Left, or Right? Which Eye Do You Use?

[Austin Greene]

I don't believe that one or the other is inherently better or somehow "linked" to more creative portions of our brains like some folks mention. What I do believe is that what eye people shoot with on a regular basis might have pretty big impacts on how they compose over time. I'm just curious about everyone else's habits.

For me, I'm always shooting with my left eye, it's just most comfortable that way. But, if I stick my right eye to the viewfinder I have a much harder time getting shots that are level, and in post I consistently dislike my on-the-fly compositions. I've slowly been trying to work my right eye more into things, but after years of shooting as a lefty it's not easy!

What do you shoot with? Do you notice a difference?

 

[Designer]

I peer through the viewfinder using my dominant eye.

 

[FeatherMonkey]

Can't really comment, I'm still learning but this did make me ponder. I have a leading left which means I shoot guns left handed though I'm right. Pretty sure I've naturally settled into my right eye though.

 

[JustJazzie]

I can only wink left eye closed so right eye it is!

 

[limr29 2]

I've always used my right eye exclusively. Don't know if it's dominance or just a very strong habit that was formed by having a 110 camera as a kid with the viewfinder on the far left of the camera.

Either way, I'm right-eyed, though I've been practicing with my left eye lately. My vision has always been pretty good - I need glasses for distance, but it's a very very minor prescription - but as I get older, the right eye is getting worse a little faster than the left eye. And since I almost never use auto-focus (not even an option on all but two of my cameras), I'm noticing it's sometimes easier to focus with my left than with my right. It feels really weird, though. Especially in portrait orientation.

 

[480sparky38 37]

Usually right, but left if conditions warrant it.

 

[KmH]

My left eye is dominant so I automatically use it most of the time.

I override automatic when I want to see the scene with both eyes, which is usually when I shoot action sports.
My right eye is then looking through the viewfinder and my left eye is watching the not-through-the-viewfinder, wider FoV action.

 

[astroNikon]

my left eye is too far out of whack to use it. If I used a Manual Focus lens, even with the diopter adjust, everything would be OOF. My Right is still in good focus without my glasses.

 

[petrochemist115 140]

Like 480Sparky I switch eyes depending on the conditions.
With strong light coming from the right I find my left eye gets a clearer view of the EVF particularly with the removable model on my GF2.
I don't remember ever using my left with a SLR/DSLR though I do remember using both without the viewfinder just relying on guesswork (Shooting from the hip/at full reach over my head & in pitch black conditions...)

 

[Gary A.]

Both.

 

[waday]

Both.

Eyebidextrous?

 

[Derrel]

With an eye-level finder, I use my right eye. In the past, with waist-level rollfilm TLR,SLR, and view camera, I used both eyes open to compose. I have when tripod-mounted, used my left eye to look through the finder and evaluate things...seems to be a bit different to me. But these days, mostly right eye only.

 

[Waldo32487]

I tend to shoot with my right....however I just never thought about it before and might try out my left eye and see how it goes.

I know I use my right when I shoot in portrait, but then I can open my left eye and see outside the viewfinder (and being right handed, it's just easier that way)

 

[shefjr]

I use my right eye for photography but, am left eye dominant and use that when shooting fire arms.

 

[imagemaker46]

I use my right to shoot, but both depending on what I shoot. My left eye is open when there is a chance of getting hit by something(pucks, balls, 300 pound people) I close it when I'm in a situation such as figure skating, speed skating, or the surrounding light is bright.