SLRs and Prescription Eyeglasses

[JAPster]

Dear Photo.Net User Community...

 

I have rather basic beginner's type question. Being very near-sighted, I wear

corrective prescription eye-glasses, every waking hour, 365/Year. I think the

diopter rating is something in the neighborhood of -7 diopter. Maybe more.

 

And, at the same time, I'm getting into SLR photography more & more. Both 35mm

SLR Film using Sigma, Nikon, and Minolta SLRs, and Digital SLRs using Nikon.

And throw in some 35MM P & S cameras, and a couple of digital P & S cameras.

 

My question is...

 

Do serious SLR picture takers who fit this profile (very nearsighted & wear

glasses all the time) make special accomadations to make the SLR adapt to

their near-sightednes? In this situation, do professionals keep their

corrective glasses on, and just view through the VF as best they can? Or do

they switch to contact lenses? Or do you use a special adaptor on the SLR

viewfinder that replaces the prescripive glasses while you take the picture?

(in which case, you switch back and forth between the camera VF and your

glasses. Do you use the viewfinder just the way it is, or do you put a hood

over it to accomodate the eye-glasses.

 

I know some models have VF with moderate diopter adjustment sliders, so at

least the VF image is clear for at least the moderate cases.

 

So, I'm curious as to how professional & commercial photographers who spend a

lot of time taking pictures handle this type scenario.

 

My sincere thanks to all that feel led to respond.

 

AP

[SCL]

Not professional, but share your problem. Over the years I've tried almost everything except laser surgery. In the end I found that wearing my prescription glasses (progressive lenses) works best, with diopters either dialed into the cameras or attached separately, as the case demands. It is a vexing issue which people generally adapt to.

[ronald_moravec1]

Modern SLR`s all have variable correction built in, It probably does not go to -7 however.

 

Wear your glasses as you can correct for any astigmatism at the same time. When you get old

and can not focus, add some - diopter for closer focus, ie you bifocal the camera.

 

If you do a lot of real critical close up, or precise framing work, dial in all the - you can and get

supplementary - if you must. Leave glasses off. Many right angle finders have additional

correction which you can use to suppliment the built in camera correction.

[mr. sullen]

The only thing one needs a viewfinder for is composition. The rest is math.

[tommyyearginjr]

Like Stephen, I wear progressive lenses also. I keep my glasses on, with the diopter adjusted. Works fine for me. Good luck with your photography!

[randmcnatt]

If you are lucky enough to only need single-vision lenses, you can just keep them on and keep shooting. At one time it was possible to get prescription diopters, but with the near-universal use of rectangular, slide on viewfinder adapters, that may not be possible, but check with local optometrists and opticians. The smaller, old-school opticians are probably better than the superstores - they usually know what you're talking about, anyway. I have thick lenses, and wish that Nikon had the same type of fractional magnifier Canon has available: it gives you around 20mm extra eyepiece relief, I believe.

<p>

Glass lenses are heavier, and cost more, but last a lot longer. I think just about every pair of glasses I ever owned has developed a strange eyepiece-shaped abrasion on the left lens.

<p>

 

There's a type of eyeglass lens called an <a href="http://www.allaboutvision.com/over40/work_bifocals.htm">Occupational Bifocal</a>,. great not only for looking through the viewfinder, but also for those dastardly tiny virtual controls and endless menus (remember when you could FEEL what f-stop you were using?). It has a small extra magnifying area at the TOP of the lens which can be ground for a different working distance; I've used those over the years, and they're great for relieving neck strain and keeping one's nose off the LCD, but my last pair cost over $400 just for the lenses.

<p>

Just lately I've found that those supplemental right-angle finders are very relaxing to look through, and with a much greater adjustment range than the built-in diopter dials.

[mendel_leisk]

Not pro, but I have been shooting for many years. I'm quite short sighted, wearing either glasses or contacts, all the time. I have zero issues with this when picture taking, can wear either, and have never bothered with the viewfinder's diopter adjustment: it seems about right, when centered. I do use autofocus most of the time, except for macro maybe.

 

One *advantage* shortsighted dslr shooters have, especially as the years advance and you get long sighted, unable to focus on close objects: when wearing your glasses you can always glance over the top of them, to achieve very good close-up vision, which comes in hand when dealing with the back lcd display of image or menu settings.

[Ed_Ingold]

The apparent distance of the ground glass is typically 18 to 24 inches. Use the prescription which comes closest to seeing at this distance, then use the correction adjustment in the eyepiece to fine tune the results.

 

I wear bifocals for presbymyopia - why Presbyterians should get the credit is beyond me :-). I find I can use the "far" part of my glasses, along with a +1 correction setting in the eyepiece of my D2h/x. Your mileage may differ, of course.

 

There are several factors to consider in an SLR. You need a relatively high eyepoint in order to see the entire frame considering the thickness of the glasses. Secondly, you need a rubber eyecup of some sort, to keep from scratching your glasses. This adds to the eyepoint requirements.

 

If the diopter adjustment is not wide enough, most cameras offer replacement eyepieces with various correction factors. Unfortunately, they may be hard to find for older cameras.

[frank uhlig]

You always want to keep your distance viewing glasses/contacts on when outside. For what

happens when the picture is taken and you walk off in the fog otherwise? So be careful and

adjust the dial of the diopter correction on your modern camera for the sharpest view

through your glasses!

[timzeipekis]

I have astigmatism and need my glasses all the time, One thing that helped me was getting a larger eye cup to accommodate my glasses. That helped in getting my eye closer to the viewfinder. Of cousre the current trend of live-view DSLR's would be a tremendous help to us 4-eyes.

[ananda1]

Shoot with your eyeglass, thats what I do.