Here we review both established and emerging approaches for studying retinal diseases. We primarily focus on the use of the mouse as a genetic model, as it is a mammalian model with many resources and is amenable to a variety of genetic manipulations. Additionally, we highlight two other organisms, zebrafish and fruit fly that are emerging as valuable genetic tools to study retinal disease. We discuss the ways in which near-complete genome sequences of these three organisms are revolutionizing our ability to investigate the complex mechanisms involved in retinal diseases.