Nikon FE diopter

<p>I have just bought a Nikon FE but do not know the strength of the diopter I shall need with it. I understand that the actual strength of an FE diopter is not what is written on it. With M Leicas and a Konica Hexar RF I used +1 lenses ground to size by my optician.</p>

<p>See Michael Freeman's explanation here (10:46PM) ... </p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00RhX5</p>

<p>"</p>

<p><img src="http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00R/00Rha6-95053584.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Also, I believe the viewfinder has a built-in diopter of -1.0 (which is why there is no -1.0 corrective lens available). The marked diopter value of the accessory eyepieces is the combined value of the corrective lens plus the built-in diopter. All very confusing. "<br>

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That is the basic and correct info.<br>

Jim </p>

<p>Thank you, Jim. The trouble is that I can't try out different strengths.</p>

<p>Mukul, you just need the correction strength that's the same as, or close to your spectacle/contact lens prescription, for whichever eye you use at the viewfinder. A correction lens doesn't help much if you have astigmatism however. For that you need to get an optician to make up a lens for you to replace the glass in an eyepiece cover and orientate it correctly.</p>

<p>For years my basic spectacle prescription was -3 Dioptres, and that's the eyepiece lens that I used - i.e. that was the marking on the rim of the "dioptre". Thankfully I can now use my glasses and dial in a better correction on a modern Nikon DSLR, thanks to its long eye-relief and variable viewfinder optics. </p>

<p>Thank you, Joe. I've had cataract surgery and use three different prescriptions: distance, reading and computer. My thinking is that the last, good for objects about three feet away, is what I need for the camera's finder. I have only mild astigmatism.</p>

<p>Go to a drug store ans find the reading glasses that work best when you use them to look through the FE. Let's say that a pair of +3.5 glasses works best. The NIKON diopter that you need is 3.5 - 1 or +2.5 (net).</p>

<p>Most cameras mark the diopter at exactly what it is. Nikon marks them with the sum of the camera's diopter (-1) and the correction diopter for the net effect. As others have said, it's very confusing. Good luck.</p>

<p>Thank you. As my first post indicates, I have a friendly optician.</p>

<p>My solution was to wear my prescription eyeglasses with a 0 diopter in my old Nikon bodies and everything just popped into focus...apparently my eyes have lost the elasticity to accommodate a simple -1 differential. I've always found it to be too burdensome to remove my eyeglasses to shoot when I just need to put them back on to clearly see. Of course everybody is different. The drugstore reading glasses trick may be your solution to finding the right diopter, as I imagine in India those reading glasses may be pretty easy to find being mass produced and distributed. The best solution, IMHO, is to take your camera along with you to your eye doctor next visit and explain the issue....I'm sure he/she will be happy to accommodate you.</p>

<p>Anthony - You don't need to subtract the native -1 dioptre of the FE viewfinder to get the Nikon dioptre correction number. It's already incorporated in the correction.<br>

It's different if you're getting a prescription eyepiece made up. Then you need correction for a viewing distance of about 1 metre away. Otherwise you just buy the same Nikon dioptre as your prescription glasses.</p>

<p>Most younger people have enough accommodation in their corrected vision to see with the same clarity between 1 metre and infinity, but as we get older, or have some unfortunate eye problem, then our accommodation decreases and we need a bit more help than a single correction lens can give. Varifocal spectacles are one solution, but personally I just couldn't get on with them. I'd rather have a pair of "seeing" glasses and another pair for reading.</p>

<p>Thank you, Stephen. I don't think an ophthalmologist is needed any more. The difficulty will be in finding a product so old.</p>

<p>Mukul - keep an eye on the big auction site....I have bought all of my diopter lenses used there...frequently at a substantial discount from the average offering (5 wks ago got one for my Leica M2 for about $40 less than they're going for used thru dealers or most online offers....just have to look every day until you find a good deal and be prepared to jump), did the same thing with one for my Canon FD & Minolta SRT.</p>

<p>Will do, Stephen. Thank you.<br>

Can someone tell me if the diopters made for the Cosina-Voigtlander Bessa cameras fit the FE? I recall reading that Nikon diopters would fit those cameras.</p>

<p>Be careful (or avoid) the original Nikon FE diopter lenses. They have metal rims that will scratch plastic eyeglass lenses badly. I found this out the hard way when I put a 40-year old one on my X-Pro1. Never had the problem back in the FE days because my eyeglasses were hard glass. After this damage, I found that Fuji brought out a line for the X-Pro1 and they have soft rubber covers on the rims.</p>

<p>Thank you, Curt. I don't wear glasses when I use a camera. Not that it matters, but I have not switched to plastic lenses.</p>

<p>Mukul, I cannot help with Cosina ... but there are several Nikon eyepieces that are interchangeable. Refer to the following page -</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/fileuploads/pdfs/EP_CompChart.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nikonusa.com/fileuploads/pdfs/EP_CompChart.pdf</a></p>

<p>The following cameras take the same size eyepieces (all the same diameter and thread pitch) -</p>

<p>Nikon F2, FA, FE, FE2, FM, FM2, FM2n, Nikkormat FT3 and likely some others too, but I am familiar only with the ones that I listed.</p>

<p>So, for example, if you find one somewhere that is listed as <em><strong>for a Nikon FM2</strong></em>, it would also fit your FE. Just get the diopter you need and you're all set.</p>

<p>Jim</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Useful information, Jim. Thank you. I have found that, apart from the Cosina diopters, those made for the Fuji X-Pro 1 will also fit. All 19mm diameter. The Nikon diopters, of course, are the commonest by a long shot.</p>

<p>As an optometrist that shoots with Nikon, I'd suggest choosing the closest Nikon diopter lens that corresponds to your distance spectacle Rx with the eye you normally shoot. For example, if you normally use the left eye and it's distance correction is +1.75 +0.50 x 070, choose the closet diopter power Nikon produces which is a +2D eyepiece lens. Remember that the diopter marking represents the total power of the viewfinder system which should match your distance correction assuming you aren't wearing glasses or contacts. Choosing the computer power of your Rx may be clearer for the peripheral metering displays but will be blurry for the focusing screen or split image focusing aid.</p>

<p>Alan, here's my prescription:</p>

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<td align="left" height="22">R.E. Cyl. - 0.75 axis 175</td>

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<p>L.E. Cyl. - 1.25 axis 5</p>

 

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<td align="left" height="22">Near add +2.50</td>

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<td align="left" height="22">Compu add +2.00</td>

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<p> </p>

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