AndyP73 Loc: UK

Hello All,

I'm getting back into photography after some years' absence and have noticed that my eyesight isn't what it used to be...

I am shortsighted, -3 in each eye, and I usually wear contact lenses.

With contacts, my long distance vision is great. However, close up stuff, which I would normally see clearly, is a little blurred. For reading and so on I usually remove them, or sometimes stick a pair of cheap magnifying reading glasses over them.

Now, I like the idea of wearing contacts for photography, as it allows the eye to get closer to the viewfinder than glasses. However, that problem about close up things being blurry remains. With no dioptric correction in the viewfinder the data along the bottom of the image is blurry (this is on a Canon Eos). By winding the dioptric wheel as far as it will go in the '+' direction I can get it almost perfect... but not quite.

The '+' direction is the opposite direction to my -3 prescription of course, as I am wearing contacts and presumably the things are making me artificially long-sighted rather than my natural short-sighted.

Would a Canon dioptric adjustment lens improve things further? I'm not far off, so I would have thought that one more notch on the plus side would do it. So would that be a +1 lens? And does anybody know where the best place to go hunting for these is? My Canon 50D is not longer manufactured, and a quick look at the Canon website didn't bring any joy.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

My only suggestion would be to wear bifocal glasses. I use them and it works fine. I've never worn contacts because I don't think my eyes could stand them. Or, get lasik on your eyes. But that only corrects your eyes for distance. Although you can have lasik done so one eye is good for distance and one for reading, but I know someone that had this done and they hate it. So I can't recommend that. Even if your eyes were corrected by lasik for distance, you'd have the same problem with the diopter not having enough adjustment for seeing those tiny numbers in your viewfinder or you'd have to wear reading glasses to shoot. I don't know. You are really screwed either way. Maybe someone makes a diopter adjustment for cameras with more range than +-3

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

Check this ad out. It is the eyepiece you need for your camera.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12406-REG/Canon_2841A001_1_Diopter_E.html


I just noticed you are in the UK. That might make shipping more than the eyepiece.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Speak to your optometrist about the problem and get a professional opinion.

AndyP73 Loc: UK

Thanks. Yes, not keen on the lasik idea. Bifocals might be worth looking into though.

AndyP73 Loc: UK

That might do it. Thanks. Postage to the UK is only $5.46...

incognito

If you are talking just about the display settings being out of focus then the diopter adjustment will not help. That is used for compensation for focusing the lens in manual focus. With your contacts you should be at or close to needing no prescription for distance, so your display will be blurry at near.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

With every camera I own, or have used, that has a viewfinder display, the display is on the same plane as the focusing screen - if one is out of focus, so is the other.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

I am confused. The Canon 50D has a diopter adjustment.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Have you discussed this with your optometrist. I suspect he/she may have a solution for you.
Mark

elferna

You can find the dioptric adapters for the 50D on Amazon. I bought my +2 from Adorama (or maybe B&H Photo). They are inexpensive so worth a shot and a lot cheaper than bifocal glasses. I am far-sighted. I have +2 adapter on my 50D and also the new Canon 5DS-R (different models for the 2 cameras). Tweaking the little knob on the cameras that allows +/- .5 my viewfinder is razor sharp. I don't like live view for photography. I'm old school having grown up with the 35 mm rangefinders and SLR cameras.

Good luck!

Mario22 Loc: Albany, NY

I am near sighted and have worn contac lenses for years. I can read well enough without my glasses. Since I play golf and do photography, I need to see both far and close up,with my contac lenses. For various reasons, I can’t wear bifocals. So, I have been using “mono vision” for years. One eye sees crystal clear far away and the other is sharp close up. It works great for me. Not everyone can adjust to mono vision but it was easy for me. You might ask your eye doctor for a script to purchase a month supply of throw away daily wear contacts for one eye tuned to close up vision. See how it works for you.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Sorry, missed your post and repeated this.
Mark

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I think this will work for you from B&H Photo website...


Canon Dioptric Adjustment Lens EG (-3) for Select Canon EOS Cameras B&H # CADALEG3 MFR # 2198B001

I just searched for Canon Dioptic on their website...

Best,
Todd Ferguson

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

My last visit to get my glasses changed I ended up getting cataract surgery because a change in glasses wouldn't do any good if light can't through enough to my retina. My advice is to go to ophtalmologist and get eye exam first to make sure something else isn't going on. All the magnifying in the world won't help sometimes. My eyesight went from 20/70 to 20/30 after surgery.