Any left-eyed RF users out there?

[mike rosenlof]

I'm 100% left eyed. All I can see in the right is light vs. dark. I have to admit I kind of like waist level viewing. I have a WLF for my Nikon F2. (not currently installed)

 

[john_s]

I'm right side dominant, but I have to use my left eye for my Rolleiflex SL66 with prism finder because I can't source an eyepiece diopter (which I have for my other cameras). My left eye is good. It is a strain. I'm slower to focus. At my age, I have progressed from fairly short sighted in both eyes to neutral in the left and not so much shortsighted in the right, so maybe in a few years my right eye will be just right. However, to complicate things, my tiny astigmatism is growing, and according to my optometrist, it's the result of slowly progressing cataract. This will be rectified at a later stage if necessary.

 

[agentlossing]

I'm m left-eye dominant, but have used my right eye for several years of RF-style Panasonic cameras with EVFs mounted in the left corner... it was hard at first but now I don't think too much about the eye that I use, even with the hotshoe finder on my Bessa-T.

 

[splitimageview]

Yes, lefty eyed, righty for everything else.

Wasn’t aware of this until my dad pointed it out when I was aiming a BB rifle...

My left eye was better corrected than my right; near-sighted and astigmatism in both.

Had LASIK at 39, on my right eye, but it still was hard to train myself to shoot with my right even tho my right eye was now better than my left.

Eventually I managed to do so, I can now shoot with either, although left is more comfortable.

 

[newst]

Early in 2019 a cataract in my right eye degraded to the point where I could no longer focus right-eyed. I switched to the left eye and it took about a month before it was second nature to focus with it.

This March I had the cataract surgery, and it went beautifully. I automatically began using the right eye immediately, without thinking.

So, I have done it both ways. My photographs are just as bad either way.

 

[besk]

I am right handed but left eye dominant. Growing up I found that an advantage at bat when playing baseball. I switched and shoot shotguns left handed with both eyes open. Didn't take long to get accustomed to it.


Focusing rangefinders are not a problem. Just have to turn my face a little to accommodate the nose. Some SLR's have the meter needle or diodes on the left side of the viewfinder., That does cause somewhat of a problem since my face is turned to the right.

 

[benlees]

I'm guessing the whole right eye dominant keep both eyes open rf shooting technique is over rated. But that's just sour grapes because I'm a lefty!

The only problem is getting nose grease on the back screen if you use digital. And the occasional wind lever that hits your forehead...

 

[jwnash1]

Very right handed definitely left eyed. Like Benlees, I am bothered most by nose grease all over digital screens. No real problems with rangefinders and SLRs.

 

[CMur12]

I believe that each eye transmits directly to a different hemisphere of the brain, which then communicates with the other.

Assuming this is true, training oneself to use the non-dominant eye would require training/re-wiring of the brain, similar to what a stroke patient does to form new neural paths.

- Murray

I, too, have a LOT of astigmatism with considerable myopia, along with progressing cataracts. I'm hoping much of this will be corrected by cataract surgery.

So, right now, I'm left-eyed and wear glasses, which limits me with a lot of eye-level finders (being able to see the whole frame and interfering with camera controls to the immediate right of the viewfinder) and makes waist-level finders (on TLRs) much easier to deal with.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I believe that each eye transmits directly to a different hemisphere of the brain, which then communicates with the other.

Assuming this is true, training oneself to use the non-dominant eye would require training/re-wiring of the brain, similar to what a stroke patient does to form new neural paths.

Not entirely true about the physiology of the optic nerve. Each eye communicates with its own hemisphere as well as the opposite hemisphere. The optic nerves are not unlike an hourglass shape with a crossing in the middle. This ensures that if the brain suffers an insult such as stroke, TBI, anoxia, etc. then there is a backup of vision so vision should not be completely lost. The scarring and damage to the nerve and/or the occipital lobe are what determine vision loss but usually there is still some remaining.
As for retraining the brain, it is much harder after a cerebral accident than before. We can do it now, we just will always favor the easier eye to view with. Stroke and TBI survivors don't have an easier time doing this, they may not have the choice.
Phil Forrest

 

[zuiko85]

All my life. Plus now, at 71, the cataracts in my right eye make that vision fuzzy. I was supposed to have both eyes done in April but decided to hold off till next year. I don't drive at night, and my left eye has some cataracts but they are not in the center of the field so I still can focus a camera ok.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I was always left eyed when I shot with SLRs, and still am with both 35mm SLRs and my digital mirrorless cameras (I have two micro four thirds cameras). When I got back into shooting rangefinders last year after I was given my first Leica IIIf, I kept having issues with images being front focused. I ended up trying to use my right eye for focusing and my pictures were focused spot on! For some reason, my left eye gives incorrect focus with both of the Leica IIIf bodies I have and my right eye gives perfect focus!

Has anyone else noticed something like that with screwmount Leicas???

 

[Doug]

I'm surprised at the numbers here for left-eyed and right-handed, as I am. And also the number having dealt with cataracts too, as I have. My right eye cataract developed earlier, and didn't interfere with left-eye use of the viewfinder... or driving, reading, using the computer, etc. Right eye was essentially useless when I went to the VA hospital to check it out. They said it wasn't bad enough yet for them to fix that eye, when I was dependent on the left to function, if anything should interfere with it. So I had it done at a civilian eye clinic, with that right eye now "tuned" to distant vision.

That worked fine for the camera viewfinders, except that I'm left eyed! I did manage to gradually switch to the right, as the left eye cataract progressed. FWIW I have always preferred eye-level viewfinders and rectangular format...

Two years later the left eye cataract had got to the point of needing work, and it was "tuned" for closer vision. So between the two my overall vision was pretty good, and for the first time ever I passed the drivers license exam without glasses.

I still naturally tend to put the camera up to the left eye, and that's ok if I'm using glasses. But I prefer to dispense with the glasses except for night driving, and the right/distance eye is more suited to the viewfinder, so it's still a bit of a struggle.

BTW, due to being left-eyed, I have "always" turned the camera righty-downy for verticals. I remember experimenting with that early-on.

 

[JohnBeeching]

I am left-eye dominant and have always used my left eye with SLRs, microscopes, telescopes, etc. I found my Leica to be a liberation as I could both use my left eye and advance the film without removing the camera from my eye. However, in my 60's I started to have problems with my left eye and, in frustration, forced myself to use the right. This was difficult, but after a year I could manage with my right with few problems. In fact, now when I pick up my camera I unthinkingly put the viewfinder to my right eye! Will power over biology!

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I am right-handed but left eye dominant, but you all should be aware that you can retrain your eyes pretty easily. I shoot a bow with my son in the backyard and as a righty, I use my right eye for aiming. Same for a lot of ranged/aiming sports. I think handedness is a much bigger deal.

BTW, right eye use/left eye open with a Leica M3 or a Nikon S2 is a photographic joy. Just like a head's up display where the RF framelines appear projected on the world. Sweet in concept and execution. I think the Fuji X series had a real opportunity there to offer a 1:1 window with framelines. Ah well. Cool tech of a by-gone age.

 

[JMQ]

Right handed, but left eye dominant in photography. yes, the wind lever of my Nikon F2 pokes my right eye, and my nose is squashed against the digital M Leica's rear display.

 

[D.O'K.]

One real advantage of focussing rangefinders with the left eye is that much more of the camera back can be pressed into the face than if the right eye is used--for me, this aids stability and helps prevent camera shake.

If I use the right eye it all feels less anchored, if not a bit wobbly, and stability becomes far more dependent on the hands.

This of course assumes the viewfinder is near the left corner, but with rangefinders it almost always is.

Regards,
D.

 

[retinax]

There are a few RF cameras that have the viewfinder in the other corner, like the Balda Baldessa (35mm) and several in medium format. If I was left eye dominant, I'd try one of those. While what was written above about stability when the camera is in front of one's face is probably true, I value not having to press the camera against my nose, and having the other eye free more.

 

[Michael Markey]

Yep left eye dominant and find it difficult to use Rangefinders in the prescribed way.
However I now predominantly use a CL (digital) and shoot that right eyed .
Of course I don`t have to manual focus unless I use my manual M lenses .

However when I do use my manual lenses I can still focus with my right eye using focus peaking so the difficulty is only when I use an RF.

I am right handed

 

[CameraQuest]

I've always preferred the left eye when using SLRs and find it challenging now to use the right eye with the CL. Anyone else?

My first 35mm camera was a Minolta Hi-Matic F, when I was 13 years old, but I don't really remember which eye I used with it.

lots of them,

that is why Tom A started making RapidWinders!