450D owners - Which eye do you use on the viewfinder?

[Kermit power]

This is prompted by a question elsewhere which led me to realise that I always use my left eye on the viewfinder. This rather surprised me, as I've always shot rifles using my right eye and felt completely freakish using my left, yet the camera is the reverse.

So, which eye do you use?

[Major Bloodnok]

Is there something special about the 450D that makes the question only relevant to that camera?

For the record - right eye on a D200.

[jon-]

Indeed. Right eye on 400d. And I'm a lefty (but shoot guns right handed)

[JulianHJ]

Left eye on every camera I've ever used. But then I'm left-handed, shoot left handed and for some bizarre reason cannot close just my left eye in order to use my right for viewfinders, gun sights etc!

[arej]

I use left but I do for everything including shooting (but I'd use my right hand which really messed things up obviously so stopped) because I didn't used to be able to close my left eye and can only just now. It just feels natural for me when using a camera but I think the majority use right.
Surely it doesn't make a difference which camera, I'd do the same for any.

[Kermit power]

Major Bloodnok said:

Is there something special about the 450D that makes the question only relevant to that camera?

For the record - right eye on a D200.

It was just a follow on from someone saying they couldn't use their existing camera with their left eye as their face then got in the way of the various buttons on the back of it, and I was intrigued to find out that I was using my left eye, when I would've expected to be using my right, and wondering if that made me unusual on this particular model of camera.

[Zad]

Right eye, I don't by any means have a big nose, but there is only 2ins of body to the left of the viewfinder centreline, but 3 ins of body to the right, so using my right eye is just more comfortable. Although having said that I sometimes use my left eye because I suffer from floaters in my vision occasionally in my right (have since I was 18 or so, always mentioned it to opticians and been checked out ok for internal pressure etc).

[u_lift_u_lose]

left eye for me on cameras but right for shooting with scope.

[nick_bbb]

I wonder if it make a difference to this...

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

[Whitefly Swatter]

Major Bloodnok said:

Is there something special about the 450D that makes the question only relevant to that camera?

For the record - right eye on a D200.

I use my right eye (Olympus E3 !!) but dont shut my left eye

I shoot with both eyes open too (looking through the sights with my right eye). The reason id that your eyes work togther, if you shut one eye the other open up to compensate for the darkness.

[minipower]

Use my left eye with all cameras but my right for everything else.

[Kermit power]

Whitefly Swatter said:

Major Bloodnok said:

Is there something special about the 450D that makes the question only relevant to that camera?

For the record - right eye on a D200.

I use my right eye (Olympus E3 !!) but dont shut my left eye

I shoot with both eyes open too (looking through the sights with my right eye). The reason id that your eyes work togther, if you shut one eye the other open up to compensate for the darkness.

How on earth do you manage to do that? I've just tried it, and with both eyes open, I can hardly see a thing, as half the vision of my right eye is obscured by the camera body.

[LongQ]

Kermit power said:

Whitefly Swatter said:

Major Bloodnok said:

Is there something special about the 450D that makes the question only relevant to that camera?

For the record - right eye on a D200.

I use my right eye (Olympus E3 !!) but dont shut my left eye

I shoot with both eyes open too (looking through the sights with my right eye). The reason id that your eyes work togther, if you shut one eye the other open up to compensate for the darkness.

How on earth do you manage to do that? I've just tried it, and with both eyes open, I can hardly see a thing, as half the vision of my right eye is obscured by the camera body.

Takes practice. You can train the brain.

Used to be quite adept at it with my old Canon AE1 body but have not really tried it with the 400D (at least it is small enough to consider it) because it most often has a huge lens attached that blocks all forward vision!

However, did try it last weekend and found it somewhat tricky with the darker 400D viewfinder. There did not seem to be the required visual balance. It's worth persevering if you are into action stuff so you can see what is about to happen.

[mikee boy]

JulianHJ said:

Left eye on every camera I've ever used. But then I'm left-handed, shoot left handed and for some bizarre reason cannot close just my left eye in order to use my right for viewfinders, gun sights etc!

I'm right handed, but always use my left eye for cameras, guns etc.

[twister]

Would prefer to use my right eye, but the side effects of eye surgery have forced me to start using my left. Took a bit of getting used to holding the body/lens a bit further to the left than usual - felt like I was reaching right across my face to focus/zoom - but now it feels quite natural.

[cone]

A while ago i went on a archery course and was taught to use your dominant eye so I suppose its linked with that.

Basically extend your arm and make an "OK" shape with your thum n forefinger, then view an object through the ok hole and bring your arm back to your face , you'll find that you draw back to dominant eye. Hope that makes sense - or I may be talking bowlocks

[Elderly]

cone said:

A while ago i went on a archery course and was taught to use your dominant eye so I suppose its linked with that.

Basically extend your arm and make an "OK" shape with your thum n forefinger, then view an object through the ok hole and bring your arm back to your face , you'll find that you draw back to dominant eye. Hope that makes sense - or I may be talking bowlocks

Another 'test' to establish your dominant eye, is after you have viewed the object through the 'OK' shape with both eyes open, shut each eye in turn; the object will stay within the 'OK' shape for one eye (your dominant eye) but move outside of the 'OK' shape for your non-dominant (non-viewfinder) eye.
I'm left eyed and it's always been a camera nuisance; in the old days I had to have a motor drive because winding on film without one, meant scratching my nose with my thumb nail!!! And now the tip of my nose leaves marks on my LCD screen.
I too can keep both eyes open and peripherally see what might be about to wonder (unwanted) into my frame but I cannot use a shotgun at all.

[Whitefly Swatter]

Kermit power said:

Whitefly Swatter said:

Major Bloodnok said:

Is there something special about the 450D that makes the question only relevant to that camera?

For the record - right eye on a D200.

I use my right eye (Olympus E3 !!) but dont shut my left eye

I shoot with both eyes open too (looking through the sights with my right eye). The reason id that your eyes work togther, if you shut one eye the other open up to compensate for the darkness.

How on earth do you manage to do that? I've just tried it, and with both eyes open, I can hardly see a thing, as half the vision of my right eye is obscured by the camera body.

It does take practice but if you keep at it then its easy, Its the only wau to shoot when there is action going on!

And the fullbore shooting helps!

[Kermit power]

Elderly said:

cone said:

A while ago i went on a archery course and was taught to use your dominant eye so I suppose its linked with that.

Basically extend your arm and make an "OK" shape with your thum n forefinger, then view an object through the ok hole and bring your arm back to your face , you'll find that you draw back to dominant eye. Hope that makes sense - or I may be talking bowlocks

Another 'test' to establish your dominant eye, is after you have viewed the object through the 'OK' shape with both eyes open, shut each eye in turn; the object will stay within the 'OK' shape for one eye (your dominant eye) but move outside of the 'OK' shape for your non-dominant (non-viewfinder) eye.

I'm wondering of one of you has this the wrong way round?

The first method comes back to my left eye, but the second one says my right eye is the dominant one.

[rasputin]

To start with it felt more natural to look through the viewfinder with my left eye.
But I found that if I had my right eye shut for too long, when I opened it my vision was very blurry for a couple of minutes (just in the right eye).

No such problem when I look with my right eye and keep left shut.

I have also used both eyes for action shots (right on viewfinder, left looking past camera) - didn't take any practice though... My brain must be used to being confused?