Which 'eye' do you use for shooting ? Do you keep the other eye open ?

[Khaled]

Hi all,

This might sound a bit silly, but I've noticed that most photographers use their right eye to look through the finder rather than their left.

Which one do you use ?

I personally find it hard for me to use my right eye as my brain thinks that my left is stronger.

One more thing, I also noticed that photographers (who use their righ eye) keep their left eye open, how can you manage to do that ? If I try to do that, I can't even look at the object properly.

Thanks :)

[Nouks]

I use my left eye and I'm keeping my right eye open during photographing. Left feels more natural, have always photographed with my left eye. When I use my right eye (just to try ;)), I don't think that's comfortable at all, at least not with my left eye open aswell (and I just can't close my left eye while holding my right eye open, other way around is not a problem).

[primoz]

I use right eye, and keep my left one open to follow action. It's a bit awkward on beginning but you get used to this.
Otherwise there's no rule. Some people shoot with left, some people shoot with right eye. We are different, so use that eye which works best for you, not that one which works best for me :)

[DStanic]

Shoot with left, camera blocks the right eye so I'm not sure if i close it or not. I wear glasses too so i think this is part of the reason why it's more comfortable for me.

[manutd101]

I'm another one who uses the right eye + keeping the left eye open, it is really helpful when shooting sports. You can frame your subject w/ the right eye and track action w/ the other.

[Lonnie]

I use my right eye and generally keep my left eye closed unless I am trying to track action preceding the shot.

The right eye is natural to me because I am right-handed, so this is my shooting-eye when using a rifle. I would guess most left handed people would use the left eye and vice-versa.

[Nouks]

I use my right eye and generally keep my left eye closed unless I am trying to track action preceding the shot.

The right eye is natural to me because I am right-handed, so this is my shooting-eye when using a rifle. I would guess most left handed people would use the left eye and vice-versa.

I'm right-handed aswell but if something is natural to me then it's shooting with my left eye...

[René Damkot]

I use both.
Mostly right eye, sometimes with left open. But my left eye is a bit better, so I use that for manual focussing, or when it is easier to look into the camera with left then right.

I started photograpy using the left eye, but taught myself to use the right when shooting with a Nikon F2: otherwise I always ended up with a transport lever in my eye (needed to be out to activate light metering) ;)
Added benefit: it made advancing the film quicker, since you don't need to get your head out of the way first...

Right eye is also easier with a rangefinder.

[AB8ND]

Which eye all depends on which eye is dominate, same as being right or left handed. Pick out a distant object, then with your arm extended and both eyes open cover the object with your thumb, now one at a time close each eye. The object should still be covered by your thumb when the dominate eye is open, the thumb will appear to move when the less dominate is open.
That all said and done, another theory is that the right side of your brain is more creative and it controls opposite dies functions to be creative your should shoot with your left eye which ever is dominate. This right brain thing is one reason many of us put negatives in the enlarger so image was bottom side up.
I am also one of the both eyes open shooters, having a photo editor whose idea was that there was no reason each eye could not follow different things. It took awhile, but for sports it is amazing how easy it is after while to follow the action with one eye and focus on a subject with the other.
This is also the way a good street shooter does it, especially with a Leica whose view finder in on the left side of the camera.

Jack

[Radtech1]

This question sounds familiar...

At this point I am wondering, why is this a topic of such curiosity? It never would have occurred to me to ask. I just used whichever eye feels right and would assume others did the same. So Khaled, for about a billion opinions on the topic, just cruise through the threads below.

(Oh, by the way, not nearly as much snark in this post as the last time I posted it. Maybe I'm getting old! And next time someone posts this same question, your thread will be at the top of the list!)

Does anybody else use their left eye for the viewfinder? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=532078) by Blinded

Which eye do you use to look through the view finder? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=472231) by ValMcC

Do you shoot with your left or right eye ? (Canon rear dial wheel and your nose...) (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=420057) by linuxguy

Which eye do you shoot with? ? ? ? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=355945) by Acorean

Do you shoot with your left or right eye? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27401) by Maderito

strange question - what eye do you shoot with? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=216138) by Verty

Which eye do you use when composing a shot in the viewfinder? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=83960) by Benhasajeep

Left or Right (Eye) (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=47662) by Drisley

Should I sue my left eye or my right eye in the view finder? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=232725) by aacmcay (I think he meant USE not SUE!)

Left eye or right eye in the viewfinder everyone? ? ? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=213760) by Surfologist

Which eye do you use? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=199281) by Runninmann

Which eye? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=142905) by Mihkeltt

Which Eye Do You Use? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=70834) by BottomBracket

which eye on the viewfinder (right-handed vs. left-handed) (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54255) by Baybomo


Rad


For the record: Right handed, shoot with my Left eye. Noseprints on the LCD.

[Phil Light]

Right handed, shoot with my right eye. I frequently keep my left eye open following action if the focal length is closer to normal. When I'm zoomed out I find that more difficult to do.

[KarlosDaJackal]

Whichever is easier for the shot, both work just as well.

I was reading an article recently and they said something along the lines of "keep the other eye open as you never know when something just out of shot will appear and be a better photo, with the other eye open you can react, to something just out of frame" also that with motorsport photog's they keep the other one open in case they need to react to a crashing car heading towards them.

[Phil Light]

Whichever is easier for the shot, both work just as well.

I was reading an article recently and they said something along the lines of "keep the other eye open as you never know when something just out of shot will appear and be a better photo, with the other eye open you can react, to something just out of frame" also that with motorsport photog's they keep the other one open in case they need to react to a crashing car heading towards them.

That reminds me, keeping one eye open kept me from getting beaned with a baseball a couple of months ago. :D

[Wilt]

I'm another one who uses the right eye + keeping the left eye open, it is really helpful when shooting sports. You can frame your subject w/ the right eye and track action w/ the other.

Yep, right eye aim, left eye aware of someone about to run over you as you stand on the sidelines shooting!

Right eye aim also places your right hand so that it is not 'in your face' along with all the camera controls!

Right eye aim also places the camera off to the side when you rotate it CCW to portrait orientation, so your nose clears the body.

Right eye aim also prevents hot brass cartridges from being ejected and going down the front of your shirt when at the shooting range! It's how the military teaches rifle marksmanship.

[tomd]

I'm left eye dominant, shoot with left eye, right eye squints, use right index finger on release, left foot forward for stability, wallet in right rear pocket, watch on left wrist, bag over right shoulder, two fingers to type with (one on each hand), have knife in right hand when cutting food, drink beer with both hands, somthimes at the same time.

[Gatorboy]

I shoot with my dominant eye -- which probably 99.5% of all photographers do. Plus I leave both eyes open.

However, when I walk, I use both feet.

[canonrebel]

I use my left eye and keep the right one closed, when I have tried to use my right eye it feels very uncomfortable and I feel that I am not in control of the camera.

[Phil Light]

Yep, right eye aim, left eye aware of someone about to run over you as you stand on the sidelines shooting!

Right eye aim also places your right hand so that it is not 'in your face' along with all the camera controls!

Right eye aim also places the camera off to the side when you rotate it CCW to portrait orientation, so your nose clears the body...

I hadn't thought of most of this. I think if I used my left eye to aim, these would be reason enough to train myself to do it differently.

[LeuceDeuce]

Right eye aim, left eye open.

[Nouks]

I shoot with my dominant eye -- which probably 99.5% of all photographers do. Plus I leave both eyes open.

However, when I walk, I use both feet.


You didn't really answer question, since you didn't tell us which eye your dominant one is ;)

[birdfromboat]

sometimes i close both eyes, but the images keep showing up on the tv thingy and I end up looking at them anyway. I do notice that shots are sometimes better when eyes are open upon shutter actuation. hope this helps

[dle42]

I use my right eye to shoot with the left one open.

[randomlinh]

right eye shoot, left eye closed. i find it difficult to focus otherwise.

[dave kadolph]

I'm another one who uses the right eye + keeping the left eye open, it is really helpful when shooting sports. You can frame your subject w/ the right eye and track action w/ the other.


You bet--Me too

[D_CeLiRaToR]

right eye through the viewfinder otherwise my nose gets in the way. left eye usually stays open unless i'm shooting something that i know isn't gonna move on me. i also shoot with an eye cup on the viewfinder to block any outside light.

[fubarhouse]

I shoot with my right eye, and whenever possible I keep my left eye open. Squinting one eye causes long term damage as I have learnt. So unless you have to, keep both eyes open. :)

[oaktree]

I use right eye, and keep my left one open to follow action.

Same with me. Useful while shooting sports or anything where many things are moving relative to each other.

[birdfromboat]

Just curious, is anyone trying to use the live view feature like an old fashioned sport finder? the advantages of being able to hold the camera away from your head and use both eyes to spot action and frame shots seem great, but I wonder how useful those things are in practise. Not like its an option for me and my ancient technology 5d. might want to try it someday, if canon ever upgrades their prosumer full frame body it might have one.

[ADAPTE]

I used my right eye, but it turns out that i have better vision with my left so i just changed...

[Lonnie]

Having re-thought this... since I use the Rebel XT, it doesn't matter which eye I use. All I can do with the finder is frame the shot anyway. Forget trying to focus with that tiny thing. When I move up to a camera with a real viewfinder I may have to revisit which eye to use.

[Raikyn]

I use middle eye to focus, left eye to keep an eye on action, right eye to watch for babes, in addition have left hand tied behind my back and stand on right leg.

[Na2eL]

right one , and sometime I keep the other open , sometimes closed

[elysium]

Right eye is planted to the viewfinder and have started to learn to keep my left eye open when shooting sports specifically panning since it proves most useful.

Other times like in clubs, left eye stays closed.

[Wilt]

Right eye is planted to the viewfinder and have started to learn to keep my left eye open when shooting sports specifically panning since it proves most useful.

Other times like in clubs, left eye stays closed.

I can be useful skill in clubs, too, as you might get notice of a flying beer bottle hurled in your direction soon enough that you can protect the camera gear from saturation with beer.:p

[elysium]

I can be useful skill in clubs, too, as you might get notice of a flying beer bottle hurled in your direction soon enough that you can protect the camera gear from saturation with beer.:p
Heh, I did give it a try but does get kind of distracting with a lot of light being thrown about. Suppose will need to keep an eye out :lol:

[Wilt]

The concept of monocular vision correction is that one eye sees far, and the other sees close (reading). Those of us past the age of 45 are faced with the choice of monovision or of perpetual need to don or remove reading glasses! The fact that monovision works is clear indication of the brain's ability to concentrate on one eye vs. the other eye for task-specific things, even though both eyes are open. Monovision and single eye focus while both eyes are open are both acquired skills, but it becomes very natural and subconscious after some acclimation time.

[kimmie]

Well I'm right handed but I use my left eye - it's always just been more natural for me to do it this way. Most times I keep the right eye open as to watch things going on also.