Looking through a view finder

mjb123

mjb123

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Just a quick one, I've been watching that polar bear programme on bbc which I thought was excellent, and noticed that Gordon Buchanan had his other eye open whilst looking through the viewfinder! I no he's video recording and not taking pictures but I just wandered if people have there eye closed That there not using or keep it open!!
 
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I use my dominant eye (left) in the view finder, but keep my right eye open. Means I am aware of stuff I can't see through the view finder. If I do the opposite, I can't see a thing in either as my brain gets confused and has no idea what to focus on.
 
I use my right eye to the viewfinder on my camera, my left eye sometimes takes a look at the overall scene to gauge what's going on. It's especially useful when using a longer zoom, because your eyepiece is only giving you a very selective view. When I've got a wide angle lens on I rarely use my left eye at all, it's become almost an instinct to close it completely!
 
Left in the viewfinder, the open the other one occasionally to see what's going on around me.
 
if I was working around Polar Bears, you can be damn sure that I'd have my other eye open too.
 
Right eye in viewfinder, and close the other eye. I want to view the world through the viewfinder as the finished image will be in bounded by the edge of the image in the same way. It helps me compose.
 
Right eye at the viewfinder, and left eye open (same when I am using my spotting scope).

If I really want to concentrate on focus I sometimes close the left eye.

Keeping both eyes open reduces eye strain
 
Depends what you're doing really.

I tend to keep both eyes open when out on the streets as it helps with situational awareness.
 
Right eye in VF left eye always closed, I've never been able to get my head around looking through 2 eyes differently.
 
Dep[ends what I'm trying to shoot. For landscapes and other fairly static shots, right to 'finder, left closed. For action, left open and watching for something out of shot (especially when I'm trying to shoot motorsport!)
 
I always use my right eye on the view finder. It's just always felt best plus when I flip to portrait my face isn't slap bang behind the camera as it would be if I used my left.

With landscapes I just use the one eye however if I'm shooting wildlife I keep both eyes open as I can see the zoomed in subject through the viewfinder with my right plus the overall scene with my left.
 
Back in the olden days, with lever wind SLRs, some were turned on by having the wind on levers pulled back a bit. Left eye shooters were best to avoid those bodies to avoid eye poking! Even if the lever didn't need to be 1/2 cocked to turn the camera on, left eye shooters could have problems when winding on!
 
For me it depends what I'm shooting, if its a landscape then it will be right eye to the view finder and left eye closed. Anything that moves, usually the kids, needs the left eye open to see what's going on around them and try and second guess what they are about to do.
 
I started to try to keep my left eye open after reading it could be beneficial but i couldnt manage it - just confused my eyes.

I try every now again though to see if my eyes are feeling brave that day - never works though lol
 
I had to get my camera out to find out what I do. Static shot - left eye to the viewfinder, right eye closed - if I open it, I get a close-up view of my thumb and a little peripheral sight. Don't know for a 'moving target' (couldn't give it an authentic test) - probably a combination of holding the camera close to the face and one eye/both eyes open.
 
I find it a little disorienting keeping both eyes open. However im sure that with time and practice it will become more "Normal"
 
Nod said:
Back in the olden days, with lever wind SLRs, some were turned on by having the wind on levers pulled back a bit. Left eye shooters were best to avoid those bodies to avoid eye poking! Even if the lever didn't need to be 1/2 cocked to turn the camera on, left eye shooters could have problems when winding on!
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It's still a problem, I have to move my head to move the focus point. I've tried to learn to be right eye'd but never could.
 
Quick test, for those of you who struggle having one eye open. I have a theory.

Make a triangle with you fingers (thumbs together and index together) and hold it at arms length. Center an object that's about 5m away in the gap. Now close one eye at a time, you will find with on eye the item stays centred the other it moves.

The centred one shows your dominant eye, is that the one you use in the viewfinder? If not I suspect that's why you struggle as you're focusing on one eye when your brain wants to focus on the other.
 
I practised to open both eyes (right is dominant) because I missed so many shots at the Air Tattoo show in the last 2 years. Whereby 2 jets, opposite directions, heading toward each other, at the moment of impact they flip on their sides and pass each other. I could not never properly catch the split second ( I took loads and it is fine but I wanted more). Last year however i spent it practising panning with both eyes so that I can see both jets coming and take the photo at the exact moment. success, but I realised I needed longer than 300mm lens :( Now it became second nature, I focus with one and then open the other open and take the photo. This way I am aware what is going around the focussed subject.
 
maninsuitcase said:
Quick test, for those of you who struggle having one eye open. I have a theory.

Make a triangle with you fingers (thumbs together and index together) and hold it at arms length. Center an object that's about 5m away in the gap. Now close one eye at a time, you will find with on eye the item stays centred the other it moves.

The centred one shows your dominant eye, is that the one you use in the viewfinder? If not I suspect that's why you struggle as you're focusing on one eye when your brain wants to focus on the other.
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Yeah, works for me
 
Not really! I look through with my left eye and my right eye is tightly closed. Tried having both open but I kept falling over.
 
A good thing about my Pentax MX and 50mm lens is that the viewfinder image is almost exactly the same size as the actual scene so shooting with both eyes open seems more "normal". I don't get quite the same effect with my Nikon FM2 & 50mm lens as the image is slightly smaller than the actual scene.
 
Cyprino said:
I use my right eye to the viewfinder on my camera, my left eye sometimes takes a look at the overall scene to gauge what's going on. It's especially useful when using a longer zoom, because your eyepiece is only giving you a very selective view. When I've got a wide angle lens on I rarely use my left eye at all, it's become almost an instinct to close it completely!
Click to expand...

I'm virtually the same as this. I find that at under around 50mm I get really confused by the wider FOV image in the viewfinder if I keep my other eye open but having a much narrower FOV when above 50mm doesn't confuse my brain at all.
 
Right eye in the finder, left eye shut. My left eye only gives me a blurry mess, I find I'm able to see better just using my right eye.
 
I wonder if any of the more senior members of this forum have come across the following proble. If I shot using my right eye and with my left eye closed for more than (say) ten minutes or so - when I put the camera down I have blurred vision for about another ten minutes.
My optician tells me that it might be due to screwing up my left eye so much that I temporarily distort the eyeball. Being older the eyeball is less elastic and therefore takes ten minutes or so to spring back to its normal shape.
This never happened when I was younger !!
James
 
Yes left eye for me and keep right one open as well

Can use right eye, but doesn't feel as natural ...
 
Hi Ken,

I have no problem kneeling down - getting back up is an issue !!
Seriously, does nobody else have this problem of their eyes taking much longer to gain focus after long use of a camera ?
James
 
jbw said:
I wonder if any of the more senior members of this forum have come across the following proble. If I shot using my right eye and with my left eye closed for more than (say) ten minutes or so - when I put the camera down I have blurred vision for about another ten minutes.
My optician tells me that it might be due to screwing up my left eye so much that I temporarily distort the eyeball. Being older the eyeball is less elastic and therefore takes ten minutes or so to spring back to its normal shape.
This never happened when I was younger !!
James
Click to expand...

I find this too and also find my eyelid aches as I find it difficult to hold closed. Short of an eyepatch I don't know what to do but feel I'd look like the jack sparrow of the photography world! :lol:
 
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