I don't want to come across as indulging in an equipment fetish but I was wondering how many Leica M photographers use the rangefinder with both eyes open? For those of you who converted from SLRs do you find that using the system with both eyes open makes it easier to pre-frame the subject in your mind? I certainly do. I find it especially useful when I want a frame where the elements are "in flux", I'm constantly re-adjusting the composition by minute changes, and I want to print the full negative.

Let's try to keep the responses civil and not incite another flame war. Tony's got enough on his hands...

Thanks,

-- John Chan (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), January 25, 2002

Answers

John, No offense, but what the hell do you do all day except post to this forum? I know: you take pictures of dangling lamps. Quite a life you lead. Given the quick turnaround of your lamp pictures, I suspect you shoot a digital camera and not a Leica. I'm probably not alone in thinking that you're dull and obvious, though I'm probably the only guy on forum who'll say it. How about getting outside. The weather is beautiful for this time of year and you'll probably learn more about photography taking pictures of animate objects. Christ, man, take a good look at yourself. You're obsessed with the legend/myth of a camera and devote a disturbing amount of time asking inanities or responding every five seconds to someone else's inanities.

-- Victor (VSantiago8@aol.com), January 25, 2002.

Anytime I have my 1.25x magnifier on my 0.72xTTL, I open both eyes.

-- John Collier (jbcollier@powersurfr.com), January 25, 2002.

I try to remember to shoot with both eyes closed, actually. That technique adds greatly to the spiritual aspect of photography. ;-)

Honestly, I never learned the two-eyed approach, and have been shooting one-eyed for 40+ years. But, I can see where it would help in many fast-moving situations, and have been trying it of late. Most of my subjects are static, however, so the one-eyed approach has never been a real problem.

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), January 25, 2002.

I have to support Ralph as a one-eyed shooter. Usually I try to visualize the image w/o a camera first and then lift it to my eye(s). No matter wether you use a SLR or rangefinder, this helps to take the outer are of what's framed into composition. Nonetheless I'd rather use a Leica M than an SLR ...

-- Kai Blanke (Kai.blanke@iname.com), January 25, 2002.

I use the 2-eyed technique when using the accessory 90 or 135 B/L finders. These finders are life-size magnification, and also lack the necessary eye-relief to see the frames with glasses, but somewhow by keeping both eyes open I see the frames "floating" in space.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), January 25, 2002.

I use one eye

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 25, 2002.

I think Ted Grant only uses one eye.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 25, 2002.

2 eyes with the M3 when framing, 1 eye when focusing.

1 eye with the M4

-- Tom Bryant (boffin@gis.net), January 25, 2002.

Somewhat like Tom Bryant, I usually keep both eyes open (a technique I picked up from learning to shoot handguns--it maintains your peripheral vision), but will often go to 1 eye to fine tune the focus & composition.

-- Chris Chen (Washington, DC) (furcafe@NOSPAMcris.com), January 25, 2002.

I guess I'm fortunate to be left hand dominant, but ambidextrous. If focusing is critical, one eye..., if I'm shooting action i.e. sports, (from my newspaper days)or street, both eyes. Which eye I am using in the viewfinder is dependant on the framing I visualize, portrait or landscape. Doesn't matter if the tool is RF, SLR, or medium format. What matters is seeing what's out there and capturing the moment.

-- Tim Franceschini (_franceschini_@yahoo.com), January 25, 2002.

John, No offense, but what the hell do you do all day except post to this forum? I know: you take pictures of dangling lamps. Quite a life you lead. Given the quick turnaround of your lamp pictures, I suspect you shoot a digital camera and not a Leica. I'm probably not alone in thinking that you're dull and obvious, though I'm probably the only guy on forum who'll say it. How about getting outside. The weather is beautiful for this time of year and you'll probably learn more about photography taking pictures of animate objects. Christ, man, take a good look at yourself. You're obsessed with the legend/myth of a camera and devote a disturbing amount of time asking inanities or responding every five seconds to someone else's inanities.

ouch!

-- Dexter Legaspi (dalegaspi@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.

John, No offense, but what the hell do you do all day except post to this forum?

Wellll, I work on a computer most of the day preparing a scientific publication and gathering materials/knowledge on future directions for the lab. The forum is just a mouse click away...

Given the quick turnaround of your lamp pictures, I suspect you shoot a digital camera and not a Leica.

I never said I DIDN'T shoot digital. And oh... I just happened to BORROW my equipment that you see on previous threads for a day or so... hmmmm. NOT.

I'm probably not alone in thinking that you're dull and obvious, though I'm probably the only guy on forum who'll say it.

Rest assured you are not special in this regard. There have been others of your... how can we put it... disposition.

How about getting outside. The weather is beautiful for this time of year and you'll probably learn more about photography taking pictures of animate objects.

Hey, what a great idea!!!! I'll be sure to listen to it LAST WEEKEND and post the results of those shots tomorrow or Saturday. Didn't realize that SHARING was considered deviant behaviour... wow you have really helped me see the light! LOL.

Christ, man, take a good look at yourself. You're obsessed with the legend/myth of a camera and devote a disturbing amount of time asking inanities or responding every five seconds to someone else's inanities.

Where do I come off as being obsessed about my equipment? I take solice in the simple fact that the author of the above statement has NO idea what he is talking about.

Ta-ta

;-)

-- John (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), January 25, 2002.

Man what the hell is up with some ppl on this forum? Don't take your own inadequacies/frustration out on Mr. Chan. I had a bit of a tussle with John a ways back regarding an equipment post, but I'm not going to attack his persona for one simple reason: I don't know him personally so therefore can't logically argue in that manner. Nor would I since I prefer to keep things objective!

Now, myself being a new Leica M6 TTL and 35mm SummiLux user thought about his question as well. I am left eye dominant, but right handed. So I shoot with my right eye behind the body. Strange huh? Anyway, I think it makes for better photography since I can watch with both eyes and then when the moment comes to snap away I'm concentrating on what's in the viewfinder, but everyone's different! Anyway, I like my new M6 and 35, just got it in today from B&H. I am impressed, period. Although one thing: the lens looks liek a return item from B&H. I will just have to exchange it for a factory-fresh one this Sunday, Oh Well!

Can't wait to try this puppy out this weekend. Will post some later...

-- Johann (i@iname.com), January 25, 2002.

John:

FWIW, I happen to be left-eye dominant. So when I use that eye to view with, it makes little difference if my right eye is open or shut;-) However, if there is a lot of quick action, I will sometimes view with my right eye and keep my left eye open -- it is uncomfortable as he&&, but I can handle it for short periods of time when I'm in a pinch.

:) Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), January 25, 2002.

Jack, didn't mention that I'm right eye dominant (I guess I'm lucky) and ambidextrous. I keep both eyes open at all times unless its critical focus with the 75 or 90. I have a little exercise I do at home in front of the TV or in bed. If I'm not doing anything in particular I'll view the room through the rangefinder (most accomplished on the 0.72x now...) and toggle the framelines back and forth. Then I'll put the camera down and look at the scene and try to remember where the framelines fell for a particular lens. I'm hoping that I can train myself to mentally "see" the framelines before I even put the viewfinder to my eye. I've been doing this for about 15 minutes every night for the last 9 months or so...

Hope it amounts to something tangibl!

Cheers,

-- John (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), January 25, 2002.

The magnification of built-in M finders including the M3 leaves me dizzy if I use both eyes. But I like the effect of actually being able see through the camera when using a 1:1 external finder. Anyway it is more of a pain to use the external finder because of the need to refocus.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), January 29, 2002.