Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
10-21-2016, 09:34 AM   #1
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
cpk's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Montreal
Posts: 638
Eye glasses with older cameras

I have been wearing glasses during my entire photographic career. The lenses in these glasses up to now have always been hardened glass, so the glasses rubbing against the camera's viewfinder has never been an issue. I may not be able to get hardened lenses in my next pair of glasses; my only option may be plastic lenses. This probably will not be an issue with my Pentax DSLRs as their viewfinders have rubber rims. However, my Pentax SLRs do not have rubber around their viewfinders, so there is a danger of them scratching the left lens in my glasses as I am left-eye dominant.

Has anyone else encountered this problem and what are the possible solutions?

10-21-2016, 10:22 AM   #2
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Alex645's Avatar

Join Date: May 2015
Location: Kaneohe, HI
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,526
With your LX, do you have or have you considered shooting with either the FF-1 waist-level finder or the FC-1 Action Eyepiece finder?

Pentax LX - Full Info on Its Interchangeable Viewfinders

The ideal situation would be using an eye cup like dcshooter's link plus a high eyepoint finder. For 35mm, use a Nikon F3HP which has helped me even shoot with prescription sunglasses and reduce fogging the viewfinder in cold or high humidity environments.
10-21-2016, 11:20 AM   #3
Veteran Member




Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 496
For fifty years I wear glasses.
No. That is not true. I wear plastic lenses except when I want to see anything farther away than the dashboard of the car I am driving.
10-21-2016, 11:48 AM - 1 Like   #4
Moderator
Not a Number's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Venice, CA
Posts: 10,509
I've been wearing eyeglasses for some 50 years. Never once have I had lenses made of glass - resins, polycarbonates and what ever the latest hi index material. I've been using cameras some 45 years and have yet to scratch a lens from the eyepiece Some the of coatings are more likely to scratch than the lens material itself. They do make scratch resistant coatings.

And aftermarket soft eyecups are readily available.

10-21-2016, 11:50 AM   #5
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
gofour3's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 8,085
+3 for the Pentax rubber eye-cups!

Just remember Pentax changed the viewfinder frame size on the "M" Series and newer 35mm film bodies, so the "M" eye-cup is for those cameras. (M, A, LX, P, SF series and so on)

The older "K" Series and Spotmatics use the Pentax eye-cup "K" , which is slightly smaller in size.

There are also Pentax rubber eye-cups for the 645 and 6x7 film bodies.

Phil.
10-21-2016, 12:20 PM   #6
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Alex645's Avatar

Join Date: May 2015
Location: Kaneohe, HI
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,526
In cinematography, the operator must keep his or her eye on the finder for every shot if not just for composition, but also to prevent stray light from entering through the finder. To make the eye cup more comfortable, they wrap a chamois over it. That would be your ultimate solution for preventing scratches. You could clean your glasses while shooting!
10-21-2016, 12:21 PM   #7
cpk
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
cpk's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Montreal
Posts: 638
Original Poster
Thanks for all your responses. I will try the eye-cups in the Amazon link. But I am hesitant about using plastic lenses, even if scratch resistant, for the reason that I push the camera very hard against my glasses to get a good view through the viewfinder. As a result my glasses tend to go askew from the constant pressing, and I have even scratched hardened glass lenses. I am not a casual shooter so I could be putting a camera to my eye several hundred times a week. In such circumstances even rubber rims or eye-cups may not protect the plastic lens, and one bad scratch or a collection of smaller ones is sufficient to ruin a lens.

I have an MX, an LX, and a Mamiya 645; so changing the viewfinder on the LX does not solve my problem with the other cameras.

10-21-2016, 01:30 PM   #8
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
Alex645's Avatar

Join Date: May 2015
Location: Kaneohe, HI
Photos: Albums
Posts: 3,526
Here's an excellent article with links for chamois eyepiece covers. Your concerns are not unique and many of us that wear glasses love this solution:

The Ultimate Guide to Eyepiece Chamois | The Black and Blue
10-21-2016, 06:55 PM   #9
cpk
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
cpk's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Montreal
Posts: 638
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
Here's an excellent article with links for chamois eyepiece covers. Your concerns are not unique and many of us that wear glasses love this solution:

The Ultimate Guide to Eyepiece Chamois | The Black and Blue
Thanks, Alex. I will follow up on this as well as the eye-cups on Amazon.
10-22-2016, 07:22 AM   #10
Moderator
Not a Number's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Venice, CA
Posts: 10,509
You could always buy a pair online just for shooting. The frames are often more expensive than the lenses if you buy designer name frames.

Lenses alone for me single vision (I should use bifocals but they don't make them with the very high index material) cost me $500 USD and this is from one optical house that has some of the lowest prices in town. I can get a pair online of single vision for reading with a lesser index and no-name frames for $150 or less. The weight and thickness difference is substantial using the very high index material which is why get only single vision. For reading at home I could care less about style or if the lenses look thick.

Just do a search engine query on "Best Online Prescription eyeglasses". There is one review site that will link you to some of the best sales sites. You can price out various options without committing to a sales. Many of the sites have coupons or offer additional discounts for first time orders. Have your prescription in hand and be sure to get your pupil distance measurement from your eye doctor or optical dispensary. You can measure this yourself but it is much easier and usually more accurate to have it done for you. The sites will tell you how to convert a bi/trifocal prescription to single vision.

Zenni.com is a popular site but some of the others offer more lens and frame options.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, eye glasses, glasses, issue, lenses, pentax, pentax help, photography, rubber, troubleshooting, viewfinders
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Eye glasses Raywood Pentax DSLR Discussion 33 12-22-2020 12:35 PM
Modern flashes on older Pentax cameras pathdoc Flashes, Lighting, and Studio 7 02-08-2016 06:04 PM
Do older "film" lenses underperform on digital cameras compared with new lenses? vagabond79 Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 131 09-18-2015 04:38 AM
Man Assaulted in French McDonalds for wearing Digital Eye Glasses Vylen Photographic Industry and Professionals 24 07-18-2012 07:53 PM
Reduce eye strain (glasses & manual focus)? iht Troubleshooting and Beginner Help 9 08-22-2009 02:28 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:58 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top