Leica Technique -- both eyes open?

[ludoo]

Oldish Fujica SLRs have bright 1:1 viewfinders too, I have an ST605 and an AZ-1 and they are really nice to use with both eyes open. Coupled with M42 lenses they might be a really cheap way to experience it.

 

[Lee L]

Oldish Fujica SLRs have bright 1:1 viewfinders too, <snip>

SLR's have 1:1 finders only with a single particular focal length, and only if an available focal length produces a 1:1 image. I have two sequential SLR models from the same maker. The earlier one is 1:1 with a 60mm lens and the second with a 50mm lens. Of course you can also set a zoom lens at 1:1 on an SLR.

The SLR viewfinder, being near the center of the body, also causes the camera body to block more of the left eye's field of view (unless you're shooting a vertical), as opposed to the typical top left corner placement of a viewfinder on a rangefinder camera, which typically permits a greater field of view with the left eye on a rangefinder.

IIRC, the Minolta SRT series was 1:1 with their 58mm lenses.

I'm not saying that this isn't a nice feature in an SLR, just that it's a single focal length case when it does happen, and that it doesn't work across a wide range of focal lengths as on a rangefinder, where you can fit something in the range of 40mm - 135mm lenses on a 1:1 body or with 1:1 hot shoe finders.

Silly persons like me have used 1:1 hot shoe finders on SLR's though, for tracking a blurring shot, or for framing star constellation shots with a finder that makes it much easier to see the stars.

Lee

 

[Vanishing Point Ent.]

I just got a Voigtlander 12 mm, for a Bessa L. I have the double shoe, with the 12 mm viewfinder in the middle & the spirit level finder on the left.

In playing with it in anticipation, of shooting with it for real, I noticed that while both eyes may be open,
I can only concentrate on one finder at a time.
Either the viewfinder, or the spirit level. And man that spirit is hard to keep level.

I'm shooting a model with it next week out in Mojave. I may just put it on a tripod.

 

[Brad Maestas]

My preference seems to fluctuate with the light I'm working with. When the light is especially low and I'm trying to get critical focus with minimal DOF, I will sometimes close my non-dominant eye for a bit while I check the focus but before and after that short moment I like to always keep both eyes open to anticipate the action. I think this came from me learning on an SLR and wanting to have more peripheral vision in the first place. When I got a RF, I felt right at home. Despite my main RF's .72x finder, I find it perfectly comfortable shooting with both eyes open.

Because of this, I have been going back and forth between portrait positions. If I want to be able to have both eyes open I have to shoot shutter release up but it's got a different feel (perhaps slightly-less stable?) than shutter release down so I'm still on the fence on that one and change depending on the subject.

 

[IloveTLRs]

I have the brightline 50mm external viewfinder (Leitz.) Since it's 1:1 I can keep both eyes open.

But I don't ...

 

[Andy K]

If you use the hyperfocal anyone can keep both eyes open with pretty much any camera.

 

[AmsterdamMartin]

Interesting topic. Come to think of it I am left-eye dominant as well. There is no "normal", but the majority of people are like that, often combined with right handedness. And your language centers are on the left side (they also help comprehending all kinds of visual stuff and even using tools).

Like many, I was taught repeatedly to keep both eyes open all the time, looking through a microscope while drawing. So viewfinder magnification is no factor in my opinion. It's just like learning to ride a bicyle, once you learn...
With both eyes open you have much more visual cortex to use, and also your spatial orientation works better. Even when your right eye is "shut down open" and behind the lever. Not that closing your eye actually shuts down half of your brain, but it does make things less fluently connected (brain is like an enourmous switchboard between various centers).

Today I paid attention to it and found that I really do not look through the M6 leica rangefinder that much at one single time, but rather using my "built in" rangefinder, and doing quick glances through and over the camera. Your vision works just like that, composing literally what you think you see. It also helps getting straight photo's.
Leica is that good, like an extension to your body.

 

[clayne]

If use a Leica - get used to using your right eye. I am naturally left eye dominant - but I always use my M4 with right eye. Sometimes both eyes open, sometimes one eye closed.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

You can buy a leica viewfinder which you can attach to flash shoe. They are leica made and cost you 60 dollars at ebay. I think you can use a high speed film , tight aperture and increase your depth of field and take pictures with your both eyes without using viewfinder at the street !

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I use my right eye and the left one is closed. Just a habit.

Jeff

 

[donbga]

Does anyone out there use Leica or other brand rangefinders with both eyes open? I've been reading about this technique and am feeling handicapped by not being able to utilize it. I am left eye dominant; I view and compose through the viewfinder with my left eye. This puts my right eye directly behind my thumb on a Leica, and I usually close it, since it's nearly useless in that position. I've tried looking through the rangefinder with my right eye and keeping my left eye open to see the surrounding environment, but it gives me a raging headache after 30 seconds, and I can barely focus. My left-eye dominance has never bothered me before, but for the first time I'm seeing it as a handicap. Do most right-eye dominant people keep both eyes open during shooting?

Yep. Learn to relax will trying this you are trying too hard.

 

[Xmas]

Hi

I always leave both eyes open and use right eye in camera finder SLR or Leica M etc. I think you need to relax more or something.

If I turn the M2 upside down and use left eye in finder I don't need to close the right either, so it is not left or right eye dominance that makes a difference/allows this.

I suggest you open both eyes look at infinity and bring the camera to the eye, there should not be any stress to eye or brain.

I'm rather myopic (and have a few candles on the cake) but that cannot be a help.

Noel

 

[Steve Mack]

Sometimes I use one eye, and now and again I try it with both eyes open. I usually use one eye since that's how I grew up with cameras, and besides, sometimes the two-eyed approach gives me the wim-wams.

YMMV.

With best regards.

Stephen

 

[rpsawin]

Based on some recent work it appears I have neither eye open...lol. Usually I close my left eye and focus with my right. If I am in a situation where there is alot of activity I do keep both eyes open.

Best regards,

Bob

 

[df cardwell]

Leica since 1968. Left-eyed forever.

Horizontal pictures, I sometimes close my right eye.
Vertical pictures, usually closed unless the subject is sitting still. Untill I get tired. But there is a BIG reason to close your right eye.

It's pretty important for us Left Eyed Leica shooters to close our eye as we put our right thumb's knuckle into our eyeball.


.

 

[Larry Bullis]

I thought I had posted to this thread. I guess I just thought about it.

Back in the olden days, when knights in shining armor... I shot a lot of public events, under all kinds of conditions. I would use the Leica unless there was some reason (like needing close ups) to use the Pentax. With the Leica, it was left eye; with the Pentax is was right eye. I must be ambinocular.

Unless I was shooting fast moving events in the dark. Like street dances. Then, I would use both eyes, but wouldn't look through the viewfinder at all. In the above mentioned situation, I would set the focus, then move with the subject keeping the camera moving with them, using my arm to keep the right distance as well as give me the point of view I wanted. This involved projecting a mental frame out from the camera onto the scene and envisioning it from wherever the camera was. Actually, I was dancing with the subjects when I did this. You know, if you've ever tried to use a Leica in the dark, especially with moving subjects, how useless it is to try to focus. But not just with Leica; with anything. What's needed is to keep the camera moving with the subject, and hold it at the right distance, since speeds are slow and dof is limited to inches. Also there are tricks like if it's a couple dancing, it might help if they are both the same distance, which means "in line".

Paul Berger, photo prof at University of Washington, told me that he sometimes blindfolds his students and puts them in an enclosed place where they all photograph each other. It takes some about ten minutes to figure out that you don't need to hold the camera in front of where your eye would be if it weren't covered.

 

[jamesgignac]

Yes, both eyes sometimes...depends on the composition, lens, distance to subject, etc...it's also somewhat more fun that way and I do more casual shooting in this two-eyed manner or when I need to keep myself very aware of my surroundings.

Wow - I tend to do the same as bowzart - the 'aware of my surroundings' and 'casual shooting' comments basically referred to the same thing - dancing. I like my rangefinder when I'm out with friends and there's lots to be seen in all directions.

On another note I also sometimes don't bother looking when I'm shooting with my old Agfa folder...just set the distance, press the button, trigger a flash to freeze it...ta-da.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Ikodot

If you want to keep both eyes open and use different focal lengths you could have a look at this little gadget.
<http://www.ikodot.com/takealook.html>

 

[Brian Puccio]

My eyes don't work together. I don't really have depth perception either. Most doctors say I have either two dominant eyes or no dominant eye. Depending on where I'm looking, one eye is "doing the seeing" while the other is aimed in that direction, but not really doing much. If I had both eyes open, I think I'd just get confused, so I close my left and look through the viewfinder with the right. One of the really nice things about rangefinders is that I can see what's outside the frame (as long as I'm not using my 25mm), something I could never do with my SLR.

 

[Brian Puccio]

Paul Berger, photo prof at University of Washington, told me that he sometimes blindfolds his students and puts them in an enclosed place where they all photograph each other. It takes some about ten minutes to figure out that you don't need to hold the camera in front of where your eye would be if it weren't covered.

All the digital P&S users know this, none of them hold the camera in front of their eyes!

 

[clayne]

All the digital P&S users know this, none of them hold the camera in front of their eyes!

Yes but they use auto-focus. Big difference.