Do you shoot with both eyes open?

yusuf · 06-23-2014, 10:44 PM

I have a habit of keeping my one eye shut when looking into the viewfinder. I recently came across someone who keeps his both eyes open. I tried doing it and while it's okay to keep both eyes open with a normal lens, it needs more practice with longer or the wider lens.

Just wondering, what's the general trend? Do you close your one eye or keep both eyes open looking into viewfinder and composing.

Yusuf

**Fontan** · 06-23-2014, 10:52 PM - **4 Likes**

Once set on framing I close my eyes and press the shutter. I say a little prayer as well.

OregonJim · 06-23-2014, 11:01 PM

Originally posted by yusuf

Do you close your one eye or keep both eyes open

I generally close one eye, unless there's some action going on - then I keep both eyes open to see what's heading into frame.

kdf9511 · 06-23-2014, 11:17 PM

I do it just like shooting a rifle. Close one eye, breathe in, exhale half way pause and squeeze the shutter. Doesn't always work to eliminate shake but it does seem to help with longer lenses.

Kayaker-J · 06-23-2014, 11:18 PM

I'm right-handed, but left eye dominant; so the view with my right eye open would probably just remind me of the scenic window view from one or two hotel rooms I'd just as soon forget having experienced.

...Ah, which reminds me of an hilarious Basil rant at Fawlty Towers!

tabl10s · 06-24-2014, 01:58 AM

I do. I'm a lefty eye-wise to the point that the scene is a different color when I switch eyes(I asked my Optomertrist and he said not to worry).

**Kerrowdown** · 06-24-2014, 02:47 AM

Both open is my recommend modus operandi, especially when shooting any sports activities.

AldaCZ · 06-24-2014, 04:52 AM

Both open, the left locked on finder

severalsnakes · 06-24-2014, 05:27 AM

I used to squeeze my right eye TIGHT shut when shooting. However, while I was doing the month-long Single In March challenge on this forum using my M135/3.5, I started leaving both eyes open. I found that it GREATLY increased the speed at which I could manually focus, maybe because of some sort of added depth perception? It has made focusing manually much faster, which is really important to me, because all of my lenses are manual lenses. :-P

Plus I don't get that little crease by my eyebrow after a bout of shooting...

Now I leave both eyes open whenever possible, although sometimes I have to rotate the camera in a certain way, or light shines in from a particular angle and disrupts this method. I highly recommend everyone try it, especially if you're using manual lenses.

calculator01 · 06-24-2014, 05:51 AM

Both open here, depending on focal length it is easier said than done

halfspin · 06-24-2014, 05:54 AM - **3 Likes**

Both closed. Lens cap on. Tons of time saved in PP.

**klh** · 06-24-2014, 06:28 AM

Both open. It helps me to keep track of movement outside the frame and offers some 3D perspective. But I am right-eye dominant, and I imagine it would be very hard to do if I was the opposite.

Sandy Hancock · 06-24-2014, 06:39 AM

Preferred and dominant are not necessarily the same thing; as a competitive target archer I have learned the difference.

I instinctively put the camera to my left (preferred) eye and close my right (dominant) eye, but when I am shooting rapid motion with a long lens, especially birds in flight, I have trained myself to put the camera to my right eye and track the motion with my left. For archery I go with my dominant eye (and shoot right handed as a result), but I keep the other one open unless it interferes in certain light conditions.

esrandall · 06-24-2014, 06:39 AM

Both open, right-eye at the finder.

**reytor** · 06-24-2014, 06:45 AM

As I was obligated to do by army combat trainer decades ago - "both eyes open all the time or you will be dead in no time".
Not that important on macro or landscape shooting, but for wild life it is a must.
Framing a moving target with long lens is much faster if you keep both eyes open.
I'm also left eye dominant, but I have forced myself to use right eye with the camera.

06-23-2014, 10:44 PM	#1
yusuf Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Palo Alto, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,497	Do you shoot with both eyes open? I have a habit of keeping my one eye shut when looking into the viewfinder. I recently came across someone who keeps his both eyes open. I tried doing it and while it's okay to keep both eyes open with a normal lens, it needs more practice with longer or the wider lens. Just wondering, what's the general trend? Do you close your one eye or keep both eyes open looking into viewfinder and composing. Yusuf

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06-23-2014, 10:52 PM - 4 Likes	#2
Fontan Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: 5th floor Posts: 1,610	Once set on framing I close my eyes and press the shutter. I say a little prayer as well.

06-23-2014, 11:01 PM	#3
OregonJim Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Willamette Valley, Oregon Posts: 1,327	Originally posted by yusuf Do you close your one eye or keep both eyes open I generally close one eye, unless there's some action going on - then I keep both eyes open to see what's heading into frame.

06-23-2014, 11:17 PM	#4
kdf9511 Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Weatherford, Oklahoma Posts: 206	I do it just like shooting a rifle. Close one eye, breathe in, exhale half way pause and squeeze the shutter. Doesn't always work to eliminate shake but it does seem to help with longer lenses.

06-23-2014, 11:18 PM	#5
Kayaker-J Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: N.E. Ohio Posts: 535	I'm right-handed, but left eye dominant; so the view with my right eye open would probably just remind me of the scenic window view from one or two hotel rooms I'd just as soon forget having experienced. ...Ah, which reminds me of an hilarious Basil rant at Fawlty Towers!

06-24-2014, 01:58 AM	#6
tabl10s Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Sacramento(formerly from B'Ham, England). Posts: 1,424	I do. I'm a lefty eye-wise to the point that the scene is a different color when I switch eyes(I asked my Optomertrist and he said not to worry).

06-24-2014, 02:47 AM	#7
Kerrowdown PEG Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highlands of Scotland... "Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand" - William Blake Photos: Gallery Posts: 57,815	Both open is my recommend modus operandi, especially when shooting any sports activities.

06-24-2014, 04:52 AM	#8
AldaCZ Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: North Bohemia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,251	Both open, the left locked on finder

06-24-2014, 05:27 AM	#9
severalsnakes Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Kansas City, KS Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,612	I used to squeeze my right eye TIGHT shut when shooting. However, while I was doing the month-long Single In March challenge on this forum using my M135/3.5, I started leaving both eyes open. I found that it GREATLY increased the speed at which I could manually focus, maybe because of some sort of added depth perception? It has made focusing manually much faster, which is really important to me, because all of my lenses are manual lenses. :-P Plus I don't get that little crease by my eyebrow after a bout of shooting... Now I leave both eyes open whenever possible, although sometimes I have to rotate the camera in a certain way, or light shines in from a particular angle and disrupts this method. I highly recommend everyone try it, especially if you're using manual lenses.

06-24-2014, 05:51 AM	#10
calculator01 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Photos: Albums Posts: 817	Both open here, depending on focal length it is easier said than done

06-24-2014, 05:54 AM - 3 Likes	#11
halfspin Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Photos: Gallery Posts: 258	Both closed. Lens cap on. Tons of time saved in PP.

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06-24-2014, 06:28 AM	#12
klh Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2009 Location: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA Posts: 827	Both open. It helps me to keep track of movement outside the frame and offers some 3D perspective. But I am right-eye dominant, and I imagine it would be very hard to do if I was the opposite.

06-24-2014, 06:39 AM	#13
Sandy Hancock Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,272	Preferred and dominant are not necessarily the same thing; as a competitive target archer I have learned the difference. I instinctively put the camera to my left (preferred) eye and close my right (dominant) eye, but when I am shooting rapid motion with a long lens, especially birds in flight, I have trained myself to put the camera to my right eye and track the motion with my left. For archery I go with my dominant eye (and shoot right handed as a result), but I keep the other one open unless it interferes in certain light conditions.

06-24-2014, 06:39 AM	#14
esrandall Closed Account Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Sumner, WA Photos: Albums Posts: 965	Both open, right-eye at the finder.

06-24-2014, 06:45 AM	#15
reytor Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Santiago Photos: Gallery Posts: 220	As I was obligated to do by army combat trainer decades ago - "both eyes open all the time or you will be dead in no time". Not that important on macro or landscape shooting, but for wild life it is a must. Framing a moving target with long lens is much faster if you keep both eyes open. I'm also left eye dominant, but I have forced myself to use right eye with the camera.