Left eye shooters

*Jonson PL* · 07-28-2009, 03:42 PM

I know that we’re quite a bit left eye dominant shooters out there. For some it can be a problem, as your nose can accidentally hit some of the bottoms.

I had my Pentax Z-1P SLR cam for 8 years, body only, before changing to digital and K10. Having had my K10 for 1 ½ year, I bought the handgrip, but I pictured it differently.

Where I’ve sat the blue dot, on the attached picture, is where I would have liked for the second shutter bottom to be. Right by my indexfinger / forefinger. (The picture taken into a mirror, so my closed eye, is the right one). So I would have preferred the second shutter bottom, to be in opposite corner as the one on the body.
Is it just me, or have others felt somewhat the same, or found it troublesome the way most DSLRs are built ?

If I have both the grip and body active, on just regular shooting mode, my right hand hits some of the controls on the grip, which can change the settings.

A design like the MZ-S, might probably suit me better. (Shown in first post, this thread : )
Pentax K30D body design!
The second shutter bottom is further up on the grip. So I might be able to use my left hand for it. (I’m lefty as well).

How have other left eye dominant shooters coped ?

For tracking birds, it can be an advantage having the other eye open. Then it would also feel more natural for me, to have my left eye on the viewfinder. But this would be very difficult the way the regular design is. (Here was a K-m discussion to illustrate : )
K-M is definately a travel dslr (IMG included) [Page 1]: Pentax SLR Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

I don’t think it will be comfortable to learn myself, becoming a right-eye shooter. So gotta wait for another MZ-S type design maybe.

If you often change from vertical to portrait mode, and have grip bottoms active, I would guess most would experience touching bottoms by accident ?

Tips and feedback welcome.

WalterGA · 07-29-2009, 03:47 PM

I'm severely left-eye dominant, but shoot right-handed. I just tilt my head a little, in order to get a good sight picture.