Left eye for steadier camera?

[charles_sallee]

I am right handed and also right eye dominant but some years ago developed astigmatism in my right eye and had to begin shooting left-eyed. At first it seemed terribly awkward but soon came to feel natural and now, because of the advantages of shooting this way - I'd never go back to shooting right-eyed even if I could. With an SLR, shooting left-eyed makes my left arm slightly more vertical which makes it easier to support the weight of a heavy lens. Think about that. It's true. Because the eyepiece in my rangefinders are all placed near the left edge of the camera, shooting left-eyed centers the camera on my forehead. I definitely believe that the camera is supported better against my nose and forehead this way than it is sticking out into empty space as it would be if shooting right-eyed. I have na old Canonet which is a bit too short, an M7 which is a bit too long, and an old Olympus SP 35 which is exactly the right length so that my right hand presses comfortably against the right side of my face as I look through the viewfinder and this gives me an absolutely rock solid shooting platform. I'm only 5 foot 7. Wish my Leica fit me as well as the Olympus. I may be wrong but I really believe that the main reason I can use my rangefinders at slower shutter speeds is actually because of this three point stability (forehead, nose, and right hand pressed against my right cheek) while shooting left eyed and that this is even more important to creating a stable platform than is the reduction of internal movement in the rangefinders.

[travis1]

I shot with the left eye for awhile. In doing so, I can keep both eyes open. The camera is centred over my face(forms a tripod with my arms) then. People don't know where Im aiming. And I sweat less since I squint less (less blurry left eye after a roll).