What eye do you use in the viewfinder?

[jdgonzalez]

Almost all photographers I've seen that shoot with a DSLR use their right eye to look into the viewfinder. I use my left eye. Is there a right or wrong eye to use?

[Nicole]

I think most people probably use their dominant eye. For me that's my right eye. It'll just be which ever one is most comfortable. Unlike there being a "right" way to hold a camera, I'm pretty sure it doesn't apply to which eye you look through the viewfinder with

[ffscj3562130]

I use the right eye (my dominant one) In AF but the left one in MF. the cataract in my right eye makes focusing manually difficult with the right one.

[LeeR]

I'm with you, jdgonzalez, I'm one of those rare birds that is right handed but left eyed. Most of the time this is a pain in the neck as cameras are designed for right eyed people, but I tell myself there are compensating benefits. Current Rigth brain/Left brain theory tells us that A) your left eye is controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain, and B) that the right side of the brain is the more visual and artistic. (The left side is the center for language and tends to be far more literal.) Does that really make me a better photographer? I doubt it, but it keeps me from whining about righthanded cameras.

[NicoleScraps]

I am right handed but use my left eye too. It is just more comfortable for me.Let me tell you something really dumb that I did recently, kind of related to this. My husband and I went to the shooting range cause he had gotten a new rifle. He set me up to shoot it and said, "Look through the two sites, line them up with your target, and fire." So I am tilting my head every which way and I could not for the life of me get the two sites and the target to line up.
He gave me a quick look over and said "Duh, you've got the wrong eye closed."
I had the gun on my right shoulder, but was trying to look through the sites with my left eye.
That my camera eye. It is just what I am used to.

[Gaurav Prabhu]

Even I felt I was out of the flock, when I noticed most using right eye. I use my right eye & I don't feel any comfort. Would try to see if I can shoot effortlessly with right eye.

[sk66]

I'm right handed and left eye dominant so usually left eye. Sometimes right eye, and sometimes with both open (rt eye thru viewfinder)

Joe McNally's "Da Grip" ..he uses his left eye as well.

[BigVinnie]

Just to add to this conversation, how many shoot with both eyes open?

When I was in high school I shot a lot of sports. My staff adviser got me using a technique where I used a flash bracket to sit on my left shoulder. Use my left eye to shoot but keep the right eye open. This accomplished two things. First the camera is more steady. Second it keeps you from getting creamed on the sidelines. You can see it coming.

I carried this technique over to doing weddings. With both eyes open you see what the camera sees when the shutter clicks. No chimping with film. You know instantly if someone blinks or looks away.

It is easier now that we have autofocus. I still shoot with both eyes open but mostly use my right eye on the viewfinder.

[NicoleScraps]

Originally Posted by BigVinnie

Just to add to this conversation, how many shoot with both eyes open?

When I was in high school I shot a lot of sports. My staff adviser got me using a technique where I used a flash bracket to sit on my left shoulder. Use my left eye to shoot but keep the right eye open. This accomplished two things. First the camera is more steady. Second it keeps you from getting creamed on the sidelines. You can see it coming.

I carried this technique over to doing weddings. With both eyes open you see what the camera sees when the shutter clicks. No chimping with film. You know instantly if someone blinks or looks away.

It is easier now that we have autofocus. I still shoot with both eyes open but mostly use my right eye on the viewfinder.

I am really trying to feel comfortable shooting with both eyes open, but for the most part I tend to close my right eye. I have to really focus on relaxing my face while shooting. I tend to really squintch (is that even a word?) up that right eye. My concern is not necessarily for better photography but wrinkling one side of my face. I am no spring chicken anymore and to me, that is a valid concern, especially considering how much time I spend taking photos. Maybe I am just being dumb though.

[oldwolf]

I shoot with either eye open or both depending on the situation. I don't notice too much of a difference with one or the other open. I can see what's coming at me with both open though.