[Schraubstock]

I rely, I guess like everybody else, on the green info panel at the bottom of the viewfinder for setting parameters.
However there is one thing which will drive me into an early grave. In bright sunlight and particularly when the sun is low in the sky the green info at the bottom of the VF is impossible to see. For me it is particularly difficult because I wear glasses which adds extra reflection. Rubber eye cups don't work either. Tried them. I have to use one hand to shield the sun and since I only have two hands I cannot hold the camera with a long lens and at the same time do all the necessary adjustments. When the glare comes from the right it is extra difficult to do the contortion with the left hand.

I do not see any complaints about this from other people which surprises me. Am I the only one who struggles with this ?

To remedy this would be easy enough. All Ricoh/Pentax has to do is to equip the camera with a small potentiometer and a small adjustmant-wheel somewhere on the body which would allow adjusting brightness of the readout so it can be seen in bright sunlight. Alternatively lower brightness when shooting at night. I admit the readout panel possibly would have to be replaced as well, but it is doable and not at a big cost I would think.

I have written Pentax twice with is request/suggestion, no reaction, no answer or acknowledgement.

I would be interested how others feel about this.

Cheers

[funktionsfrei]

Hmm. I'm using O-ME53 and don't have that problem.

[photoptimist]

I agree 100%!

One solution that has worked for me is a right angle viewfinder (aka refconvertor). It means that I get to look down into the viewfinder and my head blocks almost all of the light and reduces the reflections off of my glasses.

[Schraubstock]

I'm using O-ME53 and don't have that problem.

That is the one I use. No it does not work. Perhaps you don't wear glasses. When I take off my glasses the problem is a little less but it is still a problem.

---------- Post added 07-07-18 at 11:23 PM ----------

One solution that has worked for me is a right angle viewfinder

Thanks for the suggestion, but I am not interested using an angle finder to solve the problem. Swapping it back and forth is too much of a pain in the, you know what. A quick turn on an adjustment brightness wheel when the situation requires it would be an elegant sulition.

Please don't ask me to put on blinkers, people already think I am eccentric.

[Mikesul]

I have noticed this too. I just give in and use one of the LCDs.

[kiwi_jono]

When I'm wearing my glasses I have the same problem. Fortunately, for me, I use the camera without my glasses by adjusting the viewfinder diopter but that does mean the photo reviews are a little blurry (due to not wearing glasses) and of course there is a limit to what you can adjust to (I'm lucky that I don't need much correction).
When I do use the camera with my glasses on then I just use LV which is not so bad these days.

[Schraubstock]

When I'm wearing my glasses I have the same problem. Fortunately, for me, I use the camera without my glasses by adjusting the viewfinder diopter but that does mean the photo reviews are a little blurry (due to not wearing glasses) and of course there is a limit to what you can adjust to (I'm lucky that I don't need much correction).When I do use the camera with my glasses on then I just use LV which is not so bad these days

Thanks for your input.
These are all workarounds which don't work for me terribly well. At occasions I have taken off my glasses for a quick workaround and not bothered to adjust the diopter setting. This is not the solution for me. Adjusting diopter settings is not quick, by the time this is done the shot is gone.

LV does not work very well in a bright low setting sun, in this condition there is nothing visible on the LCD unless something is used to shield it from the glare. Doing all this hand held ? good luck. Also LV I find is not suitable for quick shooting.

Do you not think brightening the readout momentarily with the press of a button or turn of a wheel would be the perfect way to go ?

Com'on Pentax , it is these little things which will set you apart from the rest in a competitive world.


Cheers.

[BROO]

Do you not think brightening the readout momentarily with the press of a button or turn of a wheel would be the perfect way to go ?

What would happen if you use the aperture stop down function (depth of field preview) on the on/off switch?

[Schraubstock]

What would happen if you use the aperture stop down function (depth of field preview) on the on/off switch?

Unfortunately this has no chance of working since it would not reduce the glare between the eye cup and my eyes.

Neither would a brighter display but at least it would be able to overpower the glare and thereby making the info panel readable.

This problem of side on VF glare is particularly troublesome on a bright or sunny day in the snow country. I am surprised Normhead has not complained about it as I see many pictures of his shot during the snow season in Canada. Perhaps he has overcome this by having learned to “fly blind” or else there are not too many bright days, which I very much doubt.

Norm if you read this I would be happy for you to chime in and tell me how you cope with this. You surely must have the same problem. (If you wear corrective eye-ware)


But thanks anyway.

---------- Post added 08-07-18 at 04:45 PM ----------

I just give in and use one of the LCDs.

Not sure where to go with this. “use one of the LCDs” suggests there are several choices and you are not suggesting to use external displays ? If so, this would be even more complicated or challenging than using my hand as a shield.

Cheers

[funktionsfrei]

No it does not work. Perhaps you don't wear glasses.

I do wear glasses, but maybe we differ in our kind of visual impairment. Being short- or nearsighted is something completely different from being farsighted (that's the one that usual comes with age).

Could it be that the kind of glare you describe is being caused by your glasses? What happens if you use glasses with a non-reflective coating?

Besides that: Your idea of user-settable brightness for the LED backlight used for the viewfinder information sounds like a pretty good idea and should not be too difficult to implement.


The camera already dims the brightness in low-light situations, so the hardware is present. Just checked that with my K-1 -- the brightness dims noticeably when I darken the lens by placing a hand in front of it.


Wait a moment.


Have you noticed this specific behaviour (viewfinder information being to dim) just with your camera, or is that something you notice on other cameras too?

Were it the first case, it could be a defect, which in turn would explain that there haven't been many (if any) similar complaints to yours.

[Schraubstock]

I do wear glasses, but maybe we differ in our kind of visual impairment. Being short- or nearsighted is something completely different from being farsighted (that's the one that usual comes with age). Could it be that the kind of glare you describe is being caused by your glasses? What happens if you use glasses with a non-reflective coating? Besides that: Your idea of user-settable brightness for the LED backlight used for the viewfinder information sounds like a pretty good idea and should not be too difficult to implement. The camera already dims the brightness in low-light situations, so the hardware is present. Just checked that with my K-1 -- the brightness dims noticeably when I darken the lens by placing a hand in front of it. Wait a moment. Have you noticed this specific behaviour (viewfinder information being to dim) just with your camera, or is that something you notice on other cameras too? Were it the first case, it could be a defect, which in turn would explain that there haven't been many (if any) similar complaints to yours.

Hi
First of all many thanks for all your suggestions.


...but maybe we differ in our kind of visual impairment. Being short- or nearsighted is something completely different from being farsighted (that's the one that usual comes with age).
Short or nearsightedness has absolutely nothing to do with the problem as it presets itself. I am a bit puzzled why you think it has anything to do with the type of “visual impairment”. Low setting/rising sun rays shining strongly from the side don't take notice of the health of my eyes.

Could it be that the kind of glare you describe is being caused by your glasses?
Of course this is the very problem. When you wear glasses you cannot press your eye tightly enough against the eye cup to shut out stray light coming in from the side.

What happens if you use glasses with a non-reflective coating?
I have and use those as well but it does not make any difference because they do not shut out light coming in from the side.

The camera already dims the brightness in low-light situations, so the hardware is present.
I am familiar with all camera settings. The problem is light coming in from the side at any setting.

Have you noticed this specific behaviour (viewfinder information being to dim) just with your camera...
No this phenomenon is not camera specific. All my colloquies struggle with the same problem. But I am the only one shooting Pentax.

One of my colloquies changes to contact lenses when he goes on a shoot for this reason. I can't collateral them unfortunately.

Thanks again
Cheers

[Mikesul]

---------- Post added 08-07-18 at 04:45 PM ----------

[/COLOR]

Not sure where to go with this. “use one of the LCDs” suggests there are several choices and you are not suggesting to use external displays ? If so, this would be even more complicated or challenging than using my hand as a shield.

Cheers

K-1 and K-3 cameras have a rear lcd and a top lcd which are usually readable someway in even bright sun ( shot mostly in midday Arizona sun). The rear lcd on the K-1 can be brightened to be read easily. EDIT should have said rear LCD and top LED

[acoufap]

I do not see any complaints about this from other people which surprises me. Am I the only one who struggles with this ?

This is why I call my cap one of my most important tools ...



The shield is flexible. On my head I can turn it in between eye and viewfinder wherever the sun tries to disturb my eyes view through the viewfinder and its info panel.

[Mikesul]

This is why I call my cap one of my most important tools ...



The shield is flexible. On my head I can turn it in between eye and viewfinder wherever the sun tries to disturb my eyes view through the viewfinder and its info panel.

Possible solution

[Schraubstock]

K-1 and K-3 cameras have a rear lcd and a top lcd which are usually readable someway in even bright sun ( shot mostly in midday Arizona sun). The rear lcd on the K-1 can be brightened to be read easily. EDIT should have said rear LCD and top LED

Thanks Mikesul
The way you phrase your reply suggests I am unaware of the presense of the rear LCD and a top LCD. I am sure you did not mean this but that's how it reads.

In any case using these as a substitude for the the info panel in the viewfinder is not practical in my activity as a photographer. I need to see or be informed of the settings as I look through the VF. For a very important reasons namely:

For an instant reminder that my previous settings I had changed to are either suitable for the shot I am about to take and if not can be quickly changed WITHOUT taking my eye off the VF.

Using any other method would require to take the cam off my eye. Trying to read the rear LCD in snow country in clear sky and bright sun is next to impossible, as we all know. The small top LCD while it may be more readabl does only give minimal scant information.
Going down this route to do adjustmants under these tying condition and by the time I have done it, put my eye back to the VF... oh crap, the shot I wanted to take is gone.

You can now see why a brightness control wheel or button somewhere in easy reach directly on the camera body would be more than just a good idea.
Should be doable don't you think ?

Cheers