Diopter or magnifier?

[harryjiang]

I am a M9 user and my eye sight is getting poor. I wonder which one will help me more, the diopter or the magnifier? How do they differ? I use mainly 50mm lens and occasionally 35mm.

Any brands other than Leica?

 

[rhl-oregon]

I cannot speak of M magnifiers, but I use diopters on all my cameras that can mount them. I've been nearsighted 50 years (bifocal for 12 years), but I simply dislike shooting with glasses on.

I use a -2.5 on my M5, and a -3 on my Hexar RF. Without glasses in the way, I can see everything in the viewfinder, and because it's in optical focus, the act of RF focusing is easier and more natural.

 

[jaapv]

A magnifier is no substitute for a dioptre. In fact, if one uses a magnifier it is even more important to use a dioptre on the magnifier.

First correct the camera for your eyesight. Do so by taking it with you to your optometrist and hold his trial lenses between your eye and the viewfinder to find the strength that works best for you. Then you know which strength to purchase. Theoretical computations are often unreliable.

Should you still find focusing difficult after mounting the dioptre, then you can consider adding a magnifier despite the drawbacks (lower contrast, loss of brightness, need to unmount and screw in the dioptre for wider lenses)

Note that the dioptre needed for the magnifier is often 0.5 value different from the one needed for the camera so you will need two, and these things are expensive.

You could also consider training yourself to use progressive glasses for shooting.

 

[Rayt]

I have a -1.5 diopter on my M bodies. I can't focus without one. The magnifier only magnifies and won't help much but enlarges the fuzziness.

 

[Dralowid]

Whatever you choose glue it in! It can get expensive otherwise...

 

[harryjiang]

I just order one from MS-optical, it combines diopter and magnifier. Is it of any good?

 

[Timmyjoe]

I need +1 diopters on all my Leica M camera bodies. And they are expensive.

What's really confusing is that what Leica calls a "+1" diopter, Canon and Nikon call a "0" diopter. So all my Leicas have +1 diopters on them, and my old manual focus Nikon and Canon cameras have 0 diopters on them. Makes shooting with old manual focus cameras as much fun as when I was in my teens and my eyes were still good.

PS: I found that the Leica M diopters can be made to work very well on the Nikon S2 rangefinders with a little adapter. So you can use a $110 Leica diopter on the Nikon S2 with the little adapter, or the $400 Nikon original diopter on the S2. I thought Leica diopters were expensive, until I saw what the old Nikon S2 diopters were going for.

 

[Rob-F]

I just order one from MS-optical, it combines diopter and magnifier. Is it of any good?

I think it may not always be possible to combine magnifiers and diopters. Here's how I think it works:

A magnifying lens has a positive diopter. The corrective diopter would be positive only if you are farsighted. Adding these two would result in a stronger lens, and that ought to work. If you need a +1 diopter eyesight correction, and a +1 diopter magnification is added, then you have a +2 diopter lens, which seems reasonable.

But what if you are nearsighted, and need a -1 diopter correction. And let's say you want a +1 diopter magnification? Now we have (+1) + (-1) added algebraically, which equals zero. Window glass.

I have a feeling something is escaping me about this, but I don't know what it is. Maybe a magnifier is more than just a positive lens. Experts?

 

[jaapv]

I just order one from MS-optical, it combines diopter and magnifier. Is it of any good?

I have a couple lying around. Not impressed by the optical quality. Nor the effectiveness.

 

[Darthfeeble]

I had a 1.4 magnifier and it didn't solve my problem. The best solution I've found is contact lenses.

 

[jaapv]

I think it may not always be possible to combine magnifiers and diopters. Here's how I think it works:

A magnifying lens has a positive diopter. The corrective diopter would be positive only if you are farsighted. Adding these two would result in a stronger lens, and that ought to work. If you need a +1 diopter eyesight correction, and a +1 diopter magnification is added, then you have a +2 diopter lens, which seems reasonable.

But what if you are nearsighted, and need a -1 diopter correction. And let's say you want a +1 diopter magnification? Now we have (+1) + (-1) added algebraically, which equals zero. Window glass.

I have a feeling something is escaping me about this, but I don't know what it is. Maybe a magnifier is more than just a positive lens. Experts?

A magnifier is a telescope.

 

[ramosa]

I would definitely get a correct diopter first. After experimenting with that, you could ponder a magnifier.

 

[peterm1]

I have used a magnifier with built in diopter adjustment (adjustable) from Japan Exposures store. Works pretty well but I cannot comment on how it compares to Leica diopter lenses. It comes in a couple of different magnification factors.

My suspicion is that the Leica product is better optically but its main problem is that each only provides one set diopter adjustment and no magnification. This means you need to know precisely the correct one to buy before you buy it (and yes they are expensive) and the precise one may not be available for your eyes. Also if your eyes deteriorate over time you have to get a new one. With the Japan ones you only needs to rotate a lens element in or out to make the adjustment. This is why I bought and have persisted with the adjustable one. BTW the built in magnifier also helps. It provides greater accuracy in the rangefinder and means that focusing should also be more accurate on this account.

http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/

http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/accessories/viewfinder/page-2/

 

[Rayt]

I sometime use the Leica 1.25x magnifier together with a diopter when I have the 75mm Summilux on the M7. The Leica magnifier seems to have -0.5 diopter built in because my -1.5x was too strong on it.

 

[harryjiang]

this is the one I got!! Yes, my worry is that my eyes are getting worse and worse over time.

I have used a magnifier with built in diopter adjustment (adjustable) from Japan Exposures store. Works pretty well but I cannot comment on how it compares to Leica diopter lenses. It comes in a couple of different magnification factors.

My suspicion is that the Leica product is better optically but its main problem is that each only provides one set diopter adjustment and no magnification. This means you need to know precisely the correct one to buy before you buy it (and yes they are expensive) and the precise one may not be available for your eyes. Also if your eyes deteriorate over time you have to get a new one. With the Japan ones you only needs to rotate a lens element in or out to make the adjustment. This is why I bought and have persisted with the adjustable one. BTW the built in magnifier also helps. It provides greater accuracy in the rangefinder and means that focusing should also be more accurate on this account.

http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/

http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/accessories/viewfinder/page-2/

 

[peterm1]

this is the one I got!! Yes, my worry is that my eyes are getting worse and worse over time.

I think you will find this suitable. Not perfect but I am yet to find a perfect option given the Leicas have no in built diopter adjustment which would be much better.

I should add I did buy on eBay, a magnifier first, before I found this Japan Exposures. The magnifier helped but I really needed diopter adjustment too. I sometimes use both together especially with longer lenses where the extra magnification helps focusing accuracy. The magnifying lens with the Japan Exposures one screwed into to the back of that works OK (its got the correct threads) the only disadvantage being that the wider framelines can be difficult to see with both mounted - another reason for limiting its use in this way to longer lenses. Using the two together also keeps your eye and face further from the camera back so if you do ever use a Leica digital M with its rear LCD screen, that means less smudging and smearing on the LCD screen, especially if you use your left eye as I do because I have better vision with it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Viewfinder-...618117?hash=item3cc5443045:g:PxcAAOxy2CZTY8l-

 

[alan davus]

I've used the MS-optical 1.15x magnifier/dioptre for years on initially an M6ttl and now my M-E. Works perfectly for me and i consider it indispensable. On the M-E the 28mm frame lines are difficult to see though but I can live with that.

 

[john_s]

I just order one from MS-optical, it combines diopter and magnifier. Is it of any good?

Another very happy user of the MS-Optical x1.15 magnifier. Its adjustable diopter is perfect for me as at my age it has to be spot on. (As one ages, the ability to focus at different distances declines A LOT, making the choice of diopter more critical). The small amount of magnification helps a bit without making the viewfinder excessively restricted to the inner framelines. For the use of the widest lens for which there's a frameline (28mm for the standard M6) that frameline won't be visible, but I don't use that focal length.