Right handed & left eye dominant!?

So I think I just realized my left eye is dominant even though I'm right handed.

Since I'm right handed I always assumed I would be right eye dominant, so I've always put my right eye to the viewfinder and closed my left eye. However, I found it curious that after a short while I would begin to experience severe muscle fatigue in my face as well as eyestrain, and eventually I wouldn't even be able to keep my left eye closed. At that point I'd have to stop shooting because it's totally impossible for me to use the viewfinder with both eyes open.

That is until today, when for whatever reason I decided to put the finder up to my left eye and... REVELATION!

When I put the finder up to my left eye, I can keep both eyes open & my brain automagically filters out what my right eye is seeing leaving only the vision in the viewfinder!

WHY DIDN'T I FIGURE THIS OUT SOONER?

There is a simple to test to determine which eye is dominant. Hold a finger up at arms length in line with a distant object, using both eyes. Without moving your arm, close each eye alternately. You will find that your finger still lines up with one eye, but not the other. The one that lines up is your dominant eye.

I am the same way that you are. For whatever reason it just feels more natural to put my left eye to to the viewfinder. I found out when I starting shooting pistols again. I used to shoot in the military and could qualify, but was never really that great of a shot. When I started shooting again, I realized that it is easier for me to shoot with my left eye, and my groups got much tighter. It is a little uncomfortable, but it works until i teach myself to shoot left handed.

LostArk wrote in post #15406762
my brain automagically filters out what my right eye is seeing

Whether spelled that way deliberately or not, your word is perfect for what the brain does.

I too am right handed and left eye dominant. It's slightly incovenient for photography, but not too bad. With a standard body like the 5D3 (or almost any other non-1D Canon) the key is to hold the camera with the shutter button down for vertical exposures. This allows you to look with both eyes.

For horizontal exposures you just have to deal with the ergonomic disadvantage of having your right thumb in you right eye the whole time.

The ergonomics also kind of suck vertically for a 1D body because you cannot use the built in grip without having the body blocking your right eye. I'm essentially forced to shoot my 1D with only one eye.

Sorarse wrote in post #15406859
There is a simple to test to determine which eye is dominant. Hold a finger up at arms length in line with a distant object, using both eyes. Without moving your arm, close each eye alternately. You will find that your finger still lines up with one eye, but not the other. The one that lines up is your dominant eye.

Tried it and did not work. my finger lined up evenly on the object in the background

interesting. I'm left handed (well ambidextrous because of going to a Catholic school when I was younger, thus being forced to use my right hand) my right eye is the dominate one.

Sorarse wrote in post #15406859
There is a simple to test to determine which eye is dominant. Hold a finger up at arms length in line with a distant object, using both eyes. Without moving your arm, close each eye alternately. You will find that your finger still lines up with one eye, but not the other. The one that lines up is your dominant eye.

Very cool test! Confirms I am right-handed but left eye dominant, though I've known it for a while... All my friends think I'm weird

Hmmm, I tried the test and my finger was evenly spaced to either side of the distant object when I alternated eyes. Yet, I am ambidextrous (can do most sports activities with either hand but write left-handed due to breaking my right hand as a child) and left-eye dominant when I shoot my camera.

Subscribed.

I'm naturally left handed, but not totally so, it depends on what I'm doing. Yet I always use my right eye to see the viewfinder. I tried the finger test and am unable to tell which of the two fingers I see is dominant, which tells me I suppose that I don't have a dominant eye.

I've heard that a small percentage of people are have no dominance in either eye.

Even though I'm left-eye dominant it's always seemed more natural to me to shoot with my right. I didn't really give it much thought when I first started shooting a camera with a viewfinder (I doubt that most do).

The only areas in life where I find eye dominance takes a bigger role is in sports like archery or basketball. At least, for me.

I'm the exact same way. Plus, when I close my right eye, I can hold my left open super easily. Not so vice versa. I just end up squinting my right eye.

Whether that makes sense I don't know:

In winter or wet weather I try to force myself to use the right instead of the left eye because the air I breathe out tends to fog up the viewfinder and/or LCD screen less this way. I can't really get accustomed to it and it takes some thinking every time.

I tried the eye dominance test but can't tell them apart. It moves slightly with each.

I use my right eye, but only because it is easier to position wise for the viewfinder. But I don't really think I have a dominant eye.