[Raywood]

Hi everyone, I've posted a couple times since receiving a new K10.

I have a question about eye glasses and the view finder as I just got glasses prescribed to me. Seems about 75% of my photo's are out of focus. Even when I switch the lens to manual and set the focus myself once I download the photo's I find them out of focus.
So am wondering from all of you out there that were eye glasses if you wear your glasses while looking through the view finder?
How do you set the diopter in the view finder? With or without your glasses on?

Thanks,
Ray

K10 with Sigma 17-35
updated to latest bios

[Chako]

I wear my glasses when I use my cameras. I did buy a Canon Eyepiece Extender EP-EX15 for the 20D simply because I had a very hard time seeing the whole frame with my eyeglasses on. It extends the viewfinder 15mm so that your nose doesn't hit the LCD, and it also reduces the magnification by about 30%. I always have this on at all times. Not sure if Pentax has something similar. I did buy the Pentax 2x magnifier FB. This little device magnifies the central part of the viewfinder, and flips out of the way when not in use. Not good with eyeglasses though, but perfect for critical focusing.

It really depends. When doing macro, I will take the glasses off, use the diopter adjustments on the camera and have a go with it like that. I find any sunlight coming into the viewfinder, makes focusing all that much harder. When birding, where I will need to see distant small birds, the glasses stay on.

[AVANT]

Hi everyone, I've posted a couple times since receiving a new K10.

I have a question about eye glasses and the view finder as I just got glasses prescribed to me. Seems about 75% of my photo's are out of focus. Even when I switch the lens to manual and set the focus myself once I download the photo's I find them out of focus.
So am wondering from all of you out there that were eye glasses if you wear your glasses while looking through the view finder?
How do you set the diopter in the view finder? With or without your glasses on?

Thanks,
Ray

K10 with Sigma 17-35
updated to latest bios

If you're getting AF lock, and the pictures produced are constantly out of focus, then it's your camera or lens not working like it should.

If pictures are in focus using AF, but appears out of focus to you looking through the viewfinder, adjust the diopter for whichever you want (glasses on or off). I have my diopter set to me having glasses on, but if I was to take my glasses off for extended periods of time, I do adjust the diopter again... after all, it's adjustable, that's what it's for right?

[Jimsi777]

I'm far sited and adjusted my View Finder after an autofocus with glasses off, It gives me some freedom from my glasses, yet I cant see the 2.5' display too well, but I am learning to be paitent, taking more pictures when out for a better choice of photo and viewing the pics at home to save battery life to boot...Jim

Dont you hate it when people says "Let me see!" after taking their pics...?

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Last edited by Jimsi777; 09-13-2007 at 06:56 AM.

[MPrince]

I adjust the diopter setting with my glasses on. With my glasses off, none of the diopter settings gives me a clear view through the view finder.

[skaktuss]

I adjust the diopter setting with my glasses on. With my glasses off, none of the diopter settings gives me a clear view through the view finder.

I have the same problem. My glasses are only -1.5, but that is too much for viewfinder. I use my camera with glasses and removed rubber eyepiece.

[fredd500]

You could try contact lenses? Not sure if they are available where you are, but I wear extended wear (silica hydro-gel) lenses which I don't need to change for 28 days - I even sleep in them.

Have been wearing them for about 7 years now (not the same pair or constantly of course ;-)) and they have changed my life. I can even wear posh designer sun glasses without having to splash out hundreds for prescription lenses.

[PaulF]

Although I prefer to use contact lenses, on the K10D I have no problem using my glasses. The real problem arises when I use the Praktica LTL or Pentax P50 -- Here I can simply not get close enough to see the entire viewfinder. With the K10D the image in the viewfinder is small enough to be visible even though the glasses increase the distance.

The option of removing the glasses when looking through the viewfinder (and use diopter adjustment) does not really appeal to me, as I like to keep my other eye open when shooting (although focusing manually can be somewhat difficult).

[Lowell Goudge]

My eyesight is worse than some who have responded here, as my glasses are -3.5 diopters.

I tried setting the camera so that I could use it without glasses, but find that it is much more trouble than setting it up to use with glasses on.

The only time I use my camera without glasses is with my right angle finder.

[Gimbal]

The diopter adjustment should be set so that the black markings in the viewfinder is sharp. Some prefer adjusting it without a lens attached and while pointing the camera at a white wall. I prefer leaving the lens on, but way out of focus and aiming for the same white wall.

[PaulF]

My eyesight is worse than some who have responded here, as my glasses are -3.5 diopters.

As far as I know, the diopter adjustment on the lens does not go beyond 2 or something like that (can't really remember where I have read that, though).
Just yesterday I got measured to -3.0 diopters, but my glasses are -1.5 only. Using the diopter adjustment allows me to use my glasses, but the slider cannot come much further.

[WMBP]

I have a question about eye glasses and the view finder as I just got glasses prescribed to me. Seems about 75% of my photo's are out of focus. Even when I switch the lens to manual and set the focus myself once I download the photo's I find them out of focus.

So am wondering from all of you out there that were eye glasses if you wear your glasses while looking through the view finder?
How do you set the diopter in the view finder? With or without your glasses on?

Ray,

Glasses are indeed a problem. I've been wearing glasses all my life. I'm pretty nearsighted. I have the diopter on the K10D moved all the way to the right. This allows me to see the info screen inside the viewfinder pretty clearly. REMEMBER that when you look in the viewfinder, you set the diopter by looking at the info readouts (the display of your shutter speed, etc.) and NOT by looking at the image. When you can read the shutter speed, focus indicator, etc., sharply, you're good to go.

When I got my first dslr, I tried shooting with my glasses on all the time. I adjusted the diopter, got the Pentax magnifying eyecup (which brings the viewfinder out a little from the camera) and tried to make it work. But since you can't really get your eye right up to the viewfinder, you can't really see the entire frame of the picture -- and remember that the viewfinder shows slightly less than 100% of the picture to begin with. I concluded that I simply couldn't shoot like this. I have to be able to see the entire image area in the viewfinder.

By the way, FOCUSING isn't a problem. Autofocus does not depend on my eyes. And if you have the diopter properly set, you should be able to focus manually.

Anyway, my solution for the last five or six months has been to wear a strap that holds my eyeglasses. I use a style of strap that connects to the temples of the glasses so that the strap sits IN FRONT OF my ear. (Many straps connect to the end of the temple and thus sit BEHIND the ear.) With the straps on, I can wear my glasses to look at the scene and visualize the shot, then I quickly slip off my glasses, let them fall on my chest, and I put my "naked" eye up to the viewfinder. This works pretty well. But it does add a touch of the school librarian to my otherwise Mr Universe appearance. Oh, and it's a pain in the neck to have to keep putting the glasses back on and readjusting the strap.

So as I've gotten more and more serious about photography, I've decided to take the plunge and go for contacts. I've now seen both the ophthalmologist and the optometrist and I'm just waiting for the optometrist to call and let me know that my contacts are in. I hope this will be a big help. But it's only because I'm going pro that I'm doing this. I wouldn't go to this much trouble for a hobby.

Will

[Raywood]

Thanks for all the recommendations guys. I can tell you that I didn't have the diopter set properly but now do.
Still working out this Sigma lens I got with the kit.

Will, I like the "librarian/Mr Universe" comment.

Thanks all,
Ray

[shutterdrone]

So, umm, with this talk of diopters... Is there any way to get a more powerful diopter for the K10D? It's not strong enough for me to use it w/o glasses, and my primary issue is that I shoot on the water _alot_. That means I'm usually wearing polarized glasses -- polarized glasses + polarized filter == black viewfinder. I had used some polarized clip-ons for my glasses, but one slip and I lost a $200 pair of clip-ons in the water.

Not interested in spending that much for another pair of clip-ons, and would love to move to dedicated sunglasses that I can slip off. (Sunglasses can have a cable around my neck, clip-on's can't. Those flip-up clip-ons, well, let's just say, umm... No. =)

Now, I just I need a diopter that goes to 2.5! (right = 2.5, left = 2.75 not exactly extreme, but more than the diopter allows.)

!c

[WMBP]

So, umm, with this talk of diopters... Is there any way to get a more powerful diopter for the K10D?

Not that I know of. Be interested to see if someone else knows of one.

I think it's entirely possible that some people will either need to get used to putting their glasses up to the viewfinder and living with the limited view; or switch to a camera like the Olympus that allows live view on the LCD on the back of the camera. From 2000 to 2006, before I moved up to my first dslr, I never had this problem. I had an Olympus and then three excellent Canon fixed-lens cameras and I simply always used the LCD screen to frame my shots. I actually LIKED using the LCD and when I first got my K100D end of last year, I felt that it was a bit of a trade-off to have to use the viewfinder. Now I rather like the much clearer view that I get in the viewfinder -- especially since I'm now using the K10D. But if you can't use the viewfinder comfortably, well, then that's a problem.

Will