Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] One Eye
From: "John Black" <jblack@ambio.net>
Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 12:45:42 -0400
References: <20000523161840.6284.qmail@web1104.mail.yahoo.com>

Jeremy:

I was shocked to read that someone else saw the world as I do!  I am most
surely right handed (writing, etc) but have always shot a shoulder weapon
(rifle, shotgun) left handed and have a very obviously dominant left eye.  I
had no obvious eye trauma in childhood nor any problem viewing
stereoscopically (I don't think).  I shoot a pistol with my right hand but
left eye!

I default to the left eye for photography but can, with conscious effort,
use the right one.  I am moderately myopic (nearsighted) and use a -2
diopter correction lens on my M cameras.  I also ride a bike (Harley) with
no problem in the day but night riding is a real white knuckler becuase
everything looks two dimensional (flat) and my depth perception goes to
hell.  I presume that it is because my iris (aperture) is wide open that I
cannot read the speedometer at night with my glasses on but can see it OK in
daylight.  I have given up competitive shooting now because I can no longer
see the rear and front sight as well as the target in focus at the same
time.

I am trying to train myself to default to the right eye for rangefinder
focusing because that eye has no astigmatism (the left does) but I still
like to use the left eye for shoe mounted finder composition because it
avoids nose grease on the camera viewfinder.

There was an interesting review on left handedness on the 5/16 online issue
of the New York Times Health & Science section but they came to no new
conclusions.

Glad to know that I'm not the only dexterous person with a sinister eye!

JB
- ----- Original Message -----
From: J Vaughan <sthawk_ontheroad@yahoo.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 12:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] One Eye


> I shoot Everything Left eyed... Cameras, Bows, Rifles... But I am
> Absolutely right-handed.
> I use my right eye mostly to read with.  After 30 years of
> Opthamologists telling me I HAVE to use both eyes together. I met a DR
> in Boston who said "you have Mono-Vision" And says that as we get older
>  we become more (this is confusing to me because I am BOTH)
> Nearsighted <?> anyway  the trend has been to correct only one eye so
> the elderly have one far sighted eye (corrected) and a nearsighted
> eye... (This may be backwards...)
>
> Photography has taught me how to IDENTIFY 3D. I don't see it the way
> others do but I interpret what things are where, I don't walk into
> objects and I do just fine on my Motorcycle. I think this is where the
> photography has been a BIG help. I learned at an early age where
> shadows fall. And to keep myself from walking into things I learned how
> the objects look with different shadows.. I am really bad in flat
> light.. I don't particularly like to ride the bike at night when I am
> tired.
> I played Baseball for ever... I could catch but couldn't hit the ball.
> In college I discovered that my problem was that I would track the ball
> to the plate with one eye and then as it got over the plate my other
> eye would take over.. I started wearing a patch over one eye just to
> play.
>  but that was a hassle when I had to run....
> So now I take photos, ride bikes and teach
>  Have no worries Ted you are not alone. And it sounds like there are
> several others who have similar eye problems.  Its pretty interesting.
> I was told I had a rare problem surgeries didn't/couldn't fix it. yet
> someone else here seems to have exactly the samething. I wonder if my
> Dr. Lied to me...
>
> Jeremy
>
>
> > Hi Jeremy,
> >
> > Obviously your career would have to be a photographer, hell I
> > wouldn't
> > want to be here all by myself. ;-)
> >
> > So which eye do you use ? Or can you use both of them equally as well
> > looking through the M6 view finder?
> >
> > ted
>
>
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In reply to: Message from J Vaughan <sthawk_ontheroad@yahoo.com> (Re: [Leica] One Eye)