[Jonson PL]

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 : )
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/46647-pentax-k30d-body-design.html
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.

Attached Images

 

[WalterGA]

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.

[simon_barker_9]

was curious and just searched the site, i am left handed and have just got used to it now and don't feel it would be natural to change the location of the shutter button (i realise that wasn't your point). As left eyed goes it not something ive ever noticed but i am. The reason for my search however is something you touched lightly on is the way you change to portrait orientation, i don't have a grip for my camera but i work in a camera shop and somebody pointed out the when i turn the shutter button goes to the bottom, not the top. I felt this was correct as the weight of the camera was in my hand, allowing a steadier shot and also safer. I have never asked the question before but i was made to feel like i was the outcast.

[Hypocorism]

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.

Really?

Actually I wholeheartedly agree that many people should be more discreet about what "viewfinder" they put their nose in.

Flattery Demotivator® - The Original Demotivational Posters

.R. -- Another discriminated victim of the right hand fixated camera world.

[TER-OR]

I'm right-handed and left-eyed. The cameras haven't caused any problems, but playing pool....

[RonHendriks1966]

Well i'm left-eye-looking, but I'm both left/right-handed. original I was left-handed, but not allowed to write with my left hand at school.

[Cannikin]

Left eye dominant, right handed here.

I actually look through the viewfinder at an angle, not straight on (due to cross dominance), and I also wear glasses, so my nose is usually some distance from touching the camera. Even if I do look straight on, my nose hits the LCD and not the buttons.

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Last edited by Cannikin; 04-15-2011 at 11:25 AM.

[manishved]

I use the O-ME53 magnifying eyecup. It increases the distance from the face and my nose no longer strikes the camera.

[theunartist]

I use the O-ME53 magnifying eyecup. It increases the distance from the face and my nose no longer strikes the camera.

I'm Left Eyed and Left Handed and also use this Eyecup...

[Raybo]

I'm right handed and left eye dominent, I have never had a problem.

[cpk]

I'm left-handed and my left eye is dominant. I've lived with it all my life and adjusted. I even leave my right eye open sometimes since it is mostly blocked by the camera. I do wear glasses so that helps keep the camera slightly away from my face/nose. But the glasses cam impede my view somewhat. The lenses in my glasses are always hardened glass so they don't get scratched. My frames go slightly askew when I'm taking pictures because of pressing the camera against the left one.

Years ago when I was much younger I had a Nikon SP which had a life-sized rangefinder viewer. You could hold the camera up to your right eye and open the left one to see everything around the camera's field of view. The lens frame in the viewfinder would float in this much large field of view one had with both eyes open. I actually tried contact lenses so that I could use the camera this way. It was great; I could see all the action in front of me, even far out from what the camera saw. Except that I couldn't get used to the contacts. It was the early days of contact lenses and these where the hard ones. I had to give them up.

[Ratmagiclady]

Incidentally, Jonson, I'm pretty sure I remember there existing some aftermarket grips that did in fact have shutter releases on both bottom corners (And also took a mess of AAs, pretty big) I don't recall what if any controls they gave or if they were even any good, ....I looked and couldn't find them on Ebay tonight, but they may still exist somewhere.

And, CPK's onto a bit of something for anyone who wants to train themselves for less eye-dominance. If you find a lens that gives you about a lifesized view with your finder, (zooms can help here) it's easier to practice shifting back and forth: for a lot of kinds of shooting, both-eyes open a lot is a really good way to be able to go about things, anyway (It's not easy for everyone, but some can work through it, seems it's always a struggle at first, though. )

[Allison]

I am left eye dominant and right handed. Actually I can write with my left hand too and I do things like play guitar left handed. While I have thought about looking through the viewfinder with my left eye, I have always just used my right because it makes the controls feel more comfortable. Does it really matter which eye you use? I always close my left eye when shooting so I am not distracted, doesn't everyone do this?

[gebco]

I'm not sure what I am
I write with my left hand, even though they tried to make me write with my right in grade 1. In sports I am right handed. I look through the viewfinder with my right eye, but I open my left from time to time to check the scene.

[Hambino]

Until this very second I never thought about which eye I use but I'm right-handed and (apparently) left-eye dominant. This is interesting to me because I was a lefty in gymnastics and a righty in soccer. good times...