which eye on the viewfinder (right-handed vs. left-handed)

[baboymo]

I use my right eye...I'm right-handed

is there something wrong with that?

[FlyingPete]

Right hand, left eye, it was my excuse from early in the piece to get a motorwinder for one of my first SLR's, as I couldn't wind it on whilst up to my face :D

Wouldn't you know I voted wrong, I meant Right hand left eye, not right eye left had!

[Bodryn]

I'm right-handed, use my right eye. But this could be because my left eye has always had slightly better distance vision than my right.

[Belmondo]

I'm right-eyed and right-handed, which is what I do when I'm not thinking about it. I have learned, however, that I am far more likely to get a level horizon if I use my left eye. Someday I'll have to have my brother-in-law (optometrist) explain that to me if he can.

[edsarkiss]

here's an interesting test....

look at a small bright light.

extend your arm fully (either one), and make a fist. stick out your thumb in a "thumbs up" gesture and use your thumb to block the light.

(do the above before you read further)

..
..
..

now close one eye. is the light still blocked? if so, the open eye is your dominant eye. if not, then the closed eye is your dominant eye.

one thing that i've learned over the years is to keep both eyes open when shooting. makes it a lot less strenuous to shoot photos. just use your dominant eye to look thru the viewfinder, and it's easier to ignore the image from the other eye.

[Tom W]

I'm right-eyed and right-handed, which is what I do when I'm not thinking about it. I have learned, however, that I am far more likely to get a level horizon if I use my left eye. Someday I'll have to have my brother-in-law (optometrist) explain that to me if he can.

Check your spirit level. ;)

[fslshooter]

I'm right handed but see better out of my left eye.

[Persian-Rice]

I notice that I see slightly better out of my right eye, even though I have 20/20. Anyway, I feel more comfortable with my left. I think it's just that I did it that way the first time a touched a camera and it stuck.

[DionM]

Left handed, left-eyed here.

[Motorsports Photo]

Heres a variation on edsarkis' method-

Extend your arms straight out in front of you.
Make a triangle by touching your thumb and index fingertips together.
With both eyes target an object in the triangle.
Close one eye then the other. The eye that you can still see your "target is the one you should use. This also applies to anything else with a sight or viewfinder.

-Pete

[dewmuw]

There's a view finder on this thing? :D

[Hellashot]

For the most part, everyone has a "dominant" eye. This is the eye that is stronger and are able to look through telescopes, viewfinders, etc. more easily. There's probably not a correlation between right or left handed and which eye you use.

[jimtfoto]

right-handed ... left eye on viewfinder ... right eye open

cheers,
jim

[ShutteringFocus]

How do you shoot with your left hand?...use your pinky on the shutter?

[KevC]

I use my left-eye, but I'm right handed. Why? Lol.. kinda a stupid reason. I don't want to smash my nose against the back of the camera so I rest my nose on my right thumb knuckle. Heheh.... New camera, I'm still super careful with it. I guess I just kept doing that... never really considered right eye... it seems like left eye is easier because I have my right thumb to guide it.

[TammieO]

This is a very interesting poll... I am right handed, camera is to my right eye, left eye also open.

[DocFrankenstein]

now close one eye. is the light still blocked? if so, the open eye is your dominant eye. if not, then the closed eye is your dominant eye. Dammit... My left eye is the dominant one! :confused: :cry:

Explains why I can't get any decent rifle scores...

I'm right handed, but I can't close my right eye easily.

[edsarkiss]

Dammit... My left eye is the dominant one! :confused: :cry:

Explains why I can't get any decent rifle scores...

I'm right handed, but I can't close my right eye easily.

just be puttin' on ye olde eyepatch -- yarrrrrrrr!

[Liang]

Right handed, Left eye. I feel tiring to keep my right eye open when the left eye is closed.

[prsast]

Right handed and right eye to viewfinder.

An interesting observation is that all camera bodies right handed, every camera body I have ever owed had the shutter release on the right (when viewed from the back). Perhaps in the days of equality and equal access Canon could produce a new range of Left handed EOS bodies.

[CaseyScofield]

Right handed, left eyed...and a puppet in the left hand...for the kiddies!

[pierrot]

Dammit... I'm right handed, but I can't close my right eye easily.As far as I remember, Frankenstein's creature had got no surgery at the right eye, or did he ? :mrgreen:

[skiphoto]

The poll needs to add a "Switch between eyes" section as that is what i do. I shoot events that typically will have over 1000 shots per day and frankly my eyes get really tired, so every time I change a card I change my eye.

It helps a lot and is really easy to do with a little practice.

Jeremy

[DocFrankenstein]

As far as I remember, Frankenstein's creature had got no surgery at the right eye, or did he ? :mrgreen: :lol::lol::lol:

Feelings frankenstein hurt!

[Jon]

Right handed and right eye to viewfinder.

An interesting observation is that all camera bodies right handed, every camera body I have ever owed had the shutter release on the right (when viewed from the back). Perhaps in the days of equality and equal access Canon could produce a new range of Left handed EOS bodies.
The old Exaktas were left-handed. Shutter release was on the left front. They used a knob, not a lever, for film advance, and many had interchangable viewfinders.

[MT]

Someone needs to break the rules - I'm left-handed/right eye dominant use left eye for the viewfinder although I'm not sure why - it just "feels" more comfortable.

[eosster]

left eye and right handed for me.

[Bushman]

I'm left handed and use my right eye, but most of the time I do keep both eyes open

[Abodh SG]

Right Handed.. Left Eye..

i use my left eye simply for comfort. In fact i often experience headache using the right eye because of my nose resting on camera LCD, i find it difficult to get the full view of the viewfinder,to get the view i have to look slightly upwards which in turn cause headache.. And even though i can see my right thumb, adding an extra disturbance..
Though my Right eye is dominant i prefer to see through Left eye. after all the main purpose of viewfinder is to isolate all the distractions so that you could concentrate more on composition so in my case i don't think the dominant eye really matters..

[wcameron]

I'm with MT. I'm right handed, but use my left eye for the camera. Using the various tests, I'm left-eye dominant. Here's the wierd part - my left eye was weaker than my right on my recent driver test. What's up?

[Sfordphoto]

nice thread necro lol

[Aweitzel]

Heres a variation on edsarkis' method-

Extend your arms straight out in front of you.
Make a triangle by touching your thumb and index fingertips together.
With both eyes target an object in the triangle.
Close one eye then the other. The eye that you can still see your "target is the one you should use. This also applies to anything else with a sight or viewfinder.

-Pete


That's how i learned to sight a rifle, and aim. I think that's also why i use my left eye in the eyepiece and never taken a second if there is a wrong or correct eye...

[nphsbuckeye]

LH, RE. Always have used my right eye for those types of things.

[ORION]

I'm left handed and use right eye. However, I sometimes unconsciously use my left eye at times.

[Lore]

Right Handed / Left eye

... thanks for the test... my left eye is dominant & during that test... I found it quite acquard feeling to close just my left eye but I can close just my right eye very naturally... weird... oh well... at least I'm using "my good eye" for shootin' :cool: lol

[gjl711]

Still cant vote.. :( So many of these polls and they all discriminate against those of us who can go either way. :(

[bubbawillums]

I'm left handed but use my right eye, never really thought about it until now.

[osamu]

my contact fell out of my right eye once, it was really weird. I kept trying to use it, and wondering why it wouldn't focus, and really had to try and force myself to use my left. (right handed btw)

[deano11]

Left eye - right handed.

This causes me a problem as my nose regularly changes my ISO settings to 800 or higher.
I wish I could lock out those buttons.

[Mil]

Right hand and left eye

[DigitalSpecialist]

I use either eye, but predominantly the left. And I am left handed.

[TheEye]

My eye Doctor says if you are left handed your right side of brain and so the right eye is the dominant side and vise versa. However that can change through different circumstances like accident or surgery and etc.

I am both handed and use both eyes.:)

[DVW]

I'm right handed but use left eye as my right eye is impaired.

[runninmann]

nice thread necro lolYeah, almost 4 years!

[xMClass]

Lefty-Righty.

[Jimmer411]

Im right handed and shoot with both eyes. Wheres my poll option?

[Diesel_Dog]

Weird thread, right handed, right eyed, 49.8%, must be doing something right?

[Lani Kai]

Both eyes open and live view?

For the other 99.9% of occasions I use my right eye, and I'm right-handed.

[AdamC]

I'm right-handed, but my left eye is dominant. I put my left eye to the VF for ages, automatically, without even thinking about it. I've tried using my right eye so I can watch the action with my left (and gets my nose out of the way too!) but it just feels wrong.

Right eye is much more common, judging from the photos of shooters I've seen/

[FlyingPhotog]

Right Handed
Right Eye 80% of the time...

[Wilt]

Right handed and right eye to viewfinder.

An interesting observation is that all camera bodies right handed, every camera body I have ever owed had the shutter release on the right (when viewed from the back).

Not only is the shutter release on the right, the camera body is truncated on the left side, making the camera body better suited to right eye aiming because all the controls for shooting are also on the right (and less acccessible when left eye aimed)