Vanderpix Loc: New Jersey

My left eye is better then my right is when I take off my glasses it is easier to correct the diopter to it. So for the past couple of years I have been shooting left eyed. I am right handed, however.

OriginalCyn Loc: Connecticut

That's their job...to think your a dork :)

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

I shoot cameras & guns left handed & left eyed. This is why I like top-ejecting fire arms.

birdie

Do you have a left handed camera?

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

I use a left-handed grip to hold my camera, and run all controls with my right hand.

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

The advantages of keeping both eyes open (w/cameras OR guns) are twofold.
You have a greater peripheral vision, and can follow action that's outside your camera's field of view. So you can see the car, or football player about to enter your image area.
With an SLR camera, the mirror is up during exposure, so if you're using flash, you may not see it fire (or fail to fire) at the instant of exposure. THIS part of the lesson I learned very, very well when my flash was not firing during a wedding. Now, it's BOTH eyes open at all times! As long as I have two eyes, I will use both of them.

OriginalCyn Loc: Connecticut

I think I'll have to practice that (two eyes open thing). Probably a good philosophy to live by :)

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

I'm near-sighted/far-sighted.... I'm getting ready to get a right angle view-finder. The Nikon (I would assume Canon and others have this as well) version includes a magnification option for those who don't yet want to give up photography due to agin eyes.

judy 2011 Loc: Northern Utah

don't know for sure but strongly feel all cameras are made for right eye shooting and secondly are you saying you don't shut one eye when you look through the viewfinder?[/quote]

I use the left eye to look through the view finder and close my right eye. I noticed today my sister does the opposite

Cornishpete Loc: Illinois

Right handed, but left dominant eye and left footed when it comes to kicking a soccer ball but not doing much of that at 73.
My Canon 50D suffered from the greasy noseprint on LCD sydrome too but I cured that with the puchase of one of Canon's rubber extended eyepieces. This brings my nose back just sufficiently to keep it from squishing on the LCD.
I totaly agree with Danilo as to the advantage of keeping both eyes open but I guess it would need practice to overcome years of doing it the wrong way.
Don't have a problem with hot brass as my black-powder rifle doesn't use shells!

Vi Loc: Upper Midwest

I used to be right eye dominate until I had a stroke in my right eye. I now use my left eye with my camera. I am amerdexterous (spelling??) But I write with the right hand. Back in the day when I was in my formative years, it was common that parents wanted their children to be right handed so they would change or train their children who showed signs of left hand preference to be right handed. Left most of us that that happened to uncoordinated in many ways. Walking, running,
sports.....trying batting right handed when your instincts says left. Messed up youth. Now as an adult it it natural to use both hands equally. Wish I could say the same for my eyes.

Bunny-Jean Loc: Wisconsin

Welcome!!! you sure opened up an interesting topic.... I am totally right handed and I guess right eyed. There has been times I have had to do things with my left hand and have total empathy with people who are left handed in a right handed world..

crazybob123

If you are younger and close one eye when focusing you can accommodate (forces the lens of the eye to focus) to make things look in focus when they are actually not. That is why it is best to use both eyes open. Also helps relieve fatigue. When you get older it does not make much difference because of loss of accommodation for focusing but it does help reduce fatigue

nikon_jon Loc: Northeast Arkansas

I am left eye dominant and right handed. I also do many things in which my left side is dominant. I play cards left handed, for instance. It is called being cross dominant. Not ambidextrous. That is the ability to use left and right side with equal strength. Not quite the same as cross dominant.

Cross dominants tend to have better memories and an inclination toward more analytical thinking than someone with full dominancy on either side. I read once it has something to do with how the brain processes information.

As to photography, I love it. I like shooting with both eyes open and if you are a right dominant person, you can train yourself to keep both eyes open, but it takes a little practice. Most cameras are set up so that when you use your left eye, the camera body partially or completely blocks the view of the right eye and since it is up close to the camera body and your hand, it doesn't create a problem with what you are seeing with your right eye.

Most sports photogs train themselves to shoot with both eyes open. It is a matter of survival. The sidelines at a football or basketball game can be pretty hazardous sometimes and having that other eye open can help see it coming so you can move out of the way.

nikon_jon Loc: Northeast Arkansas

No left handed camera, but I think I have a left handed hammer somewhere in the tool shed.