Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

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jeraldcook
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p.1 #1 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

Simple question: Which eye do you use to look through the viewfinder and which eye is dominate?

My wife noticed this evening that despite me being right eye dominate and right handed, I look through the viewfinder with my left eye. For me, trying to use my right eye is very uncomfortable and smooshes my nose. Both my sister and my wife thought this was strange since it is more comfortable for them to use their right eye (both right handed, not sure about eye dominance).

So which is it? Am I just strange or are there other left eye shooters out there?

Oct 21, 2012 at 03:35 AM

vsg28
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p.1 #2 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

Same here, it is more to do with the VF position on most cameras I think.

Oct 21, 2012 at 03:48 AM

jcolwell
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p.1 #3 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

I'm a left eye dominant, left eye shooter, who is right handed.

P.S.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/632749
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1129151

Oct 21, 2012 at 03:02 PM

mspencer1
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p.1 #4 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

I also am right handed but shoot with left eye

Oct 21, 2012 at 04:41 PM

BluesWest
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p.1 #5 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

Also right-handed, shoot with the left eye. Seems much more natural to me, not sure why.

John

Oct 21, 2012 at 05:57 PM

BenV
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p.1 #6 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

just my right eye

Oct 21, 2012 at 08:37 PM

ScottHM
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p.1 #7 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

I use my left eye although being right-handed, but don't really know if that applies. Had a small eye injury when I was younger and I just seem to focus better through my left eye.

Oct 22, 2012 at 02:06 AM

Jeffrey
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p.1 #8 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

Whatever works for you. Hardly matters what anyone else does, eh?

Oct 22, 2012 at 02:28 AM

jeraldcook
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p.1 #9 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

jcolwell wrote:
I'm a left eye dominant, left eye shooter, who is right handed.

P.S.
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/632749
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1129151

Thanks for the links. From those threads it looks like a good number of people are right-handed left-eye shooters like myself.

It looks like a good follow-up question might be why people shoot their particular way. People were split between comfort, tracking birds with the unobstructed left-eye, and vision differences between eyes. It's purely comfort for me.

Jeffrey wrote:
Whatever works for you. Hardly matters what anyone else does, eh?

Very true, although I can tell my wife and sister I'm not as strange as they think. Or at the very least, that this isn't the reason I'm strange.

Oct 22, 2012 at 05:28 AM

jcolwell
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p.1 #10 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

My left eye works better than my right eye. Maybe that's why I wink with my right eye.

Oct 22, 2012 at 12:52 PM

EB-1
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p.1 #11 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

My left eye is dominant, but my right eye is better. Normally I use the left, but sometimes the right on a tripod. Back in the days of manual film advance, it was more difficult to use the left eye, because the advancing action and right thumb got in the way.

EBH

Oct 23, 2012 at 01:28 AM

opfoto
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p.1 #12 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

jcolwell wrote:
I'm a left eye dominant, left eye shooter, who is right handed.

+1

More comfortable....
and beginning with the film wedding days, I watch for the flash to fire with the right eye and still do!

Nov 10, 2012 at 12:12 AM

hillsidekim
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p.1 #13 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

You didn't put the option of being r eye dominant (shoot pistols and rifles r eyed) r handed and shoot cameras r or l eyed. My eyes are still good (for 66 y o ) but I think my r eye has gone down hill a little more than my l eye and I find myself using my l eye much more than I used to. Somehow it feels a little more comfortable also.

Nov 11, 2012 at 12:50 AM

Lars Johnsson
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p.1 #14 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

I used my left eye for many years. Then I had an eye operation so I had to use my right eye for a couple of months. So now I use both. Sometimes left other times the right. I was surprised how easy it was to change eye after the operation

Nov 11, 2012 at 05:05 PM

beanpkk
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p.1 #15 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

The advantage of using left eye is that you don't have to close the right eye because it's blocked by the hand/camera. Also, in a technique shown me by Joe McNally, if you shoot with your left eye you can turn your head leftward and jam the camera into your left shoulder for more stability. It makes a difference in those situations where you need to get a shot in dim light and don't have time to mess with the tripod etc.

k

Nov 28, 2012 at 12:56 PM

trenchmonkey
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p.1 #16 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

The advantage of using left eye is that you don't have to close the right eye because it's blocked by the hand/camera.
Many sports & wildlife shooters use the right eye for the viewfinder so they can
leave the left eye open

I'd call THAT, an advantage.

Nov 30, 2012 at 11:51 AM

tanglefoot47
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p.1 #17 · Viewfinder: Which eye do you use?

Right eye sucks so I am forced to use left eye I miss my right eye

Dec 03, 2012 at 07:37 PM

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