skingfong Loc: Sacramento

I used to work in a TV studio running camera. Whenever I had to zoom in, I would turn the zoom clockwise to zoom in or tighten up. This always made sense to me because when you want to go tight, turn clockwise. If you want to go loose, turn counter clockwise.

I used my Canon 24-105 lens for the first time to shoot video. I realized turning the zoom ring is opposite. Damn near got me every time I had to zoom. I went the wrong direction. Turning the ring on the lens clockwise zooms out while turning it counter clockwise zooms in. I wish Canon would have engineered their zooms the other way. :-(

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

Nikon did.

xxredbeardxx Loc: San Clemente CA.

Haa. My new Sigma 17-70 does the same thing.
Takes awhile to get used to it.

dugole Loc: Matawan, New Jersey

You got a left hander's zoom - you didn't specify the right hander's lens. Canon will exchange it. :D

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Two possible solutions:
1. Learn to live with it.
2. Sell that leftist Canon, and get a real camera, a Nikon.

It sounds like you didn't do a proper fondling before you married the Canon.
If you had, you'd have found out she had a left hand thread. :twisted:

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I hear there's a very tiny lever behind the zoom ring that is actually a gear shift (as in a transmission). Not only can you reverse the motion, but you can change the speed at which the lens zooms. :twisted:

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Slow learner?!?! :lol:
SS

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Mogul, though it doesn't have a tiny lever and it doesn't have a reverse, my 200 has 3 different manual focus speeds, settable with a switch. From very slow to pretty fast!! ;-)
SS

Leitz Loc: Solms

What would happen if you moved your focusing hand 180°?

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

Mount the lens backwards! All it takes is some duct tape. Page 837 in the manual. (on-line extended version) Problem solved!

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Loosely related - I've wondered, in countries where they drive on the left side, is the gas pedal to the right or left of the brake pedal?

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Clutch, Brake, Accelerator in that order from the left, so it is to the right.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I think the answer is "No."

But you have to learn to shift with your left hand. :?

Not to be confused with shifty left partisan people, though.

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

The answer is: "Same as here in the states". All right hand drive vehicles have the pedal arrangement the same. We had right hand drive equipment in Iceland when I was stationed there in the late 1960's.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I use a Tokina zoom on my Canon cameras, alongside several Canon zooms. When I first bought it I was concerned that the "reversed zoom ring direction" of the Tokina (which is same as Nikon) might be a problem in the field. But I honestly don't think I ever notice the difference.

I wonder if the zoom ring direction would change if you were south of the equator, the way the water in the toilet swirls in the opposite direction? ;) I also can't help but wonder which direction the water swirls if you live directly on the equator? :roll:

I've travelled to several countries where they drive on the "wrong side" of the road... And, no, the pedals are in the same place in either case. One problem I had was the shift lever... It felt really awkward using my left hand instead of my right (solution is to rent an automatic, rather than a stick shift!). I also had trouble using the mirror when backing up... ended up in the wrong lane a few times. Also, remembering which way to go around roundabouts is fun (and can be quite exciting when you get it wrong).

In London you'll see arrows and signs on the sidewalk at crossings, telling pedestrians which way to look before stepping out into traffic. Apparently more than a few people have gotten run over while looking the wrong direction for oncoming cars.