Left eye / right eye

[theno23]

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I'm left eye dominant (though left handed), but learned to shoot with my right eye. It wasn't hard to adjust.

 

I've never been able to shoot with both eyes open though, gives me a headache!

 

- Steve

[adan]

This thread got me thinking - so why are cameras "eyed" at all? The early non-RF Leicas had a central finder, as did similar viewfinder cameras of the era (Ermanox, e.g.). Even the early RF'd Leicas had a finder well inset from the corners.

 

I guess the quest for the longest possible RF baselength (for improved accuracy), and the quest for a combined finder for viewing and focusing, drove the viewfinder to one corner. Seems like the Zeiss Contax was the first 35mm camera to implement this, and that mostly "set" how cameras were "supposed" to be designed.

 

As to why the left corner (as seen from shooting position, as are all other left/right references here) - I guess there was a bias towards putting the shutter release convenient to the right hand. In a mechanical camera designed for efficiency, that also meant putting the shutter clockwork, shutter dial and film takeup spools on the right side. (Which also shifted the film gate/lens mount to the left).

 

Once the viewfinder had to move off-center, left was the only space available.

 

Sheet-film press cameras with a VF/RF usually have the viewfinder on the right side (and a wire-frame finder centrally located). One might think that that was a bias in favor of left-eyed viewers, but perhaps not. http://www.marchermann.com/wwii/sparphotog.jpg

 

With a big press camera, locating the camera centrally in front of the face reduced parallax error in composition (significant when the finder is 4-5 inches away from the lens center), and also gave (right-eyed) press photographers a nice big metal-and-glass face-protector http://presscameras.graywolfphoto.com/_graphic/hold-1.jpg when the subjects were unwilling ones .

 

As a right-eyed shooter, I don't usually shoot with both eyes open. But I have found that the offset Leica finder leaves my face visible to my subjects, and that seems to subtly engender more trust from subjects. They see me (as in my Digilux 2 avatar, left), not anonymous "Borg-Photographer" (see second press-camera link above).

[voe]

Wow, so many left-eyed here.

I feel better now, though the LCD screen on on my M8 gets the smudges all the time.

[diogenis]

Left eye shooter here as well. No problem using at all, I can even switch to right eye if I give my eyes 5-10 secs for the eyes to adjust.

 

And to extend Adan's question, why haven't we seen dual finders on these cameras. Nobody ever included a feature like this on cameras. Strange...

[euston]

I'm strongly left-eyed, and have concerns over the positioning of the viewfinder - it looks like it would be perfect for right-eyed shooters, but create a difficult angle for us lefties. How is it in the real world?

 

It's fine. I'm a temporary lefty because of a problem with my right eye. I feared it would put paid to my using the M9 for a while but not a bit of it! I just switched to the left eye with no problems at all. You have nothing to worry about.

[menos I M6]

I am normally right eyed (had also a strongly dominant right eye until recently).

 

During the last 2 years though, my right eye lost quite a bit of vision, forcing myself, to shoot with my left eye.

 

At the beginning, I hated it - the nose is always in the way, you can't shot with both eyes open, which I always did, …

 

Now, I am a genuine left eye shooter and have no issues - even found, testing recently, that my right eye dominance has vanished and my left eye has completely taken over in daily life - make the test:

 

- hide a small object behind your thumb at arms length with both eyes open

- now close either the left or right eye

 

You will be amazed, to find the subject still fully hidden with one of your eyes open.

 

There are now only few down points, shooting left eyed:

 

When I want to check for sharpness on the LCD screen of my M8.2, I always have to use my T-shirt first ;-)

When shooting with the Nikon F5, my nose always selects a different AF point, than my brain wants ;-)

[lars_bergquist]

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Here's my (longish) story. I am right-eyed but lefthanded. This was a problem when shooting large caliber revolvers, which recoil quite a lot while the heavy bullet is still in the barrel. Shooting left hand -- right eye meant that the gun was held at an angle at the wrist, so that the recoil did not go in a straight line into the shoulder. The resulting sideways whip was enough to make for a complete miss at 25m.

 

My solution was a black 'pirate' patch over my right eye. I did not need to wear it permanently. Just a couple of sessions on the range were enough to teach my left eye to take over when needed (but I continued to shoot rifles from my right shoulder, aiming with my right eye. Bolt action rifles are extremely awkward to a leftie shooter, because of that bolt handle on the right side.) This taught me how flexible we really are. And with a digital camera, we do not even have to buy ammo for training.

 

So this is my tip: Amuse your friends with a performance of Photographers of the Caribbean. Or just put the eyepiece to your right eye and fire away. You will learn fast, unless you have a real problem with your right eye. And in that case -- nose grease in reasonable amounts does not degrade the monitor image to any noticeable extent.

 

The old man from the Age of Big Bangs

[Fotomiguel]

One more story:

I was left eye and now I'm right eye. It's not easy to change the eye but if you cope it and you get used, then you have a much better and confortable position.

Which advantge I've got after a few months:

-My shots are more level or not uneven. You don't have to press tilting the camera to get your eye close.

-You get much better steady position so, you can shot slower in low light

-Not a nose pression on the LCD. If you have greasy nose you will understand.

 

What is really clear is that if you are left eye shooter, you can just press the camera to your face in one direction. If you are right eye shooter with the right hand you press the camera towards the nose and with the left hand you press the camera towards your eye/cheek. This way you create a perfect triangle between your two hands and your face, making a really steady position which can beat any Dlsr in low light.

It seems to be really imposible to change the eye but I was a strong eye shooter and now I can use both eyes without problem. I was more than one month learning to wink my left eye like an idiot practicing in every place. If you can close the left eye a lot of time, the right eye start to work better getting used to the new situation. It's just a matter of forcing your brain to work different till is natural. I've done this before with my arms: Working as a waiter I started suffering a lot of pain in one of my shoulder because of supporting the heavy tray with my left arm. So I decided to use the right arm. At the beginning I had some accidents looking like a rookie and making angry some of my guest. Now I can use both hands without thinking about it.

Of course if you have problem in one of your eyes, there is no more options for you. I've enjoy my m8 as a left eye shooter so much and is not a major problem.

 

Of course, IMHO.

[erl]

said Lars: "The old man from the Age of Big Bangs"

 

Sooo, you were there when the world began! WoW!

[Nicoleica]

said Lars: "The old man from the Age of Big Bangs"

 

Sooo, you were there when the world began! WoW!

 

As I understand it, the big bang happened when Lars dropped his camera.

[erl]

As I understand it, the big bang happened when Lars dropped his camera.

 

There have been several 'big bangs' lately. (I dropped mine recently and am getting a new shutter.)

 

Two big bangs! - Does this prove the parallel universe theory?

[ldhrads]

Left eye dominant, always shot that way with SLR, but since I've switched to the Leica I have trained myself to use my right eye.

 

LDH

[Nicoleica]

Two big bangs! - Does this prove the parallel universe theory?

 

Probably. And in reading some of the recent posts in various sections of this forum, I am quite convinced that some posters must inhabit a different universe to the one that I live in. Then again, I believed in String Theory, until somebody asked me how long it was?

[dichter2012]

Left eye as well. It just feels natural that way on the Leica. Hide my face completely behind the camera too.

 

On DSLR, I use my right eye though. Since the viewfinder is centered and at the top.

[carcam]

Left eye here too. I'm strongly left eye dominant so it was a natural starting point. I use a 1.33 viewfinder magnifier without glasses and it provides enough relief to avoid the nose smudge. I tried right eye but couldn't shoot with both eyes open because my dominant left eye wanted to see more than my right eye in the viewfinder so I had to close my left eye. Shooting with my left eye, I can keep my right eye open which is more relaxing. Good luck and you'll find what's comfortable quite naturally.

[digi2ap]

Left eye dominant too but nevertheless use my right eye with my D2 - didn't require any special training!

[menos I M6]

Left eye here too. I'm strongly left eye dominant so it was a natural starting point. I use a 1.33 viewfinder magnifier without glasses and it provides enough relief to avoid the nose smudge. I tried right eye but couldn't shoot with both eyes open because my dominant left eye wanted to see more than my right eye in the viewfinder so I had to close my left eye. Shooting with my left eye, I can keep my right eye open which is more relaxing. Good luck and you'll find what's comfortable quite naturally.

 

You can train that!

 

Really, seeing with both eyes with a rangefinder and the augmented frames and RF patch in your vision is THE most fantastic thing about RF cameras, really.

 

When I started RF shooting with a M6, I had exactly the issues, you describe.

I started as a right eye dominant and had issues with the differnet magnification between left (1:1) vs. right eye (0.72 magnification of the finder).

 

I forced myself then for a short amount of time (a few weeks of daily shooting), to have both eyes open.

After holding the camera for a few second up to my eye, the clear vision of frames and RF patch would become clear and I was able to focus and frame.

 

After these few hard weeks, I even could then see with both eyes open with any SLR (mind you, with SLRs, both eyes see with a parallax failure, as the right eye sees more to the bottom, than the left eye).

 

Since I have reverted to left eye shooting due to vision issues, THIS is the most amazing thing, I am fully missing - shooting with both eyes open :(

[miklosphoto]

I had been using my left for 18 years of photographing. Switched to Leica from SLRs two years ago and was even using Leica with left eye for more than a year. Then it was probably in March/April of this year that I decided to switch to the right eye. It took me 2-3 weeks to get used to it, and now using my right eye as if I have been using it all my life.

First it feels impossible, but just practice and you will see how easy it is to adjust.

[ricnak]

Welcome to the forum Hunta.

 

You mentioned you were interested in hiring and M9 to try before you buy. I thought the same before I got mine. New to rangefinders and all. I ended up going to dealer and asking if I could have a play with their M8 (all they had available on the shelf). My concern was being able to focus with aging eyes. I was gobsmacked with the brightness and the ease of focussing. I ordered one on the spot.

 

There are places where you can hire the M9. Where abouts are you?

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[NZDavid]

 

- hide a small object behind your thumb at arms length with both eyes open

- now close either the left or right eye

 

You will be amazed, to find the subject still fully hidden with one of your eyes open.

 

 

A slight variation on this. Just hold your index finger straight out in front of you, right or left, doesn't matter. Line up the index finger of your other hand about 12" (30cm) behind it. Now close one eye, then the other. If both index fingers are aligned, that is your dominant eye.

 

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.