Recommend a film camera for a left eyed shooter

[tumblinglight]

Hi all.

Well, i'm a left eyed shooter. My other one works fine 🙄.

I have a TLR, sone film SLR's and a lovely Kiev.

I just discovered this lovely camera: the Belmira.
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Belmira

With a measurement base of 8 centimetres, viewfinder on the right corner, and the shutter cocks with a sliding lever on the left, this little vintage bug seems to offer a pleasant experience. Have you ever used one?

Are you aware of other cameras (film/digital) with the viewfinder on the right?

Glad to be here!

Alex
http://tumblinglight.wordpress.com/

 

[ruby.monkey]

Well, there's the Baldamatic II in the Classifieds, for one.

 

[rbsinto]

Any camera will work fine for a left-eyed shooter as long as the film advance lever doesn't have to stand off in order for the meter to be activated (assuming that the body has a meter).
With the exception of my F2, this criterion is met by all my other SLRs and rangefinder bodies, so I've no problem.

 

[kumotaki]

Any camera will work fine for a left-eyed shooter as long as the film advance lever doesn't have to stand off in order for the meter to be activated (assuming that the body has a meter).
With the exception of my F2, this criterion is met by all my other SLRs and rangefinder bodies, so I've no problem.

Technically true.
I am a left-eyed shooter and even my favourite SLR, the Nikon FE with its "lever that has to stand off to be active" doesn't bugger me.
But things are different with RF in my opinion. I shoot a Canon P, famous for its 1x magnification. Every right-eyed shooter that I know of shoot it with both eyes open. A luxury that I sadly cannot indulge in. Viewfinder on the other side of the body is an interesting concept. First time I see one. Thanks for the input tumblinglight.

 

[mdarnton]

Leicas are great, with the wind and view on opposite ends. I could never get used to my Oly OMs because the right part of the camera was too short to keep the wind lever out of my way.

 

[Tejasican]

My Leicaflex SL meters with the stand off shutter advance and I have no trouble shooting it left eyed, but the advance pulls out enough that it is not an issue. Not sure about the Nikons.

 

[D.O'K.]

I've read somewhere that c.50% of photographers are left-eyed.

However the great majority of cameras without a centrally placed viewfinder--so including Leicas--have it on the left side. To me that favours the left eyed user, as the right-eyed can't press the other side of their face into the camera back to assist comfort and/or stability.

Accordingly insofar as the manufacturers have shown a bias it inclines to the left not the right eyed buyer. Discuss (...!)

Regards
D.

 

[squareshooter]

I have been reliably informed that you can hold a camera upside down to use the "other" eye. There are Exactas and Practinas and other cameras that can be gotten with waist-level viewfinders so I assume you can look toward your bellybutton with either eye. Interesting problem and I will bet annoying.

 

[nikon_sam]

I shoot with my left eye and so far can use any camera I've ever met...try adding an eye cup...see if that helps...

 

[sanmich]

a motorized camera?

 

[rhl-oregon]

I go from right to left eye routinely, no problem. Yes, the Baldamatic VF is on the right, and the film advance is a cute and clever twist-key on the bottom plate--on the left side of course. I have a Baldamatic II that is also halfheartedly on offer at Rff, only because I shoot it little, and shoot the Werra III more from the same Zeitgeist.

Some of the 50s-60s Baldas are right-eye oriented, so important to get a good preview. There are a bunch on eBay now so one can see the apparently ambidextrous sensibilities of the Balda Werk designers

 

[furcafe]

If you've got the cash, the Kodak Ektra is completely left-handed, though the VF & RF are still on the left.

 

[BLKRCAT]

Any leica with a rapid grip!

 

[Rodchenko]

I'm left eyed, and problems have got worse lately with digital camera screens. But it's true that a lot of cameras are awkward to use left eyed.

Not that I recommend it as a camera, but I remember the Yashica Samurai came in left and right handed versions (and I presume suited for left- and right-eyed)

 

[Bill Clark]

Leica has the viewfinder on the left side. It works just fine and I mostly use my left eye.

Also have a Nikkormat and the finder is centered on the top back of the camera.

 

[msbarnes]

I doubt very many are available but I'm wondering, does this really bother you?

I'm genuinely curious because I am left-eye dominant, but I shoot with my right eye when I pick up rangefinders (squint my left eye) and I shoot with my left eye using SLRs. This has never been a problem with me.

I guess it might be like how left handed people living in a right hand dominant society?

 

[siracusa]

Is it my imagination, or is the viewfinder on the right on the Voigtlander Prominent? Or, if you want to hedge bets, how about a Foca with the vf window centred.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I suggest a Nikon S2 -- and keep both eyes open. Your brain combines the frame lines/focus patch and the world. Frame lines superimposed on your vision. Brilliant.

Leica M3 and the M6 with a 0.85 can also work for this, but Nikon's implementation sure is genius.

 

[Ranchu]

For me, I just want a camera with the eyepiece in the middle or at most 3/4 of the way to the left. Cameras with the eyepiece on the far edge don't work for me because I can't rest the camera on my cheek. SLR's work fine.

 

[Tom A]

I am a left eye shooter, hence the use of various rapidwinder devices (Leicavit MP, Canon and my own Rapidwinders - even motorized advances). The problem is not so much focussing, it is that the advance lever keeps either knocking my glasses askew or poking me in the right eye. Any time you want to do a couple of quick shots in sequence, you have to drop the camera from the eye to advance.