I posted an earlier message titled "Out of curiosity...". The reason why I asked is because I look through the viewfinder with my right eye. I've been told by an experienced photographer that because the camera & lens is held with the left hand, I'll eventually naturally use my left eye, especially when shooting many rolls a day. Judging by the replies to my previous post, maybe he's got a point.

-- Fendy Tjhin (fendushi@cbn.net.id), May 18, 2002

Answers

Very interesting...

-- Albert Knapp MD (albertknappmd@mac.com), May 18, 2002.

Which particular bit do you find interesting Dr Knapp?

"I've been told by an experienced photographer that because the camera & lens is held with the left hand, I'll eventually naturally use my left eye, especially when shooting many rolls a day. Judging by the replies to my previous post, maybe he's got a point."

Was he smoking a big joint at the time?

-- Phill (philkneen@manx.net), May 18, 2002.

Fendy, I suspect there's no real physiology involved in the right-left eye decision. Isn't it driven by habit? If you begin using a camera & sight with your left eye, that's what you'll use from then on. But there is a physical twist to this: if you're holding the body horizontally, sighting w/ your left eye smashes your nose into the camera's back. Not too cool, though you cd rationalize this effect by saying it helped steady the camera! I know from personal experience, unfortunately: my eyes have begun changing, & the left eye "sees" better distances than the right, although I've always sighted with my right. Focus is far sharper w/ my left eye, but I'm finding that when I have to quickly pop shots off, I almost always forget to switch to my left eye. As Al Knapp said, interesting issue...

-- Patrick (pg@patrickgarner.com), May 18, 2002.

Just so you don't think this is only a Leica thing, here is a thread from my Nikon site on the same subject. The general belief is that there is a dominant eye for most people, and even if it is the "wrong" one as far as ergonomics are concerned, few people can switch readily. There is also some interesting talk about cross dominate (left eye / right hand) people. Which eye?

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), May 18, 2002.

I'm left handed and like many left handed people Im also left eyed. Point to something then close one eye and then the other. If it jumps when you close your right eye then you are left eyed.

-- Sanford (sanford@usa.com), May 18, 2002.

Ja, verrry innerestink zis vun. I can't say your consultant isn't an experienced photographer but it doesn't fit me. (a) Maybe he has a different camera and a different hand. (b) I usually hold the camera at least partly with my right hand and I sometimes do the focusing with all of my right hand. So maybe I should also use both eyes to peer through the viewfinder (?)

-- Michael Kastner (kastner@zedat.fu-berlin.de), May 18, 2002.

I tried shooting with my left eye after reading that it was the "correct" way to use the Leica. For me, it turned out to be a more relaxed (physically/facially) way of using the camera.

Previously, I had used my right eye, squinting my left eye to keep it closed. When I switched to using my left eye, I discovered I did not have to "squint" with the right eye. Since it was behind (blocked by) the camera. I could leave my right eye open, which was more relaxed.

-- Jim Lennon (jim@jmlennon.com), May 18, 2002.

I used my right eye for years until one day in the '80s I pushed a branch forward while crawling on the ground to grab a mushroom photo and the branch snapped back and hit me in my right eye. There was no serious damage, but just enough to make it difficult to focus with that eye.

Since that time I have been using my left eye and it seems more comfortable for me to do so.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), May 18, 2002.

I think shooting a Leica M with your left eye looks "super cool."

-- Glenn Travis (leicaddict@hotmail.com), May 18, 2002.

I've been shooting Leicas "left-eyed" since 1945. The left is my dominant eye. Unfortunately, last year, six weeks following cataract surgery on my left eye, I developed a severe staph infection that ulcerated the cornea. Yup! I'm now learning how to shoot "right- eyed." Horizontal (landscape) isn't too tough; however, the vertical (portrait) hold is really tough getting used to. Oh well, it all counts towards retirement! < grin >

-- George C. Berger (gberger@his.com), May 18, 2002.

There is definitely eye dominance just as there is for hands and feet. However most people who have no physiological problem with their non-dominant eye can use it to view and focus a camera. (It is much more difficult to use the non-dominant eye to aim a gun.) In the case of a Leica, if you shoot with glasses on the right-eye viewing is better because with the nose able to fit alongside the left end of the camera rather than get squashed into it, you can force your eye closer to the eyepiece and see more of the finder.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 18, 2002.

Here's a simple test you can try to see if you are left or right eyed. Also useful for marksmanhip, clay pigeon shooting and so on. Raise your right index finger (or hold a pen) and hold it out as far as you can in front of you. Raise your left index finger and line it up in front of your right one. Use both eyes. Now bring both up close to your face, still using both eyes to keep them lined up. Now close your left eye. Are they still aligned? If so, your right eye is dominant. If it's the other way round, you are left eye dominant. Whether this makes any difference to taking pictures I'm darned if I know.

-- David Killick (dalex@inet.net.nz), May 18, 2002.

What's much more interesting for me is the question of whether you shoot with your right eye or left eye actually affects the way you see the world... The whole left brain, right brain idea.

-- David Surowiecki (david@surow.net), May 18, 2002.

Dang David, I took your test and the result was left eye dominance. Before taking your test I would have sworn that I was right eye dominant. I shoot with my right eye, cameras and guns. As for cameras, I will leave others to judge. As for guns, I have always been a pretty good marksman sighting with my right eye. Although I am extremely left handed, I shoot firearms right handed because the discharge ports on automatic weapons exit right. If you shoot lefty, the exhaust is directed into your right eye. Also, if I use my dominant hand for steadiness and sighting, I improve my accuracy. My right hand is just used for trigger control – a task that is well suited for that arm and hand. I will have to rethink this issue and try to use my left eye for shooting cameras – which is all I shoot these days. Doug

-- Doug Landrum (dflandrum@earthlink.net), May 18, 2002.

I always thought right-handed golf clubs should be called left-handed and vice-versa. I'm a leftie but use right-handed clubs because it's the leading side that powers the shot. I can drive a lot farther with a right-handed club. Seems to me I recall former president Bush Sr. and Clinton, both lefties, also used right-handed clubs. I think if Leica wanted to make a special edition, they should make a mirror- image body...shutter button and winder on the left. Like they make cars with the wheel on the wrong side for the UK.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), May 18, 2002.

1) I use my right eye - always have, even for SLRs, TLRs, you name it.

2) This is more comfortable with the Leica, I find, because my nose isn't mashed into the back of the camera. With SLRs it made no difference - my nose got mashed with either eye.

3) I also think using the left eye eliminates one of the Leica's pluses as a 'people' camera - namely, the fact that if you use your right eye the camera covers only a tiny portion of your face, compared with left- eye or SLR viewing.

The fact that your face (left eye, mouth, expression etc.) are all visible to your subject if you use the right eye with most rangefinders makes it easier to maintain human contact, especially with folks who don't know you from Adam (e.g street photography)

It's a little factor, but I've noticed I just seem to get more positive (or less negative) interactions with people since I started using rangefinders. They just seem more trusting of a face with a camera beside it than a 'cyborg photographer' with an SLR for a face.

4) The optic nerves cross over between the eyes and visual cortex, but in addition the optic nerves split and send SOME information from each eye to both halves of the V.C. as well.

There is also a cross-connection in the brain called the corpus callosum, and information (including visual info) gets transmitted across this 'bridge' so that both sides of the brain get info from both halves of the visual cortex.

A lot of built-in redundancy in the wiring, so to speak.

So I don't think being right-eyed or left-eyed correlates with being left- or right-brain dominant. At least not on a physical basis.

Read Oliver Sacks' book "The man who mistook his wife for a hat" for some good popular explanations of the mechanics (as opposed to the psychology) of what goes on, and goes wrong with the brain, including what happens when the corpus callosum gets cut.

The visual 'system' is far more complex than just left-eye/right-eye, left-brain/right-brain.

...and we haven't even started on the point that the RIGHT index finger (or thumb) almost always triggers the shutter.

Which side of the brain determines WHEN you take the picture?

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), May 19, 2002.

I shoot shotguns and leicas and nikons with both eyes open. I'm right eyed dominant. It takes a bit of practice but this allows you to see what's going on with your other eye especially when shooting action or during mirror black out on SLR. I still favor my right eye so the balance is probably something like 60/40. I know several video/film news cinematographers (sic) and they have told me that they have trained themselves to keep both eyes open while filming. If I shot left-eyed with an M I'd be putting my thumb in my right eye while advancing the film. I guess the right answer is do what feels right/OK to you....... FWB

-- F. William Baker (atelfwb@aol.com), May 19, 2002.

With all due respect, I think David Killick has it back-to-front. As far as I understand what he's suggesting, it should be: "if the fingers are still lined up when the left eye is closed, it means that the left eye is dominant; conversely, if the fingers are still lined up when the right eye is closed, it means that the right eye is dominant." (My friend Polyphemus says he doesn't give a s**t but, then, he's a bit weird. ;-))

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), May 19, 2002.

Ray - I think David's right.

Your brain is getting two images - one aligned and the other not aligned. One of them 'supercedes' the other in your perception - that's the 'dominant eye's' view.

So when you close your 'dominant eye' the image will 'shift' to unaligned, as the recessive (?) eye is now able to show you what it sees without being overruled the dominant eye - i.e two fingers well OUT of alignment.

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), May 20, 2002.

I use my left eye to compose because:
1. I am too shy and want to hide my face more behind the camera.
2. I tend to close my left eye if using my right eye. The closed left eye will look very ugly and uncool.
3. I have better left eye vision and sometimes will work with the built-in adjustable diopter lens without my eye glasses on.


-- kenny chiu (gokudo31@hotmail.com), May 20, 2002.