Sight issues that come with age ...

PaulE · 01-19-2011, 05:48 AM

Sadly I'm not as young as I used to be and I now find that I can't read the display in my camera's viewfinder unless I have the diopter adjuster all the way over to the right.

I wear glasses for short sight and under normal circumstances my corrected vision is fine.

Does anyone else have problems with the viewfinder display in this way. If so what do you do about it, as playing with the diopter adjuster like this is surely going to make manual focusing of the camera hard/impossible.

Northern Soul · 01-19-2011, 05:55 AM

My solution is contact lenses.

GlennG · 01-19-2011, 06:01 AM

Maybe I'm imagining this - aren't there sight glass add-ons that would allow for further adjustment? Maybe I dreamed that up or wishful thinking, but I could swear I saw something like that. At any rate, I'm not far behind you. My diopter has little travel left to the one side.

joebob · 01-19-2011, 06:54 AM

Would a magnified viewfinder like the O-ME53 be of any help?

**Greeneg** · 01-19-2011, 07:06 AM

I just leave my glasses on to shoot. Seems to work ok for me.

SpecialK · 01-19-2011, 07:57 PM

I wear glasses (plus clip on sunglasses during the day) so I can't get close enough to the finder to read the info, anyway. I guess that's why I am usually in "P" mode, and wait a second for the SR

Truthfully I look at the settings on the top LCD, then shoot...I rarely look at the VF info.

**monochrome** · 01-19-2011, 10:33 PM

Originally posted by PaulE

Sadly I'm not as young as I used to be and I now find that I can't read the display in my camera's viewfinder unless I have the diopter adjuster all the way over to the right.

I wear glasses for short sight and under normal circumstances my corrected vision is fine.

Does anyone else have problems with the viewfinder display in this way. If so what do you do about it, as playing with the diopter adjuster like this is surely going to make manual focusing of the camera hard/impossible.

I attached an SMC Pentax Correction Lens Adapter +2.0 (a diopter) to the VF frame (my correction is 1.8) and adjusted the in-camera diopter until the LED's are sharp. There are two versions - one for pre-ME bodies the newer one for everything M and later, including the dSLR's. Both are discontinued but they come up on eBay, There were 7 different corrections available in the M version.

Nikon still makes an adapter that fits the current bodies - they are commonly available.

I can shoot with my glasses off and I typically leave them off until I move.

My issue is loss of peripheral vision - the O-ME53 Magnifier makes the LED's impossible for me to see.

RioRico · 01-20-2011, 02:47 AM

Is this the gathering of BOF's? (Blind Old Farts.) My corrected vision ain't bad, and I always shoot with my glasses on. The specs aren't too thick to interfere with seeing the VF. But my eyeballs are delaminating, with flashes and floaters. I probably don't have that many photographic years left. I'm not as bad-off as my son-in-law, a former celebrity chef whose macular degeneration has shut-down his career. But trying to do anything visual, when the visual system is decaying, is a challenge. Will my next camera setup be an old TLR with my head under a black cloth?

**Lowell Goudge** · 01-20-2011, 05:08 AM

I have worn glasses for distance for about 30 years with my prescription starting at about -0.75 diopters and degrading over time to -3.75 diopters about 10 years ago

I gave up early on in eyepiece adjustments because when I looked away from the viewfinder I couldn't see anything

I shoot with glasses on and have no issue with the viewfinder except when I wear tinted lenses and the displayed data is too dim

Pauld · 01-20-2011, 12:10 PM

I to need to wear glasses for anything up close. I can't see anything in focus within 3 feet of my face which makes it real fun when you're trying to read the histogram or anything else during playback. I need to wear glasses to read or see anything up close and it's a pain because I can see through the viewfinder just fine but need to use glasses to look at the LCD screen. I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to move my glasses out of the way and nailed them with the eyecup. I like the idea of the Hoodman glasses ,PhotoFrames-Hoodman Corporation but those things aren't cheap and I don't think I could justify paying that much for a pair of glasses I wouldn't wear all the time.

Arpe · 01-20-2011, 04:17 PM

Originally posted by monochrome

Nikon still makes an adapter that fits the current bodies - they are commonly available.

See this is where Pentax suck - accessories for their cameras. How hard could one of those be to make, esp. if they already have the design? SDM compatible Pentax TC anyone?

**Ex Finn.** · 01-21-2011, 04:46 PM

Originally posted by Arpe

SDM compatible Pentax TC anyone?

In line at the checkout right behind you, with cash in the hand.
As far as diopter, I am lucky to still have room for adjustment. But currently looking into "arm extension implants"

.

01-19-2011, 05:48 AM	#1
PaulE New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: UK Posts: 8	Sight issues that come with age ... Sadly I'm not as young as I used to be and I now find that I can't read the display in my camera's viewfinder unless I have the diopter adjuster all the way over to the right. I wear glasses for short sight and under normal circumstances my corrected vision is fine. Does anyone else have problems with the viewfinder display in this way. If so what do you do about it, as playing with the diopter adjuster like this is surely going to make manual focusing of the camera hard/impossible.

01-21-2011, 04:46 PM	#12
Ex Finn. Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern Maryland. Espoo. Kouvola. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,975	Originally posted by Arpe SDM compatible Pentax TC anyone? In line at the checkout right behind you, with cash in the hand. As far as diopter, I am lucky to still have room for adjustment. But currently looking into "arm extension implants". Last edited by Ex Finn.; 01-21-2011 at 04:51 PM.

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01-19-2011, 05:55 AM	#2
Northern Soul Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The North of England Photos: Albums Posts: 494	My solution is contact lenses.

01-19-2011, 06:01 AM	#3
GlennG Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 824	Maybe I'm imagining this - aren't there sight glass add-ons that would allow for further adjustment? Maybe I dreamed that up or wishful thinking, but I could swear I saw something like that. At any rate, I'm not far behind you. My diopter has little travel left to the one side.

01-19-2011, 06:54 AM	#4
joebob Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Massachusetts Photos: Gallery Posts: 184	Would a magnified viewfinder like the O-ME53 be of any help?

01-19-2011, 07:06 AM	#5
Greeneg Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC United States Photos: Gallery Posts: 146	I just leave my glasses on to shoot. Seems to work ok for me.

01-19-2011, 07:57 PM	#6
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,482	I wear glasses (plus clip on sunglasses during the day) so I can't get close enough to the finder to read the info, anyway. I guess that's why I am usually in "P" mode, and wait a second for the SR Truthfully I look at the settings on the top LCD, then shoot...I rarely look at the VF info.

01-19-2011, 10:33 PM	#7
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by PaulE Sadly I'm not as young as I used to be and I now find that I can't read the display in my camera's viewfinder unless I have the diopter adjuster all the way over to the right. I wear glasses for short sight and under normal circumstances my corrected vision is fine. Does anyone else have problems with the viewfinder display in this way. If so what do you do about it, as playing with the diopter adjuster like this is surely going to make manual focusing of the camera hard/impossible. I attached an SMC Pentax Correction Lens Adapter +2.0 (a diopter) to the VF frame (my correction is 1.8) and adjusted the in-camera diopter until the LED's are sharp. There are two versions - one for pre-ME bodies the newer one for everything M and later, including the dSLR's. Both are discontinued but they come up on eBay, There were 7 different corrections available in the M version. Nikon still makes an adapter that fits the current bodies - they are commonly available. I can shoot with my glasses off and I typically leave them off until I move. My issue is loss of peripheral vision - the O-ME53 Magnifier makes the LED's impossible for me to see.

01-20-2011, 02:47 AM	#8
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Is this the gathering of BOF's? (Blind Old Farts.) My corrected vision ain't bad, and I always shoot with my glasses on. The specs aren't too thick to interfere with seeing the VF. But my eyeballs are delaminating, with flashes and floaters. I probably don't have that many photographic years left. I'm not as bad-off as my son-in-law, a former celebrity chef whose macular degeneration has shut-down his career. But trying to do anything visual, when the visual system is decaying, is a challenge. Will my next camera setup be an old TLR with my head under a black cloth?

01-20-2011, 05:08 AM	#9
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,891	I have worn glasses for distance for about 30 years with my prescription starting at about -0.75 diopters and degrading over time to -3.75 diopters about 10 years ago I gave up early on in eyepiece adjustments because when I looked away from the viewfinder I couldn't see anything I shoot with glasses on and have no issue with the viewfinder except when I wear tinted lenses and the displayed data is too dim

01-20-2011, 12:10 PM	#10
Pauld Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Calgary, Alberta Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 507	I to need to wear glasses for anything up close. I can't see anything in focus within 3 feet of my face which makes it real fun when you're trying to read the histogram or anything else during playback. I need to wear glasses to read or see anything up close and it's a pain because I can see through the viewfinder just fine but need to use glasses to look at the LCD screen. I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to move my glasses out of the way and nailed them with the eyecup. I like the idea of the Hoodman glasses ,PhotoFrames-Hoodman Corporation but those things aren't cheap and I don't think I could justify paying that much for a pair of glasses I wouldn't wear all the time.

01-20-2011, 04:17 PM	#11
Arpe Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,452	Originally posted by monochrome Nikon still makes an adapter that fits the current bodies - they are commonly available. See this is where Pentax suck - accessories for their cameras. How hard could one of those be to make, esp. if they already have the design? SDM compatible Pentax TC anyone?