Do you shoot with one eye open or both eyes open?
Discussion
I always shoot with both eyes open.
I seem to have learned to keep them both open while switching attention from one to the other, with my right eye on the viewfinder. Looking at the scene with your left eye while your right is looking through the camera really helps with timing when shooting moving objects.
It has only just dawned on me that a LOT of people don't do this. A large percentage of people seem to have their faces screwed up when looking at the camera.
My wife apparently shoots with both eyes closed. Which is an interesting technique.
Anyway, what is the normal? Am I a freak with weird vision, or does anyone here shoot with eyes wide open?
I seem to have learned to keep them both open while switching attention from one to the other, with my right eye on the viewfinder. Looking at the scene with your left eye while your right is looking through the camera really helps with timing when shooting moving objects.
It has only just dawned on me that a LOT of people don't do this. A large percentage of people seem to have their faces screwed up when looking at the camera.
My wife apparently shoots with both eyes closed. Which is an interesting technique.
Anyway, what is the normal? Am I a freak with weird vision, or does anyone here shoot with eyes wide open?
Yup, you're a freak. One-Eye here.
Always used my left eye and I only realised (five years ago) when I went for laser surgery that the left was my dominant. In the good-ol'-days I could never work out why my nose was in the way for winding on - no one else ever complained! My right eye was always screwed up closed so I couldn't poke it out between shots.....
Always used my left eye and I only realised (five years ago) when I went for laser surgery that the left was my dominant. In the good-ol'-days I could never work out why my nose was in the way for winding on - no one else ever complained! My right eye was always screwed up closed so I couldn't poke it out between shots.....
It's also why left eye / right handed people are crap as shooting a rifle. (My wife).
..and always one eye with a camera for me.
I think two eyes is weird, but then I also think people who buy front wheel drive cars are just as weird. (I did once... didn't get it apart from the hand brake turn thing). I guess it's just personal preference.
And that was mostly O/T. Sorry.
..and always one eye with a camera for me.
I think two eyes is weird, but then I also think people who buy front wheel drive cars are just as weird. (I did once... didn't get it apart from the hand brake turn thing). I guess it's just personal preference.
And that was mostly O/T. Sorry.
GetCarter said:
It's also why left eye / right handed people are crap as shooting a rifle. (My wife).
..and always one eye with a camera for me.
IIRC from my rifle days you were supposed to have both eyes open as it was more relaxed. The brain blanks out the 'spare' image...and always one eye with a camera for me.
With a camera I use one or both eyes depending on circumstances. Running kids, probably both. Concentrating on a wedding ring being placed or catching an expression, probably one.
At least Steve, as your wife is crap with a rifle, you are still alive
Simpo Two said:
GetCarter said:
It's also why left eye / right handed people are crap as shooting a rifle. (My wife).
..and always one eye with a camera for me.
IIRC from my rifle days you were supposed to have both eyes open as it was more relaxed. The brain blanks out the 'spare' image...and always one eye with a camera for me.
With a camera I use one or both eyes depending on circumstances. Running kids, probably both. Concentrating on a wedding ring being placed or catching an expression, probably one.
At least Steve, as your wife is crap with a rifle, you are still alive
Regarding the right hand left eye thing... she holds the rifle with her right hand on the trigger but with the butt against her left armpit, so she can use the left eye. It's just SO wrong. (Like the way she throws a ball... A bit like my cooking in fact).
I was left eyed until an accident a few years back, left eyed was a bl00dy nuisance for a lever wind camera in film days without a motor drive.
I used to use both eyes in certain circumstances such as when I wanted to make sure that I captured a frame just before somebody wandered into shot.
Now that I'm forced to be right eyed, I can't manage to do the two eye thing any more (but I am much better with a rifle!).
I used to use both eyes in certain circumstances such as when I wanted to make sure that I captured a frame just before somebody wandered into shot.
Now that I'm forced to be right eyed, I can't manage to do the two eye thing any more (but I am much better with a rifle!).
I'd never discharged any kind of firearm type weapon until a few years ago when I went on an adventure Stag Do thing. I'd had a few Air Pistols but that was it. Different ball game to shotguns I guess.
Anyway, there was clay Pigeon shooting there, and I must say I was quite keen to give it a go.
The instructor gave me a briefing and lesson beforehand, obviously. When it came to aiming and tracking the clay, he said something that really surprised me - "you see most people closing one eye, but don't do that - you'll find it much easier with both eyes open, although you're obviously only using your right eye to sight the target. Leaving your left eye open helps with spatial awareness of the depth of field.
I though this was b
ks at first, but he was absolutely right! I actually tried both methods - and I consistently hit far more clays with both eyes open.
In fact I turned out to be a bit of a natural - after the first hour, I didn't miss another single clay, and I beat all my mates by a huge margin at the end of the competition
Anyway, there was clay Pigeon shooting there, and I must say I was quite keen to give it a go.
The instructor gave me a briefing and lesson beforehand, obviously. When it came to aiming and tracking the clay, he said something that really surprised me - "you see most people closing one eye, but don't do that - you'll find it much easier with both eyes open, although you're obviously only using your right eye to sight the target. Leaving your left eye open helps with spatial awareness of the depth of field.
I though this was b
ks at first, but he was absolutely right! I actually tried both methods - and I consistently hit far more clays with both eyes open.In fact I turned out to be a bit of a natural - after the first hour, I didn't miss another single clay, and I beat all my mates by a huge margin at the end of the competition
A mate of mine swapped 'hands' after a nasty arm break in his youth.
20 years later he was 30 seconds into a clay pidgeon shooting lesson and the tutor asked him straight out why he was shooting with the wrong hand due to the wrong eye being shut.
I think he suggested both eyes open at that point.
20 years later he was 30 seconds into a clay pidgeon shooting lesson and the tutor asked him straight out why he was shooting with the wrong hand due to the wrong eye being shut.
I think he suggested both eyes open at that point.
I'm very right handed but left eye dominant (also left ear dominant, which is weird but makes sense at least to me!). So I also tend to knock the focus point selector with my nose. Don't seem to have much problem following what is going on around me though. For shooting I use the right eye but half close the left so it doesn't interfere. I'm a very average shot, so I'll use this as a good excuse 
With rifle shooting you should keep both eyes open and if necessary blind one off with a bit of card tucked into a headband or cap, if you shut one eye you screw your face up and induce a tremor into the muscle which is not condusive to 10.9s. For right handed and left eye dominant shooters (and vice versa) you can get rails to bring your foresight and rearsight across to your dominant eye.
I take photos with both eyes open, to maintain awareness of my surroundings, particularly important when in busy places, or whilst shooting the sea where waves can sneak up on you and give you and your kit an early bath.
I take photos with both eyes open, to maintain awareness of my surroundings, particularly important when in busy places, or whilst shooting the sea where waves can sneak up on you and give you and your kit an early bath.
2slo said:
I always assumed everyone could shoot right eye/ right handed or left eye/ left handed.
No sir. Left handed and left eye dominant, I find it extremely uncomfortable to shoot right eye/right handed. Simply cannot do it with both eyes open.What I would do for a left-handed 7d...
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