Glasses wearers and the 1:1 viewfinder

[Peter Klein]

I'm very interested in a digital RF. I find myself lusting after the R-D1, but I haven't bought one. The main reason is the 1:1 viewfinder. I've tried a friend's R-D1. When I'm wearing my glasses, I can only see the entire 50mm frame (75mm equivalent) on the R-D1. The 35mm frame (effective 52mm) is difficult, and the 28mm frame (effective 42mm) is impossible.

Now, I know that some glasses wearers don't have this problem--it depends on the shape of the face, how deeply set the eyes are, and what vision correction is needed. But surely I'm not the only one. So I'm asking all glasses-wearing R-D1 owners: How do you cope with the 1:1 viewfinder?

One solution would be something like a reversed Leica 1.25x magnifier. The M magnifier is a Galillean telescope. When you look through it backwards, it "minifies." Too bad Leica didn't make it reversible! I wonder if there is such a thing--existing or planned--as a "minifier" or magnification reducer that would fit the R-D1. I believe it has the same eyepiece as the Nikon FM cameras.

Given the price of the forthcoming digital M, and no knowledge out there about an R-D2 or whether Zeiss will make a digital version of their new RF, making the R-D1 work for those of us that need a high eyepoint would be very nice.

Thanks for any ideas.
--Peter

 

[Imrulqays]

Peter,
I wear glasses and the shape of my face isn't much different than the one on the photo in your avatar. ;-)
My glasses are approx. - 3,50 (myopia).
I've been using the R-D1 for almost one year now, always wearing glasses, mostly with the 28/2 asph and the noctilux.
In the beginning I had a slight problem with the viewfinder, especially with the 28 mm framelines.
But after a short while I got used to it.
I've never considered a Nikon eyepiece, because I prefer to keep my glasses on while photographing.
Hope this is useful.
Best regards,
Dirk Van der Herten

 

[Frank Granovski]

Can't you get a diopter for it? My wife's G2 has one built in. 😎

 

[JonasYip]

There's a guy in Japan who makes 0.85x "minifiers" (link) that fit on Leicas. He also makes a 1.3x magnifier for the RD-1... so I was thinking about trying to contact him to see if he'd make the 0.85x to fit the RD-1 (which seems more logical given the 1x viewfinder), but haven't gotten around to it.

I'd love to have one of those for the same reasons you describe. But, having said that I use my RD-1 with the 28 all the time as it is. My glasses aren't all that thick though...

j

 

[Peter Klein]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. I should clarify--I'm not interested in a diopter. I'm quite nearsighted. Without vision correction I wouldn't be able to see well enough when *not* looking through the camera. 🙂

With my .72x Leica and a 35mm lens, I sometimes wear my glasses on a neck cord. I can then focus with the glasses on, then take them off and frame with the full framelines visible for final framing. This of course only works for static scenes. So it's OK on vacation or hiking, but no good for the quick people photography I like most to do with RFs.

With the R-D1, I have the same issues with both the 28mm and 35mm framelines (42 and 52mm equivalents). Since (film) 50mm is my favorite focal length, the R-D1 presents a problem for the 35mm lens, the very lens I would use the most.

The .85x "minifier" would probably be the best solution. I could use it only when I needed it, and have the benefit of the 1x finder when I could make use of it.

I sometimes wear contact lenses, and that's a good solution, too. But I can't wear them all the time. I'm not comfortable wearing them in dusty or dirty situations, or where I might not have quick access to a bathroom. I don't want my ability to take pictures to depend on whether I happen to be wearing my contacts.

I just tried to send a query to Map Camera, but their Web-based emailer appeared to "eat" all my contact information and I'm not even sure it sent the email.

There was some discussion on Photo.net recently about someone who wanted to import the .85x Leica minifier to the U.S. This degenerated into a free-for-all about whether this was a violation of Leica's patent for its 1.25x magnifier. 🙂

What I really want is for Epson/Cosina to realize that one size does NOT fit all, and to make a version of the R-D1 (or its successor) with the ~0.7x viewfinder of the Bessa R2a. I honestly think they would have sold more cameras if they had.

--Peter

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I bought 'reading glasses', half frames cheap as chips off the shelf, to use while I set the shutter speed and stuff but out of the way when I look through the viewfinder.

 

[Frank Granovski]

What I really want is for Epson/Cosina to realize that one size does NOT fit all, and to make a version of the R-D1 (or its successor) with the ~0.7x viewfinder of the Bessa R2a. I honestly think they would have sold more cameras if they had.

Then I would e-mail or phone Epson and let them know what you need and what options they may have. If they don't have have any, then tell them that "This is not good enough!" 😎

 

[Peter Klein]

Frank, great that your smiley above is wearing glasses! 🙄

I suspect that word of my displeasure would not reach anyone in Japan with any decision-making power. 🙂 I'd just be told very politely and profusely that Epson, USA, Inc. looks forward with great anticipation and happiness to serving my needs in the future, but must inform me, with profound regrets, that it is unable to confirm or deny that there was any such camera. :bang:

I do note that Voigtlander produced both the R2a and the R3a, one with a 0.7x finder, the other 1.0x. So Mr. Kobayashi seems to have been aware of the glasses-wearer problem. If you check eBay, Photo.net forsale, etc., and compare the number of recently-purchased R3a cameras for sale (significant) with the number of R2a's(almost none), you 'll see that the issue is very real to a significant number of people.

Maybe the folks at Epson ought to take a cue from Mr. K.

--Peter

 

[Frank Granovski]

Maybe the folks at Epson ought to take a cue from Mr. K.

I presume the next model will have something unless Epson is daft. 😎

 

[JonasYip]

What I really want is for Epson/Cosina to realize that one size does NOT fit all, and to make a version of the R-D1 (or its successor) with the ~0.7x viewfinder of the Bessa R2a. I honestly think they would have sold more cameras if they had.

--Peter

I wonder if it's possible to hijack the viewfinder from an R2a and slip it into an RD1 while retaining the RD1 framelines. Actually, the R2a framelines would be pretty good as is too (35/50/75 for 24,35,50 lenses...). Hmm...

j

 

[Frank Granovski]

Maybe, eh? Perhaps ask Mr. Gandy if that's indeed possible. 😎

 

[Frank Granovski]

The Bessa R3A takes the same eyepiece diopters as the Nikon FM3A. Since the RD1 is made by Cosina, perhaps it also takes the FM3A diopters. Worth checking out, don't you think? 😎

 

[RML]

I wear glasses (about -3.50 each side) and I have no trouble seeing the 50mm lines. I use the 35mm framelines regularly with my M-Rokkor 40/2 and have no trouble seeing them either. The 28mm framelines are a different matter: they are beyond the outer edge of what I can see with my glasses on. But I don't shoot any 28mm, so it's no problem for me.