Is It Easier To Steadily Hold A Heavy Camera or a Light Camera?

The closer together your hands are the moree shake you may induce.

If you could mount your camera to a bar about 12" wide with handles on both ends you would have a more stable platform.

I prefer holding a heavier camera but I'm 6'1 210lbs so none of the bodies really feel that heavy to me. I think it also has alot to do with balance, even though I prefer heavier, i've found that I can handhold my 15-85 & 85 1.8 at much slower shutter speeds without my opteka grip attached. I've had no mechanical problems with the 3rd party grip, but it does seem to throw off the balance of my tiny rebel.

With good technique, then generally, heavier is better than lighter. It's the technique that needs working on. For long lenses, the old style rifle stock type of supports are actually brilliant for panning shots. I used to use one for air shows back in the 1980's with my Pentax ME Super and 400mm's of lens, but unfortunately I managed to misplace it over the years. It seems that they have fallen out of fashion and I can no longer find anyone who actually makes a shoulder stock these days.
Zenit used to make the specialist Photo-Sniper kit back then as well.

Alan

The advantage of a heavier camera is that there's less tendency to grip the grip and greater likelihood of correctly cradling the "dead weight" of the lens-body combination in the left hand, with only the right hand used to adjust the level, and manipulate the buttons and squeeze the shutter...

The wake-up call that should alarm us all that we're holding the camera too much with the right hand is that ache we all sometimes feel from our wrist to our shoulder when we forget, and grip...

I found I got less tired holding a 5D2 with 24-70L lens and a flash than I do with my XTI, lens, and flash. I felt so comfortable holding it, it was easier to hold properly since it was wider, and everything felt balanced. I get camera shake all of the time with my XTI.

Shooting position > Rig Balance > Rig Weight

The first picture of a long day ... the heavier camera.
The last picture of a long day ... the lighter camera.

Visited my niece this past weekend. She has a 1D with a 200mm L, non IS. It felt great. For me it was much easier to hold steady. Took a picture hand held and it looked like a tripod shot.

Heavier is easier for me, I feel less shaky when shooting with 5D II than 500D, but note that the lens weight and balance also affect it.

I think it is the same in photography and shooting guns or archery for me
I like heavier equipment, always have. I feel much steadier with wieght.

I like my lenses to kind of match the camera..

Smaller, lighter lenses go on the lighter camera (T1i ).
Bigger, heavier lenses go on the heavier camera (7D).

That said, I prefer the heavier camera to the lighter camera- however, if you sling a 7D with a battery grip, and a 50-500mm for a few hours, without a monopod, well, you may very well feel it in the morning. The heavier cameras just feel better in my hands though... Oddly enough, the bare 7D, with a Sigma 70-200 OS, and some guys at the office think it feels heavy.. To me, I think it's relatively light..

I would think that those with smaller hands would prefer the smaller cameras and those with larger hands would prefer larger cameras... Maybe that is why the spouse prefers a P&S.

yep and guitars too...a nice heavy les paul is the way to go

This depends on the individual. Within reason, I would say heavier is better, if you only lift the camera for a shot or a short series of shots at a time. A lot of people complain about the weight of the 100-400, which I mostly handhold. But I am used to shooting rifles off-hand, and they tend to be a bit heavier than the usual camera-lens combination...

Julius