Which eye do you use for viewfinder?

Which eye on viewfinder?

  • Right Handed. Left eye on vf. Right eye closed.

    Votes: 19 22.1%

  • Right Handed. Left eye on vf. Right eye open.

    Votes: 3 3.5%

  • Right Handed. Right eye on vf. Left eye open.

    Votes: 20 23.3%

  • Right Handed. Right eye on vf. Left eye closed

    Votes: 31 36.0%

  • Left Handed. Left eye on vf. Right eye closed.

    Votes: 5 5.8%

  • Left Handed. Left eye on vf. Right eye open.

    Votes: 2 2.3%

  • Left Handed. Right eye on vf. Left eye open.

    Votes: 2 2.3%

  • Left Handed. Right eye on vf. Left eye closed.

    Votes: 1 1.2%

  • Other (ambidextrous, never use vf etc)

    Votes: 3 3.5%
  • Total voters
    86
I'm slightly different- I am right handed but my left eye is dominant - so Left eye through VF and right eye closed- yeah I know I'm weird o_O:LOL::LOL::LOL:

Les
 
My non-vf eye is sometimes open and sometimes closed. Depends on what I am shooting.
 
Right handed and usually right eye, left open but sometimes left closed and sometimes (but rarely) rear screen. Very rarely, set up on tripod/other support system and release cable when what I'm waiting for happens.
 
Right handed and right eye dominant. I 'shoot' cameras and firearms with both eyes open and always have, since I was a kid.
 
As a kid, I learned to shoot a gun before I learned to use a camera; right handed, right eye with both open.

It naturally followed when I picked up my first camera as a ten year old.
 
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Most view finders are reverse Galilean - make the image smaller than life - so having both eyes open means you see a large and a small image at the same time. I keep my left eye closed.
 
Not directly related to this but I recently had a minor accident ripping my collar bone away from my shoulder, this means I'm stuck to local wanderings and cannot do many of the things I enjoy. One thing I have been trying to do a bit of photography with a point and shoot for two reasons risk of dropping the camera ( my point and shoots cost next to nothing) and two the small size of the camera helps with it's use( one/left handed). The main difficultly is every camera I have ( and have ever seen) has the shutter button on the right ( effectively right handing the camera) and I only have my left hand ( try it !) My latest method is to use the camera upside down putting the button on the left and making it some what easier to hold and shoot.

GeordieStew said:
I'm trying to train myself to keep my non-vf eye open. Then maybe look around a bit.
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This was something I was practicing whilst shooting a Rifle, some of the scopes have a very narrow field of view and in the wrong situation someone/something could go from being in a safe position to being in the firing line, having both eyes open gives a far better/safer view) I guess there must be situations in photography where this same method would be useful.
 
It's more critical when shooting than using a camera as closing one eye puts a strain on the open one so keeping both open is preferable. That's why you'll see competition shooters with a translucent patch in front of the 'other' eye - it can stay open but not see anything to distract from the target.
 
Right hand, right eye, left eye closed. With mirrorless systems and EVFs I'm actually tempted to go back to bridge camera shooting style, and shoot from the main screen rather than EVF as I shoot from the tripod.
 
Handheld I use right eye with left eye closed and ma right handed.

On a tripod i will use either eye - will often check composition with the right eye and review the taken image with the left eye. Dont know why that is. Obviously using an EVF.
 
I hadn't thought about it at all, until now. But yes, I use my right eye with my left closed.
 
I’m mostly shooting events and use right eye for the viewfinder and keep left eye open to have a chance of noticing if something else is going on that I might be missing.
 
I need to think about keeping my left eye open, it's not a natural thing for me to do and I mostly forget. Every now and then the scene gives me a reminder to do so.
 
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MartynK said:
Right handed and right eye dominant. I 'shoot' cameras and firearms with both eyes open and always have, since I was a kid.
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I'm right handed and left eye dominant- I shoot my Right handed Firearms and shotguns from my left shoulder - a tad difficult when using the bolt on centerfires though- but do-able :)
 
Fuji Dave said:
Right handed but if I ever use the VF it is with left eye, 9 out of 10 now I use just the back screen for most of my shooting.
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Same here Dave, except I'm right eyed that 1 time out of 10.
 
In truth I use both eyes and both hands..
The wonders of a Hasselblad waist level finder.
 
RH & RE. Keeping LE open when using a longer focal length helps me to better anticipate the action for example wildlife / birds / sport. But it takes some practice.
Have to feel for the left handers..
 
Right handed, right eye to vf and left eye closed.
My left eye is much weaker than my right and if I keep it open everything is blurred and that is distracting.
Should really have been noticed and corrected as a kid, bit too late now.
 
Left eye dominant, right handed, I guess that's why they put me on a machine gun in the army, my rifle shooting was average at best. Inconsistent.
I shoot with my right eye, leave my left open so I can see other things going on outside of the lens.
 
Right handed for some things, left handed for others so not ambidextrous...

Using a view camera, I use both eyes to view the ground glass, but right eye with the loupe.

@BADGER.BRAD - my Exaktas have the shutter release and lever wind on the left for left handed use.
 
Either but left is my go to eye.

I can do most things left or right handed.
 
Not that it matters much I'm right handed & left eye dominant as I have 40% vision with right eye so left eye to viewfinder,
With the right eye to view finder it produces some interesting blurred effects in the view finder which never seems to convert onto the image;)
 
I think I tend to vary. I'd say 80-90% Right handed, right eye VF, left eye closed. But i know I do occasionally go left eye VF. But I cannot think of a rationale as to why, or which situations might call for it.

I've been trying more often to keep my other eye open for the reasons listed above.

I've never liked using the screen on any camera (when shooting handheld) - partly because having the camera tucked in helps with stability.
 
I'm left handed for writing, but right handed with a mouse, tennis racket, etc.
I'm left eye dominant so I use my left eye in the viewfinder and mostly my right eye is closed because it's behind the camera and has no view.

I do use the back screen a lot now on my mirrorless camera as it's essentially the same view as the viewfinder and it's more convenient when shooting landscapes on a tripod.

Unfortunately all cameras are designed for right handed people and the viewfinder setup is for right eye-dominant people too. Even more so when you look at video cameras. The viewfinder is on the left hand side of the camera and you will very often have an issue putting your left eye to the viewfinder.
At least with stills cameras you have the option of using your left eye if you want.
When doing some broadcast camera training I was taught to have my right eye on the viewfinder and have my left eye open so that you can observe people around you for hazards or people coming into frame (either as a scripted move or unintended move).
 
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