How do you shoot with glasses?

[John]

I will describe the way I am doing things and maybe there is another way which you prefer.
The viewfinder is so nice and visible on the M3 that I remove my glasses to frame and focus. I guess my prescription is not that strong because I think I am seeing fine through it, (not blurry). To view my VC II lightmeter I have to squint through the blurr to see the numbers or quickly whip my glasses back on. The shutter speed dial and lens f stops are even less visible through the blurr unless I put the trifocals back on.
If I leave my glasses on my focus and framing visibility are poorer due to the increased eye relief.
Everyone's eyes are different but I am just curious to hear what some of you other glasses wearers do. Do you pad the viewfinder and press it to the glasses? I do not want to get contacts or an eye operation. Thanks for your input. 🙂 🙂

 

[wrenhunter]

I have a Bessa R and just shoot with my (unifocal) glasses on. I bet the framelines and patch would be a bit easier to see without them, but as it is it seems to work fine.

 

[Peter]

I wear glasses and I take them off when I use my Bessa R2. To see the patch clearly, I attach a -3 diopter on my R2. Really helps as it allows me to see the whole of the 35mm frameline. 🙂

 

[Goodyear]

On my Bessa R, I just jam the VF right up to my specs and work away. The M2 likewise, only with a little soft ring (from Aki Asahi) on the surround to save the lens of my specs.

I tried contacts for a while, but just couldn't get used to them.

 

[Kin Lau]

With the Bessa R and everything else, I just leave my glasses on.

 

[DougK]

I leave 'em on and bring the Bessa R up to not-quite-touching the lens. It's a little tricky to see the 35mm framelines but it's better than not being able to see anything at all.

 

[Kragmeister]

I wear bifocals....my eyes don't converge properly, anything closer than 3 ft (1 meter) and I see double unless I squint and force 'em to focus. Anyway, I just look through the upper part of my bifocals to see the VF on my Bessa-R and other cameras. I normally shoot with a 35mm lens on the Bessa-R and the framelines still have space around 'em with my glasses on. If I had a 28mm lens it would be a problem without an accessory finder.

Later,
Greg

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

For photo rich times I take off my vario-'bifocals' and pack some no name reading glasses for an on and off to look at the controls.

 

[Dave Little]

Hi
I have a M2 And stopped useing it untill I went to contact lenses, now I can use it as it was intended, very difficult with glasses !! 😛

 

[OldNick]

I require trifocals and shoot Barnack Leicas and a Pentax SLR. The Pentax has a plastic rim around the finder and presents no problem when shooting with glasses on. The Leicas are another story. I shoot with my left eye, and my present left lens is scratched from using the Leica finders. My present solution is to cut appropriate circles from black, adhesive-backed felt and attach these to the rims of the finders. I use this solution on my Leica IIIa and IIIf, and also on my Imarect and Briteline finders. The material is cheap at Wal-Mart, and, I suspect, works as well as the ones sold pre-cut by camera suppliers.

 

[RML]

I leave my glasses on when I shoot with my Bessas, my CL or the R-D1. I do too when I shoot my M2 but I'm very well aware that it scratches my glasses badly. Another reason for me to prefer the Bessas and R-D1 over the Leica.

 

[Goodyear]

The material is cheap at Wal-Mart, and, I suspect, works as well as the ones sold pre-cut by camera suppliers.

It surely must.

I get mine pre-cut on account of my severe cack-handedness at all things DIY-cutty-type 😀

 

[traveller]

I have to leave my glasses on when I shoot with my Bessa R. 35 mm is ok and I still have place around the framelines, for 28 mm I need a VF. To protect my glasses I use the eyepiece donut from my Nikon D70/N80.

Greetings
John

 

[John]

So far I have decided to order the soft rings from Aki Asahi as suggested by Goodyear. I am seriously considering and will probably buy the inexpensive reading glasses as suggested by Jon Claremont.
I will be able to use my good glasses and not scratch them with the soft rings. Alternatively I could do the on/off with the reading glasses quicker if they are only costing me like $10. 😀

 

[Jocko]

Glasses on for everything - but my Soviet RFs scratched my last pair to uselessness, so now have Aki Asahi's pads. They work very well.

 

[kevino]

Glasses on. My Bessa R offers a bit more eye relief than my M6 with a 35mm lens. I really have to jam the M6 against my face to see th 35mm lines. Not so with the Bessa R.

 

[richiedcruz]

I put a thumb on the back of a camera and rest my cheek on it.

Richie