Poll for Eyeglass Wearers

Poll for Eyeglass Wearers

  • You can tell I shoot with RFs because my eyeglasses have more scratches than a BGN-grade Summar

    Votes: 136 43.3%

  • Because I need to wear my eyeglasses, my enjoyment of RF photography is reduced 900 percent

    Votes: 57 18.2%

  • I realize how lucky I am not to have to wear eyeglasses

    Votes: 19 6.1%

  • I don't feel sorry for eyeglass wearers because that just means there's more RF gear for me

    Votes: 6 1.9%

  • I have no problems shooting RFs with my eyeglasses

    Votes: 121 38.5%
  • Total voters
    314
One reason I bought my Contax lllA was because the viewfinder eyepiece still had its black enamel ring screwed on - which presumably as intended - prevents my eyeglasses from being scratched. Other's Ive seen have lost theirs, so always check that 'protector' is firmly in place, and like to believe its the original one fitted to the camera in 1956 🙂

Here's the URL of a photo of another lllA which still has its eyepiece ring in place
http://www.timeless11.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Zeiss-Contax-IIIa-CD-back.jpg
 
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Another left-eyed eyeglass wearer here.

My RF is limited to a Canonet, so I may not qualify for this poll in the eyes of some. I have mainly used this camera for travel, for which it has been perfect, but I have used it very little otherwise. Fortunately, I can see the whole frame with eyeglasses on.

Most of my cameras have plastic facings on the eyepieces, so I don't scratch my eyeglasses. In the case of cameras without such plastic facings, I apply a little bit of tape to the facing to protect my glasses.

I got an anglefinder to use with my 35mm SLRs on a tripod and it has an adjustable diopter built in. Though I haven't done much with it yet, I could adjust it for use with or without glasses. My vision is around 20/200, so I could scout an image, choose the composition, and focus with my glasses on. Then I could remove my glasses to more critically examine the whole frame and make final adjustments. I could even look up at the scene directly without my glasses on and see it well enough for purposes of checking basic layout. In practice, with careful eye placement, I can see the whole viewing screen of my SLRs, especially in the case of the older SR-T match-needle models with lower finder magnification, and I just leave my glasses on. This is especially true when using cameras handheld.

TLRs and waist-level finders (WLFs), which I use more and more, solve all my problems of wearing glasses and of left-eye dominance.

I have a LOT to say about being a left-eyed photographer, but I'll save that for another occasion.

- Murray
 
After seeing a post by Jono Slack on the Leica forum, I experimented with contact lenses so my viewfinder eye is corrected for middle and far-distance, and my left eye is for reading. Neither correction is bigger than 2.5. It took a few months for my brain to adjust, but it's made shooting with rangefinders markedly more enjoyable.
 
I where glasses since many decades but have no problem using them on camera viewfinders because I changed the finish already years ago to hardened surfaces. Before I got indeed some scratches coming form the viewfinders.

Regarding the angle of view with glasses on, I'm used to move slightly my view around to see the 28mm frame on my Hexar RF: Not really a problem.
 
I have glasses and the main annoyance is them being a barrier and higher eye point, having difficulties to see the whole VF. No scratches problem at all, but I'm not using any camera with a metallic eyecup.
With the OM-1 it's OK, as I can see the whole image fairly well, although sometimes I have to put a bit of pressure into the glasses to see the whole better.

My GW690III seems to have a lower eyepoint and the glasses don't allow me to see the extreme edges of the framelines in horizontal, but in vertical it's quite worse. I'm thinking of using disposable contact lenses for those days I want to shoot, as the VF looks lovely without any glasses getting in between. The problem is that everything is blurry enough to not be useable.
 
Prest_400 said:
My GW690III seems to have a lower eyepoint and the glasses don't allow me to see the extreme edges of the framelines in horizontal, but in vertical it's quite worse. I'm thinking of using disposable contact lenses for those days I want to shoot, as the VF looks lovely without any glasses getting in between. The problem is that everything is blurry enough to not be useable.
Click to expand...

The Fujis take the whole group of Nikon F2/FE/FM/F3 (non HP) compatible dioptres - there are rubber coated versions of these, and you can still get them in pretty much every strength.
 
sevo said:
The Fujis take the whole group of Nikon F2/FE/FM/F3 (non HP) compatible dioptres - there are rubber coated versions of these, and you can still get them in pretty much every strength.
Click to expand...
I know... However, I am nearsighted and would not see anything out of the VF. Otherwise it should be glasses on/off most of the time and quite an annoyance.

I'm used to glasses and so and only find them a minor hinderance, but it's a good excuse to get rid of them, at least for a while.
I'm not that strongly nearsighted (-2), and people tell me that's not much... but enough to have really nice bokeh everywhere. 😀
 
I voted "no problems" but that's a bit of a hedge - really it should be "no problems, any more." I started with an M2, couldn't see the 35mm lines, and thought the 50mm lines and rangefinder patch were too small. It took me some experimenting to arrive at what works for me: M3, with goggled 35mm Summicron for 35mm. The M3's 50mm frame lines are perfect for me; I can see them in their entirety, and not much more. I'd already trashed some glasses on SLRs, so I started right out with a thin adhesive foam ring on my M3 viewfinder.
 
I use diopters on all my cameras. I am nearsighted but can see well enough to not trip over anything. So put my glasses on top of my head.

I have never actually focussed an RF camera, I used them full time for many years in the '70s, and set lenses at 5.6. I find rangefinder focussing too fussy and slow for my taste, but love the clear view!

No vote in the poll for taking glasses off.
 
I wear glasses and sometimes focusing through the VF can bet a PITA. I chose the first answer, but my glasses do not get scratched that I can notice. It's just that it was the closest answer for me. Yes, wearing glasses and looking through the RF viewfinder can be a challenge. I did purchase one of those Breton magnifiers but it did not really help me. Perhaps I don't know the best way to use it.

I do experience a lot of difficulty seeing the frame lines of the wide angle lenses with the M240 so I always get more in the frame than I thought... But that is what the cropping tools in LR or the other programs are for 🙂 One day I'm going to get the surgery correction and then I will probably see the world through the VF as it truly is 😉
 
I wear glasses and gets along pretty well with RFs.
I can get by easily with focusing and framing 50mm with my M4
Framing with 35mm is just OK. 28 mm is impossible
I generally go for harder lenses on my glasses therefore more scratch resistant

Having said that, whenever I wear my contact lenses.
Looking through the viewfinder is like phwoaaarrr! I can see the world
 
I am using glasses for reading and it is getting more and more worse . But looking through a RF docent's need for me to focus so I do not use my glasses to use all of my Manuel focusing cameras.
 
Leica eye pieces have rubber rings for protection for some time now.

In years past, I have scratched many a plastic lens,, however lenses today have hard coatings and are relatively scratch proof.

Wide lens with RF remain a problem. Take glasses off and use diopter correction.
 
No problems with rangefinders

No problems with rangefinders

The rangefinders I use are the Mamiya 6 (6x6) and the Olympus 35SP. The Mamiya has a rubber eyepiece that takes diopters, so I just flip my glasses up when taking pics. No problem.

The Oly 35SP has a plastic eyepiece frame that doesn't scratch glasses. Because it doesn't take diopters, I just keep my glasses on. Again, no problem.
 
I discovered that my left eye is strong enough to focus without my glasses on.
Prior to that, I soundly scratched many a plastic lens, especially with some of my old Russki cameras and finders. There is however, a very cheap solution that I posted here about four years ago:

med_U20714I1307809111.SEQ.0.jpg


Those are "Dr. Scholls" (sp?) corn pads, don't use the genaric... adhesive not as good.
 
My eyeglasses are made of real glass. No scratches for me.

However, I do believe that wearing glasses influences my enjoyment of lenses wider than 35mm. At about 28mm I begin to lose sight of all the framelines.
 
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