Since the bifocal portion of the eyeglasses is situated at the lower portion of the eyeglasses, I'm finding it difficult to look through the viewfinder - that is, to align the bifocal portion of the glasses with the image in the viewfinder.
Head cocking doesn't work b/c you don't have that wiggle room.
I've had to use my finger to raise the eyeglasses a bit to move the bifocal portion of my eyeglasses in line with the viewfinder.
Anyone know what a workable protocol is for this issue?
Clarification - my attempt to use the bifocal portion of my glasses was to see the camera information inside the viewfinder - not necessarily the framed image I was shooting.
You should not be trying to use the near vision portion of your bifocals when looking through the view finder. Adjust the diopter for your distant vision.
I use regular prescription glasses (non-bifocal) for the viewfinder, and prescription reading glasses for live view work. It's a PITA, but such are the ravages of time and deteriorating eyesight. Good luck!
I use the distance portion of my glasses for the viewfinder, and I've had glasses for a very long time. A few years ago I wound up with bifocals and I got the lineless ones.
For years I have successfully used glasses with progressive lenses. Recently had cataract surgery, and the doctor installed near vision lenses in my eyes. Now, I can use the same progressive prescription in my glasses, which allows me to have normal distance vision (also through the camera viewfinder), yet see the camera settings and LiveView close up with no problems. Was a perfect solution for me.
Okay, the problem must have been with the camera supplied to me during my last event. It was a D300 and I had difficulty seeing the indicators inside the viewfinder.
After reading Royc's remark I began trying to understand what my bifocal prescription actually was doing on my glasses. If it in fact is merely "magnifying" closer images I need to see (because my eye's muscles don't work as good anymore) then yes, I do not need to use the bifocal portion of my glasses to see the inside viewfinder information.
Another way to put it, when you adjust the diopter "everything" in the viewfinder is adjusted the framed image as well as the information inside the viewfinder.
While at the location - an external scene at a campground, lots of distant low detail activity in the finished shots, it was only when I inspected the inside viewfinder readings did I struggle. I'm sure the limited viewfinder view of the D300 didn't help my Full Frame D700 and up trained eye.
I've never had to adjust the diopter before, given that I've never used supplied equipment before.
My guess is the diopter on the supplied D300 was not tuned in or become offset by another user.
I just tried adjusting the Diopter on my D800 after I achieved good focus in the frame and looking through the upper portion part of my bifocal prescribed eyeglasses.
Now, this doesn't mean I can do away with my bifocal glasses while shooting.
Because the moment I need to look at anything close up outside of the dioptically adjusted image inside the viewfinder (releaving the need to use the bifocal portion of my glasses) I will need to then use the bifocal (lower part) of the glasses to inspect images in the view screen, etc.
Okay, so one more item on the inspection list prior to using issued gear. So, battery charged - check, memory card in slot - check, diopter tuned in - check.
Thanks.
I find it interesting however, that String above actually uses a eyewear approach towards this phenomena. Perhaps he can elaborate.
As a glasses wearer (progressive bifocals too) I don't even try to see the information in the viewfinder. Maybe it would speed things up if I could...but it's just too much trouble. D7000, by the way. Don't know if the immense viewfinders on FF cameras make a difference. (But I had the same problem with old SLRs).
Did you see the adds on this page they are all talking about eye exam this, and eye exam that - George Owell's 1984?
Custom tailored marketing more suited for us the view or
Invasion of privacy due to it's tracking our conversation?
Humm?
Next thing they will want to include a chip in all our cameras that automatically sends a copy of what we take to investigative officials so "they" can then determine which photos we can take...
Off topic? I don't know, the adds on in our topic page?
I also have had experience with harassment photographing in public spaces so this is an issue of great interest to me..
The Op was/is having issue seeing the internal info on his viewfinder. And farther on he thinks the adjustment may have been changed by 'someone else'..
As someone who has really wrestled with eye issues due to an almost instant onset of sight changes some years back. I had never needed anything to see anywhere... Ever. Then over a period of merely 1 week, my arms weren't long enough to hold the newspaper in focus.
The diopter adjustment is now at it's internal limits for adjustment, and an extra add-on diopter adjustment lens has been added to supplement the internal variable of it's limits. But bottom line on my end is adjusting to 100% ' in focus' without glasses to all the info, frames, focus points inside the finder, and a 'flip-up' when shooting..
After 30 + years of shooting without glasses, I'll never be able to adjust to having glasses on when shooting... Period. I need full ocular contact with that ring, and full sight of the entire viewing area in order to feel complete in composition and making it all happen.
MichaelUribe wrote:
Did you see the adds on this page they are all talking about eye exam this, and eye exam that - George Owell's 1984?
Custom tailored marketing more suited for us the view or
Invasion of privacy due to it's tracking our conversation?
Humm?
Next thing they will want to include a chip in all our cameras that automatically sends a copy of what we take to investigative officials so "they" can then determine which photos we can take...
Off topic? I don't know, the adds on in our topic page?
I also have had experience with harassment photographing in public spaces so this is an issue of great interest to me.. ...Show more →
Michael, I don't see anything eye exam related in the ads, so I don't think that the ads are picking up on the conversation here.
I do see ads that are directed at things perhaps I have recently researched through Google. So maybe you were searching around on the subject before posting here?
Six of one, half dozen of the other of course.
*Edit*
actually, I suppose I was wrong, it's googles adsense. I see ads for eyewear now.
I always had very good vision and found it very aggravating when I needed reading glasses. I fought my glasses using my camera, and many other things…….I needed to change focal range too often, I was constantly raising and lowering my head trying to find the correct part of the lens to see what I was doing.
Then I got bifocal contacts and also different strengths for each eye, so I use one eye for distance and one eye for reading and somehow the bifocal part also. I thought it sounded crazy when my doctor told me what he wanted to do; and I can’t stand anything in my eye so I never thought I could tolerate contacts. My wife has been wearing different powered contacts in each eye for years and talked me into trying them.
It was the best thing I could have done……they worked great. My wife was absolutely correct (as usual). Here are the contacts I wear if anyone wants to look into them (pun unintended). Bausch & Lomb soflens multi-focal. I use a 1.75 in my left eye and a .25 in my right eye.
The diopter correction available on cameras is typically +/- 2 diopters from the standard. On most of my cameras I just snuck in but with my D800 I'm at one of the extremes and wanting more. I intend to fit a +2 diopter correction lens but then I should be able to not use my glasses or still be able to use my glasses after fiddling with the viewfinder diopter adjustment.
I'm tempted to try a pair of "photography glasses" that will have a multifocal script for one eye to allow long distance and seeing the LCD screen and info on the camera, and a single script for long distance for the other eye to give me consistent image sharpness in the whole viewfinder area. I'll see what my optometrist thinks of the idea.
It sounds like you have it figured out. The apparent viewfinder focus point is at infinity (including for the settings display), which is why the distance portion of glasses is used. I have variable focus glasses and using the top part works fine. Having said that, I sometimes take them off for comfort and to see a wider field in the viewfinder.
RoyC wrote:
You should not be trying to use the near vision portion of your bifocals when looking through the view finder. Adjust the diopter for your distant vision.
+1
I wear progressive lenses and have no problem looking through any of my viewfinders.
RoyC wrote:
You should not be trying to use the near vision portion of your bifocals when looking through the view finder. Adjust the diopter for your distant vision.
Roy is correct, but: If your eyeglasses are properly constructed the upper portion of the lens should already be corrected for your distant vision, thus you should not need to adjust the camera eyepiece diopter (i.e. it should be in its neutral position).
I had the worst vision ever before cataract surgery and found that I needed to buy a different eye piece made by Nikon just for this problem, it was not so much but they have them in different strengths, I think I needed the very strongest one to see anything, anyway worked like a charm for me, so try the nikon site or even B+H has them for the D300, probably for all cameras actually. You just take off the old one and slide this one in its place, could not be simpler.
