I’m starting to have problems with that myself recently; the arthritis in the hands and shoulders just freaking hurts and it seems like cameras operate in a position that’s just damn painful for me. I’m thinking about switching back to like, a point and shoot because they’re so much lighter.
3 Likes
Have you heard of the Gorillapod? It works like a tripod, but is flexible so that you can wrap its “legs” around a tree branch or railing or whatever stable object is handy. It is also portable, about the size of a point-and-shoot camera.
8 Likes
Incomplete cervical spinal cord injury here…The joys! I’ve not let it stop me from going out birding and enjoying nature where I can. I did for half a year but the thought of not getting out and about made me more upset than the chronic pain!
I’ve found the key for me is to pace yourself in everything. Take your time and slow down.
I’ve sometimes found some of my favourite sightings can be at the start of a trail, not at the end.
8 Likes
I’ve also had good luck using my crutch as an inpromptu monopod. The arm cuff works as a platform, and the opening makes a notch to stabilize the lens barrel.
Yeah, just out of morbid curiosity, I was looking at some of the Steadicam-style harnesses (because fibromyalgia is progressive). I don’t doubt that they’re really good options, especially if you’ve got a ginormous scope or telephoto lens, but some of those rigs cost more than I paid for my first car. 
On the other hand, I’ve also got a bridge camera recommendation: Nikon Coolpix P520. My previous Nikon superzoom got stolen with my field backpack last fall, and I was trying to decide between replace and upgrade when I found this one. Lightweight without feeling like a toy; wide-angle lens with an even longer zoom, but what sold me were all of the manual controls. I haven’t had a bridge camera that felt this much like an SLR since my old Olympus, but even that one didn’t let you play around this much. My Sony is now my backup camera! 
I wasn’t using the full zoom capability, but I took this photo at the tail end of the blue hour, and I didn’t even have to set the ISO all that high.
7 Likes
Now you’ve got me looking at similar camera harnesses:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1035169-REG/field_optics_research_h011_binopod_harness_system_with.html
3 Likes
Ooh, now; that’s not bad!
2 Likes
I suffer a lot from chronic pain. The last few days has been excruciating. One thing that helps is to walk a couple of miles first thing in the morning to loosen the joints and stretch the muscles - it is a slow walk. This morning I was a the creek when I saw a little American Mink in the water chasing a fish for breakfast - it then saw me and hurried away in the cattails. However, I noticed immediately after seeing it that my pain level dropped several points. I wish there was a way to bottle that feeling.
11 Likes
Sorry to hear about your condition. But I do notice also that my joint pains — not that bad, but aggravating at times — disappear when I’m out photoing, even when holding a 7 pound camera. They seem worse when I’m sitting still, especially at the office. Time to retire.
5 Likes
Oh man. I’ve had times I wound up needing a double shot of whiskey and a heat pad followed by an ice pack for my hands lately after taking a lot of pictures.
3 Likes