How can I train myself to use my non-dominant eye with a camera viewfinder?
Asked 5/29/2013
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I’m right-handed and have long used my left eye with DSLR viewfinders. I wear glasses and can comfortably shoot that way, but I’d like to try using my right eye with a rangefinder-style camera so I can keep my left eye open to watch the scene.
However, using the right eye feels awkward: I have to consciously line up with the viewfinder, and I find it harder to see the whole finder naturally. A simple online eye-dominance test suggested I may actually be right-eye dominant, but that seems at odds with how uncomfortable this feels.
Is this just a matter of changing a long-established habit? How can I practice using the other eye, and is it worth re-checking which eye is actually dominant?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
2
How can I learn to shoot with "the other" eye?
Lots and lots of practice. It sounds like you have a head start if you are used to using your left eye but are actually right eye dominant.
I also recommend that you practice shooting with both eyes open. This post has a lot of great information: How can one learn to shoot with both eyes open, and what are the advantages?
Originally by user4273. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4273
13y ago
0
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Yes—this is very likely a habit issue, and the main solution is practice.
If you’ve spent years using your left eye, switching to the right can feel awkward at first, especially with a different camera style. Needing to consciously align your eye and struggling to take in the whole finder are normal when changing a long-established shooting pattern.
It’s also worth re-testing eye dominance. A simple and reliable method is to frame a distant object in a small opening made with your hands at arm’s length, then slowly bring that opening back toward your face while keeping the object centered. It should naturally come back to your dominant eye.
If the result still says right-eye dominant, that suggests you may simply be more practiced with your left eye than naturally suited to it.
Helpful practice:
- Use the camera regularly with the other eye.
- Practice bringing the camera up to your face repeatedly.
- Try shooting with both eyes open, especially with a rangefinder-style finder.
So: re-check dominance, then expect improvement through repetition.
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