RF for eyeglass wearers.

[waynec]

I'm thinking about replacing my M3. I find it a pain to see the 50mm frame lines when wearing eyeglasses and it's already cost me a contact lens that got popped out in the grass. I'd also prefer using wider lenses in the 24mm to 35mm range, so I'm looking around. I know the brands, but not the viewfinder specifics. My lens is a Canon LTM 50 1.8 for now but I'll add a wide to it if I can find the right camera. I'd love to get something older then new but I think that isn't going to solve my problem. I also think that I'll stay away from Leica. I just don't seem to want to take it out and use it like my other cameras, like it's too good to use or something. So I think it's best to sell it off and find a replacement. Budget I'd say is about a grand or so. I'd appreciate your thoughts.

 

[literiter]

I don't want to assume that I have the perfect solution but I bought corrective diopters for my M2 and M4-P. These are very good ones from China I bought off the auction site for about $40.00 each.

I wear glasses with a neck cord that I bought from my optometrist lets me drop the glasses to my chest when I want to look through the finder.

This simple solution bought me back to using my Leicas for 35mm instead of my Nikon SLRs.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I got disposable contact lenses just for RF photography. $100 for a two-year supply, and my insurance paid for them. Even if you don't have vision insurance, it's not a huge investment.

 

[wgerrard]

This business of eyeglases and viewfinders is a thing for me, as a few other posts here testify. I've worn glasses all my life. I don't remember using any non-p&s camera that didn't require me to move my head around just a bit to see the full extent of the viewfinder. In fact, my little Olympus XA is one of the worse offenders. With that, for example, I need to move my head to see the shutter speed indicators on the left.

Logically, then, I'd get a better view without my glasses. However, that doesn't really happen. Unless I hold the camera uncomfortably close to my eye (close enough to entangle my eyelashes) I see pretty much what I see with the glasses, albeit much blurrier.

That said, wearing glasses while taking pcitures is often annoying.

I'd guess the experience of wearing glasses and peering into viewfinders is very individualized, depending on the nature of our own eye problems and the lenses that correct them. I'm pretty sure diopters do not correct for problems like astigmatism.

We need an optometrist or an ophthalmologist to comment on this.

BTW, I used to wear contacts and would consider wearing them again. I'm curious if anyone has switched to contacts specifically to make the photography easier?

 

[mfogiel]

This question has two simple answers:
- best 35mm VF ever can be found inside the Zeiss Ikon
- for wide angle lenses (21-28) The best VF can be found inside a Bessa R4x

 

[Matt(1pt4)]

What Marek said or a hexar rf or m6 .58. Contact lenses, diopters and glasses on a string are all way too fussy.

 

[jtzordon]

I can see the 50mm frame lines on my Bessa R without any problems. 35mm, not so much.

I am one who has recently gotten contacts for rangefinder usage.

 

[Oscar Levant]

Get eye surgery. The corneal flap method is pretty much perfected.

 

[jtzordon]

I have a friend who had and has major issues from that method. He had it done a year ago. Maybe he is in the 1%, but his tear ducts are fused and his vision is bad (worse) after numerous other surgeries.

 

[jtzordon]

He's not the type to bargain on that sort of thing. He researched everything thoroughly. Not sure what else was done; the other surgeries were to try to fix whatever went wrong in the first place. And yes, he has major problems as a result.

 

[ruby.monkey]

Problems with specs I can understand - but how on Earth did it cost you a contact lens?

(Try a Nikon F with DA finder - huge eye relief, and the body's not *that* far from an SP 😉)

 

[uhligfd]

I tried out several Leicas: no go for me with glasses. I could not find anyone in Europe carrying a Zeiss ZM: not in Berlin, Amsterdam Duesseldorf, ...

Then I found a Contax G1 in Bremen (used). Though people malign the smallish image in its finder, i could see everything. So a Contax G2 I went for and it is marvelous, the long eyepoint saved me for RF work! And the lenses are superb, more superb than with Leitz ones in my results.

 

[wgerrard]

This question has two simple answers:
- best 35mm VF ever can be found inside the Zeiss Ikon
- for wide angle lenses (21-28) The best VF can be found inside a Bessa R4x

Have never used the Zeiss, but I shot today with my R4M with a 21, a 28, and a 50. No problems with framelines, per my comment above. My gripes are down to patch size and magnification.