[Transit]

Hi folks,
I'm about to have my cataracts done in a while and have yet to make up my mind whether to go for both eyes distance or one distance and one intermediate.
I'm worried that with both distant I won't be able to operate the camera very well and I don't want to have to be putting on glasses to do that.
interested to hear what people's experiences are.
thanks very much
Transit

[arnold]

Mine are both set on infinity. It would short-circuit my brain to have different focus inputs. I use graduated glasses, but don't need them, for even focusing manually, through the viewfinder. I measured a distance of seven feet, and with & without my glasses, focused through the viewfinder. The lens read 7 feet regardless of having my glasses on or off. To read glasses are pretty essential except on the brightest day.

[Unregistered User 8]

This topic came up earlier this year with most advising against having a different focal setting for each eye.........

Cataract experiences? - PentaxForums.com

[Transit]

Mine are both set on infinity. It would short-circuit my brain to have different focus inputs. I use graduated glasses, but don't need them, for even focusing manually, through the viewfinder. I measured a distance of seven feet, and with & without my glasses, focused through the viewfinder. The lens read 7 feet regardless of having my glasses on or off. To read glasses are pretty essential except on the brightest day.

Thank you, yes I think I'm heading in that general direction

---------- Post added 21st Sep 2022 at 05:45 PM ----------

This topic came up earlier this year with most advising against having a different focal setting for each eye.........

Cataract experiences? - PentaxForums.com

Thanks for the link
The enhanced monofocal len sounds like an advance

The problem with two different focal lengths is the left side of your field of vision is a composite of the data coming from the right side of both retinas, and vice-versa. That's done in the optical miasma, not the brain, so it's not like you can easily adapt. I've heard that people do adapt, and get so they switch eyes without noticing, but it seems like a bad idea to me, particularly for stuff like driving.
What's your opthomologist have to say about it?

[Transit]

Dunno yet, the measurement consultation is next Thursday.
My neighbour has one long and one medium and says no issues. I got her to cover the short eye and report closest focus, she can read at arms length.
I was surprised at the depth of focus she has with that one.
Still leaning towards both long but we will see

[Lord Lucan]

yet to make up my mind whether to go for both eyes distance or one distance and one intermediate

For goodness sake no!

I spent a few months with one eye done for infinity while waiting for the other eye to be done; the other eye still had its natural short-sightedness. The experience was awful, it was disorienting. Apart from the focus issue, you don't have binocular vision and I was constantly stumbling over things. Just putting a cup down on a saucer required some fumbling. Going down steps was positively dangerous. It made me feel like a cautious old geezer, and I probably looked like one. Basically, my brain was rejecting the signal from either one eye or the other, depending on the distance. I am surprised if a surgeon would even allow the eyes to have different optical treatments*.

I previously wore contact lenses. Both my eyes were naturally short-sighted and the contacts were optimised for infinity, and for reading I put on glasses. It was good. Having had the cataracts done I am simply continuing as I was. I did not wear the contact lens for those months in the eye still waiting to be done because you must not wear them for a time before the operation to ensure the cornea settles at its natural shape.

You camera displays its settings in the viewfinder, and the viewfinder is optimised for the eye being focussed on infinity (but its dioptre can be adjusted of course). I have no trouble using my camera without glasses unless I need to start reading the menus on the LCD, which in the field I generally do not. But even the menu lettering can be enlarged I believe - but I haven't needed to.

* My hospital did offer doing both eyes for short vision. I suppose someone might want that if they lead a totally sedentary life. But it is less inconvenient wearing glasses when sitting than it is wearing them when out and about.

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Last edited by Lord Lucan; 09-23-2022 at 02:39 AM. Reason: Sp

[Transit]

Thanks for your extensive reply. I am tending towards both on distance. Obviously the viewfinder diopter will take care of that but I do tend to look at the K-1s top lcd etc and don't want to be mucking about with glasses for that

[Transit]

Thought I wouldn't keep you all in suspenders any longer

I had the right dominant eye procedure over 2 months ago.

I got the single focal length set for distance. Needed a toric for astigmatism I didn't know I had. Rather an interesting experience which certainly elevated my blood pressure for half an hour !

The result was obvious the next morning with me marveling at the texture and colour of the neighbours grass. I got a bit worried with huge flair and light splashes around any light at night...wondered if astronomy was now a hobby I should abandon.

The other issue was the focus was extremely short with sharp view from 100mm...then wondered if he had put in the wrong lens !

Fortified with the knowledge that they can take even months to settle down I calmed down

It now focuses at infinity and I can read 12pt print down to about 500mm. The surgeon explained at recent follow up that the device actually scars into the sac behind it and gets locked into place...placement tolerance .5mm...spose that explains the focus shift.

I've picked up some reasonable supermarket reading glasses to experiment with future needs and really enjoying the great sharpness.

Said surgeon suggested that I get reading distance set for the other eye as did some of you guys. The other eye has gone down hill a bit now and I am always aware of the discrepancy of view like my head is getting twisted. Decided that didn't bode well for my brains capacity to live with a long +medium focus so going for long in the other one, now booked in.

I am still blown away by the sharpness with my reference radio mast 550m away now amazing me with the detail. The nasty star bursts at night now nearly gone with slight double image just noticeable. I'm sort of resigned to having slight seagulls rather than sharp points for stars but in general the night sky much better contrast. All this will, God willing, improve greatly when the second eye kicks in.

After that I can play with various correction lens options as kindly suggested by you guys.

Further update in a few months

Merry Christmas from NZ

Transit