 

[Victor Engel]

I don't have a problem with my forearm, but I do have a problem with my shoulder sometimes from clicking the mouse. Too much time at the computer, I guess. Interestingly, recently, I've been digging a 70 foot perimeter 24 inch deep trench for a bamboo barrier. After a couple of days of doing that, the shoulder issue went away.

I seem to notice a common thread here, among myself and a few other posters. Supplementary exercise seems to help. I think it helps that the other motion is somehow different.
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