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Hi, I've been lurking for a few days now and finally gathered enough courage to post. I'm new to slr photography and looking forward to many love affairs with my new d50. Now on to the newbieish question.........

How do you close just one of your eye so you can concentrate on the whats inside the viewfinder ? Is it too late to learn how to do it now that I'm 22 ? I never really bothered to learn the trick as a child (same with whistling) because...... actually I have no idea why I didn't bother . With this newfound hobby however I really wish I had since the d50 viewfinder is kinda hard to peer into.

So I beg you dear forumites (is that even a word?), please share your secret tricks on closing one eye



Abel

not sure how you learn it but to put a different spin on things i've heard that shooting with both eyes open can be beneficial, specially when photographing sport as it allows you see whats going on around play, take in more of the scene etc. and in turn take better photos.

Hi Abel,

I have to say that I always keep both eyes open when I am shooting for the benefit of being aware what is happening about me at any one time.

I am left eyed and so my right eye does not get the same clear view of the scene that a right eyed person would get; this being said it is still handy to see what may be coming from ones blind side, be it a possible element to the image, an even more interesting moment or just someone or something that may be a problem to you if you don't get out of the way.

Keeping all your senses turned on while you are shooting will always make you a better photographer.

I'm naturally left eyed, but I use my right eye to look through the D70's viewfinder. Felt a bit weird at first, but you soon get used to it. I find it stops the old "greasy noseprint on the LCD" syndrome I find that shutting the left eye helps me to concentrate on the information in the viewfinder, especially the data readouts for aperture, SS, etc etc etc.

Sometimes though I keep both open, especially when shooting sports, or trying to anticipate movement.

Thanks for all the quick replies
I guess I can still shoot with both eyes open, just thought it would be a good trick to learn.

So no one else ever had any problem with not being able to close only one of your eye ?

I do either, depending on whether i am concentrating on the composition in the viewfinder or still looking at the subject. I don't seem to have a problem closing my eye.

Most people use their master eye to look through the viewfinder with.
I honestly don't think that using both eyes is any advantage unless you see almost exactly the same focal length with each eye.
If you have the mental agility to shut out the false focal length, go for it.
I have been conditioned to shoot firearms with both eyes open (iron sights only) from the age of eight until I retired from competitive shooting, so am conditioned to expect the same focal length. I was doing video camera work from twelve and found that with one eye closed I would have independant focal problems.
Compared to most other people I seem to have more conscious eye control too, but I don't think that this has effected anything other than the ability to amuse small children with eye tricks.

Not being able to wink, wow that is a problem

As a general guide, it may be beneficial to your photography to shoot with both eyes open. This can aid both your photography - for instance, it may be easier to follow sports action - as well as your personal safety, as you can monitor the surrounding environment for things like fast approaching front row forwards, or out of control vehicles about to mow you down

As Whiz has suggested, if the focal length of your selected lens mismatches the viewing angle of your eye, then there will be some adjustment to make in terms of interpreting what you're seeing, but this is trivial; most people have more issues learning to shoot with both eyes open than they do dealing with the focal length mismatch.

Hi Abel, and welcome to the forum.

I actually envy you. I have a lot of difficulty opening my left eye when the right is pressed against the viewfinder. I continually try to remember to keep the left open for reasons that others have said but in the heat of the moment, trying to get that cracker shot, I just forget and go one-eyed again.

Half your luck, cheers
John

gstark wrote:As a general guide, it may be beneficial to your photography to shoot with both eyes open. This can aid both your photography - for instance, it may be easier to follow sports action

And birds. I find using both eyes helps track hyperactive finches etc.

greencardigan wrote:

gstark wrote:As a general guide, it may be beneficial to your photography to shoot with both eyes open. This can aid both your photography - for instance, it may be easier to follow sports action

And birds. I find using both eyes helps track hyperactive finches etc.

Excellent point.

Hi Folks

An interesting post.

Being blind in my right eye I have no option but to press my nose up against the LCD screen cover and look with my left eye. I am also left handed but cameras don't exist with controls on the left. Also I had lots of trouble finding a tripod that I could use left eyed without having a handle pressing into my throat.

But back to the OP's question, I find it makes no difference if I close my blind eye or keep it open.

Cheers
Bob in Bull Creek

Oneputt wrote:Not being able to wink, wow that is a problem

Sure is! That's one less trick I have in my bag to deal with girls

Thanks everyone for the encouragements. I guess its not such a big disadvantage after all ... well except for the winking part.....

BullcreekBob wrote:Also I had lots of trouble finding a tripod that I could use left eyed without having a handle pressing into my throat.

Bob,

Have you considered a tripod with a ball head instead of a pan/tilt head?

Interesting...


Im naturally left eyed, and can control opening and closing of both left and right eye separately. Im not sure how exactly I do it, but I think this is naturally done


I cant keep both eyes opened at the same time while shooting. I cant seem to get the image concentration when both eyes are open, or it might take me a while to get it from one to another.

Either way, Im vision imbalanced, that is, my left eye is merely -0.75 and my right eye is down to -2.50 that is a huge difference!! I dont wear glasses normally when shooting. So maybe thats why I see things out of focus with pretty bad bokeh on the right eye, its my 'lens' to blame..

Yi-P wrote:Either way, Im vision imbalanced, that is, my left eye is merely -0.75 and my right eye is down to -2.50 that is a huge difference!! I dont wear glasses normally when shooting. So maybe thats why I see things out of focus with pretty bad bokeh on the right eye, its my 'lens' to blame..

I'm similar. I'm entirely right side biased but due to the vision in my left eye being significantly better I shoot using my left eye. I have no trouble closing one eye at a time (I didn't realise anyone without injury would have trouble doing this) but I also have no trouble focusing my eyes independently if I did want to shoot with my right eye and keep my left open.

gstark wrote:

BullcreekBob wrote:Also I had lots of trouble finding a tripod that I could use left eyed without having a handle pressing into my throat.

Bob,

Have you considered a tripod with a ball head instead of a pan/tilt head?

Yup Gary, I certainly have.

Just before Christmas I dragged my wife around all the shops chanting under my breath "Don't want that, don't want that. I want a tripod" WE went into three camera shops *just to look* at tripods, challenging the poor shopkeepers to find one I could use with garrotting myself. The ball heads were great. The rest didn't suit much at all.

Anyway Christmas came and I got lots of electronic toys but no tripod. I sighed. For my birthday I was given a light weight pan/tilt tripod that I'd be better at using if I could deep throat the pan control. Sawing it in half and putting some gaffer tape on it has helped slightly. Still it holds the flash unit well when I want some side lighting.

I can see that in future, I am going to have to give in to lens lust, tripod lust and D200 lust. Relying on a loved one to do the right thing just doesn't seem to work.

Cheers
Bob ib Bull Creek

My 2 cents worth, i will have both eyes open most times pending where and what i am shooting. I hold the camera to my right eye and if i am at the track i use both eyes as as siad before to be aware of what is going on around me, if i am not at the track i will sometimes close left eye, either way thats thw way i do it.

I keep both eyes closed all the time!

Matt. K wrote:I keep both eyes closed all the time!

Especially when looking in the mirror eh Matt

I have the problem of my Sony eye being my shooting eye - you just can't change a lifetime habit of using the right eye overnight! No problems with using either one eye, or keeping both open - and use this technique on occassion, but generally have my left eye shut.

It's unusual to not be able to close one eye and keep the other one open, and I really don't have any advice on how to change! You shouldn't generally have any problems from that though - use it to your advantage

I use the right eye for OOF preview