RichC
Well-known
I'm shortsighted and have used contact lenses for most of life.
Some years ago I started wearing multifocal contacts as my eyes aged and messed up my close-up "reading" vision when wearing normal contacts.
Unfortunately, I've recently given up contact lenses and started to wear glasses because contacts could no longer fix my near vision.
I get on wiith my new multifocal glasses fine except when using a camera. And I'm near my wits end and getting seriously hacked off...
If I'm wearing glasses I can't use my cameras: I can't see the entire viewfinder unless I squash my glasses right into the camera. That's not good for the glasses (scratches!), it's uncomfortable, and the glasses get smeary from skin oil.
If I don't wear my glasses, my near vision is perfect – but I can't see into the distance beyond a few feet! (Looking through the viewfinder with the dioptre adjusted is fine - but I clearly can't walk around with a camera duct-taped to my head!)
I've compromised by having my glasses on a string. I wear the glasses as usual so I can see my subjects, then take them off to use the camera. But that's not ideal - it's awkward and breaks my rhythm constantly taking my glasses on and off. And the dangling glasses often hit the camera, coat/shirt buttons, zips, etc., so I worry about scratching them (they were very expensive!).
What do you glasses wearers do?
I just cannot think of a solution. Having to wear glasses is seriously putting me off photography. Perhaps I'll just give up.
Some years ago I started wearing multifocal contacts as my eyes aged and messed up my close-up "reading" vision when wearing normal contacts.
Unfortunately, I've recently given up contact lenses and started to wear glasses because contacts could no longer fix my near vision.
I get on wiith my new multifocal glasses fine except when using a camera. And I'm near my wits end and getting seriously hacked off...
If I'm wearing glasses I can't use my cameras: I can't see the entire viewfinder unless I squash my glasses right into the camera. That's not good for the glasses (scratches!), it's uncomfortable, and the glasses get smeary from skin oil.
If I don't wear my glasses, my near vision is perfect – but I can't see into the distance beyond a few feet! (Looking through the viewfinder with the dioptre adjusted is fine - but I clearly can't walk around with a camera duct-taped to my head!)
I've compromised by having my glasses on a string. I wear the glasses as usual so I can see my subjects, then take them off to use the camera. But that's not ideal - it's awkward and breaks my rhythm constantly taking my glasses on and off. And the dangling glasses often hit the camera, coat/shirt buttons, zips, etc., so I worry about scratching them (they were very expensive!).
What do you glasses wearers do?
I just cannot think of a solution. Having to wear glasses is seriously putting me off photography. Perhaps I'll just give up.
markjwyatt
Well-known
With my Contax I focus with glasses, then lift them and drop them onto my accessory shoe mounted viewfinder, frame and shoot. Sometimes I frame with them on, but I cannot see the edges well. I can see well enough without glasses to frame, but focusing would be tricky.
With my Fuji-XT-2, the eye relief, rubber cup and diopter work well with my glasses on. Other cameras have other results. I use Mamiya TLRs for instance with waist level finder and mounted magnifying glass (if needed).
With my Fuji-XT-2, the eye relief, rubber cup and diopter work well with my glasses on. Other cameras have other results. I use Mamiya TLRs for instance with waist level finder and mounted magnifying glass (if needed).
Michael Markey
Veteran
Just wear my glasses Rich
I`ve recently bought a couple of those rather large shaped rubber eyepieces for each of my Sony cams which exclude any extraneous light .
Maybe one of those will help .
They`re only a tenner from Amazon.
I`ve recently bought a couple of those rather large shaped rubber eyepieces for each of my Sony cams which exclude any extraneous light .
Maybe one of those will help .
They`re only a tenner from Amazon.
bmattock
Veteran
Worn glasses all my life. I just learn to 'pan around' inside the viewfinder to see all the corners. It's natural for me, but I can understand how aggravating it must be.
RichC
Well-known
The problem is not so much extraneous light but getting my eyeball close enough to see the entire viewfinder - my glasses get in the way. The lack of "eye relief"...
It seems that camera manufacturers haven't designed their cameras for glasses wearers!
Sumarongi
Registered Vaudevillain
Did you try a really good right angle finder w/diopter correction?
Well, it's a bit uncommon and makes a rangefinder camera a bit bulky, but it works like a charm
I've written some posts on that very topic ---- I have -7 or -8 spherical plus an annoying astigmatism, and all of a sudden, with right angle finder and no glasses, I can see the world through the rf more three-dimensional than ever before, it seems!
Well, it's a bit uncommon and makes a rangefinder camera a bit bulky, but it works like a charm
I've written some posts on that very topic ---- I have -7 or -8 spherical plus an annoying astigmatism, and all of a sudden, with right angle finder and no glasses, I can see the world through the rf more three-dimensional than ever before, it seems!
RichC
Well-known
Thanks for the suggestion folks.
All my cameras have very good dioptre correction – so seeing through the viewfinder isn't the problem. Seeing all of the viewfinder is...
In short my problem is either
• I wear glasses and can see my subject – but can't see the entire viewfinder (without squashing my glasses) or
• I don't wear glasses and can see my full viewfinder – but can't see my subject unless looking through the viewfinder!
I want to see my subject without these problems. Just like I could with contact lenses. Surely there must be an easy solution as this must have been a problem for over a century for photographers!
All my cameras have very good dioptre correction – so seeing through the viewfinder isn't the problem. Seeing all of the viewfinder is...
In short my problem is either
• I wear glasses and can see my subject – but can't see the entire viewfinder (without squashing my glasses) or
• I don't wear glasses and can see my full viewfinder – but can't see my subject unless looking through the viewfinder!
I want to see my subject without these problems. Just like I could with contact lenses. Surely there must be an easy solution as this must have been a problem for over a century for photographers!
bayernfan
Well-known
I just get along with lifting the glasses onto my head and looking through a diopter adjusted viewfinder. I keep a small microfiber cloth with me to wipe my glasses should they become too oily or spotty.
Maybe try lifting your glasses upwards onto your head instead of letting them dangle around the neck. I find it's a little quicker to go back and forth between glasses/no glasses with this approach, and it doesn't interfere with what I'm wearing or my camera strap.
Which camera are you using?
Maybe try lifting your glasses upwards onto your head instead of letting them dangle around the neck. I find it's a little quicker to go back and forth between glasses/no glasses with this approach, and it doesn't interfere with what I'm wearing or my camera strap.
Which camera are you using?
bmattock
Veteran
My astigmatism is such that there is no diopter adjustment I could ever use to use a camera without glasses. Been that way all my life. For the same reason, I cannot wear 'cheater' drugstore magnifying glasses. But since I've had it all my life, I'm used to it. As mentioned, I keep my glasses on - can't see a bloody thing without them and not a candidate for contacts. But I scooch around inside the viewfinder to see the corners. All I can do. One gets used to it.
Dogman
Veteran
Have you ever tried Flexon frames? I'm sure there are other brands that do the same thing--flex so well you can almost tie them in knots. You can push your face closer to the viewfinder when the frame flexes.
presspass
filmshooter
If you are shooting a rangefinder, an auxiliary viewfinder might help. The Zeiss ones are excellent if expensive and they have a rubber eyepiece that won't scratch your glasses. If you shoot a Nikon SLR, try an F3 with a high eyepoint finder or any F model with a sports finder. You could also put some liquid electrical tape, just a small amount, to keep from scratching your glasses. I am 73 and have worn glasses since fifth grade, so I'm used to coping with the problems, scratches and all. Good luck.
charjohncarter
Veteran
I pan around too. I also put masking tape on the eyepieces of my metal camera eyepieces to avoid scratches. I have given up on some cameras because the viewfinder is such that I can see through it enough to pan.
I have started using AF SLRs with wide lenses because of difficulty focusing. Don't give up photography, I know that my DSLR with live view makes life easy, just like my Rolleiflex.
retinax
Well-known
Understand your frustration, I'm getting there myself, although my eyesight without glasses is still sufficient to get a rough idea of what I'll get in a picture.
The only real way out seem high eyepoint viewfinders, such as Nikon F3 HP (and supposedly the later pro models), low mag finders on RFs (50 frameline on a 0.58 VF might be pretty nicely visible with glasses) or waist level finders with magnifier that will work with glasses. And rear screens of course, might be not the worst option in the end.
The only real way out seem high eyepoint viewfinders, such as Nikon F3 HP (and supposedly the later pro models), low mag finders on RFs (50 frameline on a 0.58 VF might be pretty nicely visible with glasses) or waist level finders with magnifier that will work with glasses. And rear screens of course, might be not the worst option in the end.
hendriphile
Well-known
Shortly after being gifted with my uncle’s old M3 around 1980, I took it down to Marty Forscher to be checked out. He looked at the camera, looked at me, and said, “Do you find scratches on your eyeglass lenses because of the camera eyepiece?” “Yes,” I said. Mr. Forscher then produced a rubber O-ring, attached to the camera, and said, “No more scratches on your eyeglasses!” That O-ring is still on the camera.
BTW I find that when using the DR 50 and the goggled 35, there is plenty of space around the frame lines to compose.
BTW I find that when using the DR 50 and the goggled 35, there is plenty of space around the frame lines to compose.
Michael Markey
Veteran
I wasn`t suggesting that the extraneous light was the problem just that they were designed to exclude it but they may also help you with your problem too.
I wear glasses and don`t seem to have a problem …. if I do with certain viewfinders I tend to ignore it or else pan around the viewfinder as bmattock suggests .
Sumarongi
Registered Vaudevillain
Monocle?
Kai-san
Filmwaster
Contax offered an LCD viewfinder for their last film SLR, the N1. It consisted of a tiny digital camera that screwed into the viewfinder and connected with a lead to an LCD screen which you could attach to the flash shoe. You could even switch between colour and B&W. And this was in 2005! Unfortunately they are quite rare, I have not seen many of these for sale. Maybe this could be an idea for a kickstarter, an LCD viewfinder with adapters for different cameras? There must be many photographers with this problem, myself included. I have bought diopters for most of my cameras, and my glasses go on and off all the time. One solution is of course to switch to a camera with a waist level finder. But I'm afraid that rules out rangefinders.
Huss
Veteran
Easy answer - get a Nikon F2, F3, or F4 and use the DA-1, DA-2, or DA-20 action sports finder. Massive, truly enormous eye relief. You can see the entire VF from about 150 yds away... (ok maybe not that far).
Akshully the F3HP allows you to see the entire VF with glasses easily too.
Akshully the F3HP allows you to see the entire VF with glasses easily too.
bmattock
Veteran
My ophthalmologist has informed me that when my cataracts become 'ripe' he will be able to remove them and also do an ocular implant at the same time which will end my astigmatism and give me as close as possible to 20/20 far vision. I'll still need near vision assist, but can get by with drugstore cheaters at that point. Proabably have another 10 years to wait, though. I'm only 57.
BLKRCAT
75% Film
My M5 is modified with an M6 eyepiece as to not scratch my glasses when I'm wearing them. Shooting 50mm on an M camera is fine. There's enough eye relief that a 50 is fine.
But I wear contacts to shoot 35. I can't stand not seeing everything when shooting 35. There's something awesome about "getting into" the viewfinder. I love it.
But I wear contacts to shoot 35. I can't stand not seeing everything when shooting 35. There's something awesome about "getting into" the viewfinder. I love it.