We investigated the photodissociation of ethylene and its isotopomers at 157 nm in a molecular-beam apparatus using photofragment translational spectroscopy combined with synchrotron-based photoionization. The time-of-flight (TOF) spectra of all photofragments H, H-2, C2H2, C2H3, and their deuterium isotopic variants were recorded, from which kinetic-energy distributions P(E-t) and branching ratios were obtained. Most C2H3 spontaneously dissociates to C2H2+H and only C2H3 with small internal energy survives. The C2H2 fragment due to H-2 elimination is observed leading the C2H2 fragment due to 2H elimination in TOF distribution because the former process has more kinetic-energy release. An analogous result is observed for C2D4 photolysis. That elimination of molecular hydrogen is site-specific and is revealed from photolysis of three dideuterated ethylene isotopomers, in which an isotopic effect plays a significant role. Observations of C2D2+2H and C2H2+2D product channels in the photolysis of 1,1-CH2CD2 provide evidence for migrations of H and D atoms. A comparison with previous experimental and theoretical results is made. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.