Ugly Hedgehog - Photography Forum
Home Active Topics Newest Pictures Search Login Register
Main Photography Discussion
Tired eyes
Page 1 of 2 next>
Dec 4, 2018 04:58:20   #
eskimoky
 
Hi,im not sure if this has been addressed as of yet in the forum,as i get older i have to use glasses with a bifocal section.is there a process that i can use to insure that what my eyes are seeing is actually whats happening in my manual focus vintage(film era) lenses? Im thinking that perhaps taking the glasses off and correcting the viewfinder to correct what i see.also using flash more often.have any of you brought your camera with you to the eye doctor to fine tune? Thanks in advance kenny

Reply
Dec 4, 2018 05:20:36   #
Shutterbug57
 
I haven’t taken the camera to the eye doc, but have worn bifocals or trifocals for ~30 years. I also have a Mamiya M645, manual focus only camera. I just use my glasses and look through the proper segment to focus.

With the waist level finder this may be the reading or intermediate segment depending on how far away my eye is from the VF. If I have the prism finder on,I look through the reading segment. This is not perfect, but I know the camera will be tack sharp if I do my part right. I use the split prism and line up the image in both halves. As long as I can get the lines co-linear, the image will be sharp - even if it is not perfectly sharp to my eye in the VF.

With my AF cameras, for the ones that have a diopter adjustment, I use it with glasses. For all the AF bodies, I rely on the focus indicator if I want to know I have sharp focus. For fast action, I simply rely on the AF system and sort the OOF images in post. With my Nikon N90s, F100, D70s, D200 & D500 and Fuji X-T2, the AF systems work very well and there are not many OOF images, unless I just missed the focus point on the shot, which can (and does) happen in action sports.

A lot depends on how far your eyes are from 20/20. I am a +3.25 diopter in my shooting eye. Most cameras don’t go that far with the adjustments. If your prescription is covered by the camera’s adjustment range, you might be able to shoot without your glasses.

Manually focusing AF lenses on AF bodies can be a bit of a guessing game. With no split prism, the only focus aid is sometimes an in focus indicator. I get good results with that or just going for the most in focus image I can get as that is actually in focus even if it is still a bit blurry to my eye in the VF.

Reply
Dec 4, 2018 05:40:44   #
Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis
 
eskimoky wrote:
Hi,im not sure if this has been addressed as of yet in the forum,as i get older i have to use glasses with a bifocal section.is there a process that i can use to insure that what my eyes are seeing is actually whats happening in my manual focus vintage(film era) lenses? Im thinking that perhaps taking the glasses off and correcting the viewfinder to correct what i see.also using flash more often.have any of you brought your camera with you to the eye doctor to fine tune? Thanks in advance kenny

Just use the upper part of the lens, been working for me for 30+ years.

Reply
 
 
Dec 4, 2018 05:42:00   #
rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin
 
What a nice, detailed answer! Well done, shutterbug57. Thank you on behalf of all of us with mature, tired eyes.

Reply
Dec 4, 2018 06:12:40   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
eskimoky wrote:
Hi,im not sure if this has been addressed as of yet in the forum,as i get older i have to use glasses with a bifocal section.is there a process that i can use to insure that what my eyes are seeing is actually whats happening in my manual focus vintage(film era) lenses? Im thinking that perhaps taking the glasses off and correcting the viewfinder to correct what i see.also using flash more often.have any of you brought your camera with you to the eye doctor to fine tune? Thanks in advance kenny


I don't know what camera you have.
For many older manual film cameras there were diopters for the viewfinder.
I have glasses where I use the bifocal lower for reading and the upper is plain glass.
So I went on Ebay, found a diopter for my camera that works for me and bought it.
So while taking photos I don't use the glasses as the diopter solved this.
Not sure if you need glasses all the time but for those who don't the diopters are out there and are nice to have.

Reply
Dec 4, 2018 06:53:55   #
Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast
 
eskimoky wrote:
Hi,im not sure if this has been addressed as of yet in the forum,as i get older i have to use glasses with a bifocal section.is there a process that i can use to insure that what my eyes are seeing is actually whats happening in my manual focus vintage(film era) lenses? Im thinking that perhaps taking the glasses off and correcting the viewfinder to correct what i see.also using flash more often.have any of you brought your camera with you to the eye doctor to fine tune? Thanks in advance kenny


I use the viewfinder about 90%+ of the time. I wear glasses with progressive lenses and in most cases, I just flip my glasses (both regular and sun glasses) up on my head and use the viewfinder. I've adjusted the diopter to my current vision (~+2.5) although I don't believe its as accurate as my glasses but it works well, also helps with focus peaking.

Reply
Dec 4, 2018 08:06:10   #
eskimoky
 
Awesome help thanks hogs! Oh i use a pentax k 5 and a k3 ill look and see if i can use the diopter to adjust my lenses are the aw pentax as well as tokina but my manual focus are carl zeiss and vivitar series one and older pentax taukamar lenses

Reply
 
 
Dec 5, 2018 06:49:39   #
FuzzyDan
 
I have terrible near vision, which has become poor enough that diopter adjustments on cameras or rifle scopes could no longer compensate. Viewing either through the reading portion of my trifocal glasses is quite awkward. The answer was simple: I bought cheap reading glasses, which allow me to use cameras and scopes with their diopter adjustments in a normal range. One pair resides in my range bag, another with my camera gear.

Reply
Dec 5, 2018 07:48:50   #
AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!
 
I found a small magnifying glass that's flat at my eye doctor's check-out counter. It works pretty well. When I use my medium format film camera and have manual focus only, it really comes in handy. I have a set of glasses that I use for hiking that has no bifocal area so that I can see where my feet are! When I use those, I carry that magnifier in order to be able to see close-up things (like the screen on the back of my camera!

I've been told that using the "live view" function on my camera to focus helps. I can enlarge the view and look at small areas while I tweak the focus. It works sometimes.

Reply
Dec 5, 2018 08:10:14   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
If you see a sharp image in the viewfinder, and the camera produces a sharp image, you're all set. I don't wear bifocals, but one part of your glasses should work when you try to focus, and the other won't.

Reply
Dec 5, 2018 09:01:09   #
CaptainPhoto
 
If you have an LCD screen on the back of your camera you can use a HOODMAN - Hoodloop to view in Live View the focus before taking the shot, and after to view the image taken. The Hoodman focus clarity can be adjusted to your eye.
I use it a lot.

Reply
 
 
Dec 5, 2018 09:04:38   #
Say Cheese Loc: Eastern PA
 
I used to shoot with my Bronica SQA and the prism view finder was fine. Now that my eyes are not as good I believe I would now have un focused pictures. Digital cameras with autofocus is the best thing going.

Reply
Dec 5, 2018 09:18:47   #
eskimoky
 
Thank friends ill look into your suggestions!kenny(eskimoky)

Reply
Dec 5, 2018 09:25:20   #
eskimoky
 
Also my contax rx has an early digital assist focus where it beeps and light indicates when the image is in focus . Perhaps some enterprizing individuls can make a split screen focus along with the digital assist focus that engages when manual focus is utilized ! And of course maintaining the autofocus mode.

Reply
Dec 5, 2018 09:30:40   #
bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA
 
eskimoky wrote:
Hi,im not sure if this has been addressed as of yet in the forum,as i get older i have to use glasses with a bifocal section.is there a process that i can use to insure that what my eyes are seeing is actually whats happening in my manual focus vintage(film era) lenses? Im thinking that perhaps taking the glasses off and correcting the viewfinder to correct what i see.also using flash more often.have any of you brought your camera with you to the eye doctor to fine tune? Thanks in advance kenny


It depends on your vision. I have worn trifocals for years. When focusing a view camera, I have someone double-check my focus if someone is available. For my DSLR, I use the eye focus adjustment on the camera viewfinder and wear my glasses. Remember that you are looking through the top distance correction part of the lens on your glasses so the camera viewfinder correction will be to your distance vision when seen through your glasses. On my TLR, the viewfinder is far enough away so that the reading or mid-distance portion of my corrective lens is at the correct distance for sharp viewing and focus.

Reply
Page 1 of 2 next>
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.
Main Photography Discussion
UglyHedgehog.com - Forum
Copyright 2011-2024 Ugly Hedgehog, Inc.