The right eye

[Mariozi]

Hi Folks,

This one is funny, but which eye do you guys use to shoot?
(I normally only have this discussion with friends after some beers)

Even before I started, with a Motormarine IIex, I remember I used my left eye.
When I bought my first housing, from the owner of Hugyfot in Germany, Mr Rene Hugenschmidt himself, I brought the housing naturally to my left eye... I just heard him saying "no,no,no... you should use your right eye. this is why there is this recess in the housing, for you to put your nose here so that the mask is completely connected with the viewfinder", and that said with a german accent from a guy who has been using housings for 50 years almost was very convincing.

I remember I read a bit about it at the time, and I discovered that the "Master Eye" could change, with time and/or training. Using the Hugyfot housing underwater I sometimes felt myself in a complete awkward mission trying to look through the viewfinder, and I realized that at those times I was using my left "wrong" eye!!! It happened quite a few times, and every time it became a LOT easier when I switched my vision to the right eye!

In a few months, maybe a year, my Master Eye switched to the right eye, and now it is completely natural for me to use it. I sold this housing to a very good friend and accomplished photographer and he did exactly as I did, brought it up to the left one. I pointed it out to him, but he seemed so stuck to his left eye, that even though he placed his right eye closer to the viewfinder (trying to use it really hard) he was still using his left one!!!

I know people who use the left and the right, and acomplished uw photographers on both sides (I guess the "mind's eye" is not affected by this). But since some old film housings were actually designed with the "right eyed" in mind.

Sea&Sea NX-80, you can clearly see the nose-hole.

And in new digital cameras if you use the right one you end up using the thumbpad with your nose. Which is kind of uncomfortable when the camera is in a housing with an even bigger command right at the thumbpad.

From Nikon DSLR manual.

I decided to ask if anyone else could shed some light on the subject, maybe a scientific text somewhere...

I write with the right hand, play better soccer with my right foot, surf with my right foot as back base, but was naturally a left eyed (but managed to change it with some training). What about you?

 

[seaducer]

I write with the right hand, play better soccer with my right foot, surf with my right foot as back base, but was naturally a left eyed (but managed to change it with some training). What about you?

In target shooting using your dominant eye is important as that helps to line up sights more accurately. I am not sure it matters in photography since the camera is showing you what it sees.

I would say use whichever one you are comfortable with. I shoot with both eyes, it depends on where I am and if it is easier to get my left or right eye up to the viewfinder.

 

[AussieByron]

In target shooting your mainly forced to use the eye closest to the stock. Right eye for right handed rifle and left eye for left handed rifle. After a bit of conditioning the master eye will become dominant in the right eye (if using a right handed rifle) or left with a left handed rifle.

Another issue is in using viewfinder extensions you see in some housings (ie Seacam). Offer magnifaction and also 45degree and 90 degree configuration. Basically removing the need to have to get right up close to the housing to look through a view finder. Therefore any eye can be use as there isnt a right or wrong eye.

Just wished that all housing makers offered viewfind extensions.

Regards Aussie

 

[diver 85]

Depends on which one is your dominant eye---do a 'Hole in the Hand' test to determine which one it is.....hint, most right handed people are right eye dominant(don't believe what the below article says)---otherwise you have what we call crossed dominance......

EDIT: here is a link to the test..

http://vision.about.com/od/contactlenses/ht/Eye_Dominance.htm

 

[Jim Ernst]

Depends on which one is your dominant eye---do a 'Hole in the Hand' test to determine which one it is.....hint, most right handed people are right eye dominant(don't believe what the below article says)---otherwise you have what we call crossed dominance......

EDIT: here is a link to the test..

Determine Eye Dominance - Are You Right or Left Eye Dominant? - Eye Dominance Test

This is all very interesting..

I am normally right handed, though I shoot rifles and shoot pool left handed, When shooting my hand guns I shoot right handed but use my left eye,I also shoot my camera with my left eye, Apparently I am left eye dominant.

 

[mikerault]

Which side of the brain is the more creative side? I wonder if you can tell from the pictures taken what eye was used to take them?

 

[Tigerman]

I usually use both eyes as I use the nice LCD screen on my camera when shooting..
If I wouldnt be using the LCD id be using the right eye as thats my dominant and as such "most natural" for me to use..

 

[Mo2vation]

Depends on where the subject is located.

I normally shoot with my right eye.

If I'm shooting a Nudi on a wall that is on my right, I will often shoot left to right - using my left eye - especially so I can get the wall in the focus fade. I will always prefer to shoot a Nudi from its left side, not its right - so sometimes I'll "run around my backhand" to get the shot from its left side - and that may mean shooting with my left eye.

Same if I'm wedging into a crack or something.

Sometimes my left eye gets the shot when I pull the housing away from my mask - I will sometimes reach for a macro shot, and compose from arm's length - I also sometimes use the left eye for that.

But the right eye is always the first choice.

---
Ken

 

[Mariozi]

Which side of the brain is the more creative side? I wonder if you can tell from the pictures taken what eye was used to take them?

It is not like that really, apparently our "left field of view" from both eyes is processed on the right side and vice-versa.

You will find a nice explanation here:
"Each eye is split into two main sections, the left and right halves. So, you basically have 4 channels comming from the eyes, two from each eye. As you all probably know from photography, the image projected on the retina is upside down and reversed, like the image a lens projects onto film in a camera. Therefore, the left half of each eye "sees" the right visual field, and the right half of each eye "sees" the left half of the visual field.

In the optic chiasm (which is behind the eyes and below the brain), the four channels meet. At this point, the left half of each eye (which see the right visual field) join together, and the right half of each eye (which see left visual field) join together.

After the visual fields are joined, the neural impulses from each field pass through separate preprocessing centers (the lateral geniculate nucleus or LGN) before being sent to the visual cortex. The visual center of the brain is in the very back, just behind that small bump on the back of your head. At this point, signals from the right visual field are processed by the left side of the brain, and signals from the left visual field are processed by the right side of the brain. There are several separate stages within the visual cortex, and as the neural impulses progress through these stages, the signals are furhter processed. Researchers are still trying to understand the later phases of visual processing and how we ultimatelly see and comprehend something.

So, yes, the two halves of the brain each process portions of the visual information comming from the eyes. But, it is more complicated than simply left to right and right to left. Also, most neurophysiologists beleive that the processing done in the visual cortex is "preconsious." That is, the signals are processed in several areas of the brain before we "see" or become "aware" of the signals.

 

[Mariozi]

I think the design thing is because about 2/3 of the population seems to be "right eyed" (according to wikipedia.
It looks like Nikon tested a left eye camera some time ago...