Focusing wearing spectacles

[Asha]

Well i've got to that period in life when my eyesight has deteriorated slightly. Enough for me to need specs to aid with close up work. (less than 18 inches/ 45 cm )
I expect there are many photographers out there who wear glasses so hopefully my questions will be quite easy to answer.

1. My eyesight for distance is fine so presumably if I am manually focusing on a landscape scene for example with my dslr I can continue to leave the viewfinder diopter in it's neutral position and focus as I've always done before??

2; With the same dslr, if i am to manually focus on close objects ( less than about 18 inches/ 45cm ), do I wear my glasses or do I leave my glasses aside and simply adjust the diopter on the viewfinder and if so how much do I adjust it ???

3. This is more a question that LF film users. When focusing on the groundglass, I presumably do so whilst wearing my specs, however what I am unsure of is when the object appears sharp to my eyes ( through my specs), is the image actually sharp on the ground glass and therefore going to be sharp on the film?

My appologies if these questions appear a bit dim but having not worn specs before, I don't know how it may affect the way in which I focus.
Any help/ advice much appreciated

 

[RobertP]

Adjust your diopter so you can see the image in the viewfinder clearly. With or without glasses is up to you. It's a projected image from the lens and you just need to see that image clearly. If the final picture is sharp or not depends on the focus of the camera lens not the diopter that lets you see that projected image of the picture clearly.

 

[Willid1]

Welcome to the new glasses wearers club My fuzzy range starts about arms length so need them a bit more than you I suspect.

1. Yes

2. No need for glasses as long as you are looking through the camera.

3.Use your glasses here, unless you check the ground glass from several feet away!!

The thing I find annoying about this I can use the camera without glasses until it comes to looking at anything on the rear screen, then I need my glasses again, up and down up and down Grrrrrr.

HTH

David

 

[rainhill photo]

I changed the diopter after a while as I got sick of taking the specs on and off.... Just keep yer specs on all the time if you need to.

 

[new2me]

steaming up in cold weather is a pain though

 

[Asha]

Adjust your diopter so you can see the image in the viewfinder clearly. With or without glasses is up to you. It's a projected image from the lens and you just need to see that image clearly. If the final picture is sharp or not depends on the focus of the camera lens not the diopter that lets you see that projected image of the picture clearly.

Thanks Robert,
Messing about with specs is not my idea of fun so i won't be wearing them if I don't have need. Even the odd times I wear sunglasses, they quickly get on my wick!
My problem is going to lie more with the many old cameras i have with no diopter:|
No doubt I'll adapt to the on/off syndrome of specs seeing as I have no choice!!!

 

[Asha]

Welcome to the new glasses wearers club My fuzzy range starts about arms length so need them a bit more than you I suspect.

1. Yes

2. No need for glasses as long as you are looking through the camera.

3.Use your glasses here, unless you check the ground glass from several feet away!!

The thing I find annoying about this I can use the camera without glasses until it comes to looking at anything on the rear screen, then I need my glasses again, up and down up and down Grrrrrr.

HTH

David

Thank you for the welcome David,
Glad it's a club without a membership fee!
Pleased to learn that I may be able to get away without the specs more than I imagned for photography work.
I had to laugh at your response to the groundglass question as up to press when I've viewed the glass to focus I've had to move backwards to bring the image clear only to find my head exiting the dark cloth!!
I can see myself becoming very irritated for the same reasons as yourself...never mind, part of life!

 

[Asha]

I changed the diopter after a while as I got sick of taking the specs on and off.... Just keep yer specs on all the time if you need to.

Thanks David,
Looks like I will haveto find a way that suits me.....nice to know how others go on though. Darned frustrating at times it seems!

 

[Georges]

I had the same problem a couple of years ago when I bought my previous camera, and for 2 years I did not know that I can adjust the diopter for a very clear sharp view. Heaven knows how I took sharp pictures back then.

 

[Asha]

steaming up in cold weather is a pain though

Mmmmm I hadn't thought of that one......Aaarghhhh! Maybe it won't be such a big deal if I only need to wear them for close up work?...It's not like I'm walking outside then in and out of warm buildings whilst wearing them.:shrug:

 

[Asha]

I had the same problem a couple of years ago when I bought my previous camera, and for 2 years I did not know that I can adjust the diopter for a very clear sharp view. Heaven knows how I took sharp pictures back then.

LOL, I was thinking of using the fact that my eyesight had deteriorated as a good excuse for my poor quality shots..

 

[faddius]

Personally I hate wearing my glasses whilst using my camera, I always end up putting in contacts now before I go out.

In and around the house if im taking snapshots or winding up the dog I just use liveview

 

[Asha]

Personally I hate wearing my glasses whilst using my camera, I always end up putting in contacts now before I go out.

In and around the house if im taking snapshots or winding up the dog I just use liveview

Oooo I hope i never have a need to have to wear contacts...I hate putting anything in my eyes....Have all on with eye drops during the hayfever season!

I'm wondering, if I'm likely to be on and off with these specs is it worth getting one of those neck straps ....Not sure I want to as I'll look even older than I am!...kind of head teacher ish but may be practical .....are they helpfull or simply a gimmick?

 

[faddius]

Contacts are horrible to start with, its a bit of a mental barrier to get used to sticking your finger in your eye but you get used to it

Alot easier than constantly cleaning glasses

 

[DjLukeW]

Ive jsut joined the glasses club also.

I just adjusted my viewfinder and all is well. No need to remove glasses. Its just the steaming up Im trying to get used to

 

[Asha]

Ive jsut joined the glasses club also.

Hope you paid for membership!......I was the last free entry

 

[Asha]

Steaming up could be a novelty for me as we don't get much fog down here.....Something I miss....NOT!

 

[Sir SR]

Glasses never bothered me until I got the manual focus Samyang. Its much easier with contacts in!

 

[gaz_jameison]

Been wearing glasses my whole life so it's not evem something I take into consideration. Only got my first camera in November and I just found out a few weeks ago about the the diopter on the viewfinder!

I noticed though that when i did adjust the diopter on the viewfinder, there wasn't any noticeable difference on how my pictures turn out once I put them on the computer. I'd say just mess about with and without the specs and you'll soon find what suits you best

 

[Bernie174]

Asha
I've had to wear them for a few years now. It started the same as you, but has now become almost full time unless doing something that means looking further than 4 foot away.
You get used to wearing them, like you, I hated them at first and hadn't really ever worn sunglasses for the same reason.
Anyway, for photography, I use the view finder adjustment knob, but I find it gets moved or knocked a lot, so I keep having to re adjust. I don't use manual focus any more, but then again, the camera autofocus was always better than I was it it!

 

[Asha]

Asha
I've had to wear them for a few years now. It started the same as you, but has now become almost full time unless doing something that means looking further than 4 foot away.
You get used to wearing them, like you, I hated them at first and hadn't really ever worn sunglasses for the same reason.
Anyway, for photography, I use the view finder adjustment knob, but I find it gets moved or knocked a lot, so I keep having to re adjust. I don't use manual focus any more, but then again, the camera autofocus was always better than I was it it!

Thanks Bernie,
If truth be known I actually had a sight issue 22 years ago in my left eye but being the young man I was, I chose not to take the advice of the optician to wear glasses.
Two decades on and ironically the left eye has deteriorated no further but the right eye has decided to catch up and is equally as deteriorated ....at least I'm balanced now!
I reckon the right eye compensated for the left during those years, but has now said " sod this for a lark!!!"

 

[jon ryan]

[expensive lesson] Don't get varifocals [/]expensive lesson]

 

[Harriers9]

[expensive lesson] Don't get varifocals [/]expensive lesson]

Why??? I'm picking up mine tomorrow after the optician said that varis would be the best option for me.

£300 wasted? I hope not

 

[wontolla]

[expensive lesson] Don't get varifocals [/]expensive lesson]

I have worn varifocals for years, no problem whatsoever! like everything new, needs a little re-adjustment and getting used to.

 

[Noah_]

Aside from being a complete nuisance whilst looking thru my viewfinder, I find wearing my glasses when manually focusing a huge benefit. I'm short sighted so when doing real close up's I don't find much trouble, but when shooting portraits I always wear my glasses to ensure all the features are sharp. Best wishes!

 

[jon ryan]

Why??? I'm picking up mine tomorrow after the optician said that varis would be the best option for me.

£300 wasted? I hope not

Because the focal length of the lens varies depending on what bit you look through. (Bit of a clue in the name ). No problem with auto-focus, but there was when using manual. I now use bifocals, which has solved it (and these also make chimping easy - don't have to take them off to see if I'm getting the occasional shot in focus).

As ever, this is me, not you, so don't take it as definitive.

 

[Asha]

Aside from being a complete nuisance whilst looking thru my viewfinder,

That was the bit that concerned me ...it looks like i may get away with the diopter for the moment except for groundglass work but thats completely different anyway as I don't have to try squash a spec lens up against a tiny viewfinder.

 

[Tringa]

I too use glasses and for a couple of years I used to adjust the diopter setting on the viewfinder so I could see the scene clearly without glasses.

Then I realised what a pain that was - glasses off, look through viewfinder, glasses back on to alter a menu setting, glasses back on again... oh where are the glasses!

Just recently I've taken to keeping the glasses on while using the camera, it is just so much easier. I've no problems with varifocals, but everyone is different.

Dave

 

[Asha]

glasses off, look through viewfinder, glasses back on to alter a menu setting, glasses back on again... oh where are the glasses!



Dave

Oh my this may prove interesting as I'm always miss placing things generally.
Have you tried one of those straps to hang the specs around your neck ....Something I'm considering but not sure wether it will help any:shrug:

 

[Tringa]

Yes Asha, I use a string around my neck for my glasses.

When I first used glasses I needed them only for reading (I could see anything more than about 5 feet away clearly without specs) and I was always putting the glasses down and leaving them somewhere, so the string was really useful.

Now I need my glasses all the time, (not sure I can see the Moon clearly without them) so I'm not sure why I use the string now - habit probably.

Dave

 

[Asha]

Yes Asha, I use a string around my neck for my glasses.

When I first used glasses I needed them only for reading (I could see anything more than about 5 feet away clearly without specs) and I was always putting the glasses down and leaving them somewhere, so the string was really useful.

Now I need my glasses all the time, (not sure I can see the Moon clearly without them) so I'm not sure why I use the string now - habit probably.

Dave

Thanks Dave, Looks like the cord is going to be a necessity for me then....Thanks for your help

 

[wontolla]

Thanks Dave, Looks like the cord is going to be a necessity for me then....Thanks for your help

Just remember, when using the camera on a tripod, make sure the glasses/cord isn't tangled with the strap/ballhead knobs/general sticky-out things that can pull said tripod/camera over! And yes, it has happened.