[andalib13]

Pentax is very good at packing their DSLRs with things that others don't have in general. Such as Weather Sealed body and lenses, Body based SR, etc... (Though others are catching up). Can't they make a difference in the market again? I mean, there are lots of left handed photographers, who have to adopt with the right handed versions.

I already have K5 IIs, and lots of lenses for cropped sensor. I don't plan to move into the full frame arena yet. But, if I get a left handed version of the full frame, Ill definitely go for it...

[Mazhe]

I'm left handed and I don't have issue with the handling of a SLR... My right hand fingers are able to push a button, in fact I prefer keeping my left hand for fine focusing/zooming.

[Steve.Ledger]

Would cost a fortune to tool up in order to create a left handed version for the very few people who'd buy one. Would you pay the much higher price for one?
It's never been an issue evidence by the non-existance of any LH SLRs..
Well - except this one

7 April Fools' 2013 Pranks By Businesses - Smart Business Trends

[geomez]

Easy. No. There probably won't ever be a left handed DSLR. We (yes I'm a lefty) make up 10% of the population. Now I imagine less than 10% of the world's population own a DSLR. So it's probably 10% of the 10% of lefties that have a DSLR. I'm so used to a righty DSLR that I wouldn't want a lefty DSLR. So you're looking at an even smaller percentage of lefties that actually want a lefty DSLR. So it's not an economically viable product for any company to make.
That said, I wish they existed. I don't care about corporate profit, I care about lefties being treated equally.


One of the problems it that 90% of designers are righties and design for righties, probably without even thinking they're designing products for themselves alone. And those designs become standards.

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Last edited by geomez; 03-08-2015 at 02:06 AM.

[starbase218]

You do realize that you are asking a very small camera company to produce a product in a declining market that only a very small number of their customers would even consider?

Just checking.

[rawr]

What about catering for left-eye dominant people too (like myself)?

The currently dominant design paradigm for DSLR's assumes right-eye dominance, which causes all manner of ergonomic problems, along the camera back panel in particular.

So even if they built a camera for left-handed users, what about left-eyed users?

What Pentax need to do is build camera design variations for the K-2 FF like so:

(a) - left-eyed, left handed;
(b) - left-eyed, right handed;
(c) - right-eyed, left handed;
(d) - right-eyed, right handed.



I'd buy a K-2b in an instant.

[Steve.Ledger]

I think they only make right handed telescopes too..

[jamarley]

Having adapted to the wrong-handed world my entire life, I was finally gifted a pair of left-handed scissors. Couldn't use 'em!
It's the same with cameras and I do agree that only needing my wrong hand for button pressing is preferable. It can handle that.

[Anthen]

What about catering for left-eye dominant people too (like myself)?

The currently dominant design paradigm for DSLR's assumes right-eye dominance, which causes all manner of ergonomic problems, along the camera back panel in particular.

So even if they built a camera for left-handed users, what about left-eyed users?

What Pentax need to do is build camera design variations for the K-2 FF like so:

(a) - left-eyed, left handed;
(b) - left-eyed, right handed;
(c) - right-eyed, left handed;
(d) - right-eyed, right handed.



I'd buy a K-2b in an instant.

I knew I wasn't alone!

[WPRESTO]

Left handed cameras will probably remain as rare as left handed hammers.
HOWEVER, FYI: Look at old Exacta cameras - shutter release on the left, film wind lever on the right. Alas for you, defunct long, long before the digital era. Exactas had other odd features, such as the distinctive not-copied-by-others-for-good-reason trapezoidal body shape. The film wind required two strokes, There was a built-in film cutter. If offered some very long shutter speeds (of questionably accuracy - but that applied to all speeds). It had an external, lens-mounted auto-diaphragm mechanism. In fact, the entire camera was a bit gauche. When I purchased my first Pentax (Asahi Pentax S), I was criticized several times for NOT going with Exacta, a "quality" camera.

[Imp]

What about catering for left-eye dominant people too (like myself)?

Actually, I see it as a current problem for right-eyers, i.e. nose against lcd. I'm right-eyed, but I shoot with my left because of that. I don't have any problem.

[rawr]

i.e. nose against lcd.

Maybe Pentax need to make camera design variations to cater for different user nose sizes too.

I can certainly see the appeal of ditching viewfinders totally. If only rear LCD's worked better in daylight.

[ZoeB]

I can understand wanting a leftie DSLR in cases where your right hand is disabled-- i have a friend who is missing his right hand from the elbow, which can make handling cameras a little challenging. But honestly, it's not like my right hand is useless, even if it isn't dominant. I like to think that doing things like using a camera and playing the ukulele right handed takes me a step closer to being ambidextrous.

[WPRESTO]

Maybe Pentax need to make camera design variations to cater for different user nose sizes too.

I can certainly see the appeal of ditching viewfinders totally. If only rear LCD's worked better in daylight.

If you like using the LCD screen at eye level, take a look at the "Dot Line Swivi Foldable LCD Viewfinder." It offers a 3X magnifier with diopter adjustment, rubber eyecup that can be switched for right or left eye or for an upside-down camera on a copy stand, and adjustments to align with virtually any DSLR screen. When the magnifier is flipped up the screen is deeply shielded from sunlight on all sides. The magnifier/shield is held in place with a single thumb-screw to a base plate that is attached to the camera's tripod socket. That latter base plate has Arca-Swiss compliant grooves, so it can be attached directly into an Arca-Swiss type clamp, and it's insignificantly larger than typical Arca-Swiss camera plates. Similar, generally more expensive units are made by Hoodman, Zacuto, etc. but the latter commonly have camera specific plates (fits this or than Canikon) and none as best I can determine have a base plate that will fit directly into an Arca-Swiss clamp. The device is very bulky, but effective. I purchased one for doing macro so I could more easily see focus peaking, especially in the field.

[csa]

I'm a lefty, and feel right at home with the "right handed" camera controls. As someone else mentioned, it would seem very awkward to have a "left handed" camera. I would say the price of such a camera would be at least double of the current models; with few wanting them.