Using 28mm R-D1 frameline with glasses

[Rob-F]

There's a report of the R-D1 on luminous Landscape. The reviewer says there are reports of it being hard to see the 28mm framelines with eyeglasses on.

Any user comments or observations?

Rob

 

[Jim Watts]

It really depends on the style of your glasses and therefore how close you can get your eye to the exit lens of the R-D1 finder.

I wear glasses which have fairly large lenses with thin metal frames and I can just see all of the 28mm framelines in the R-D1 finder without scanning. I can see a little beyond these lines if I scan with my eye. Perfectly usable for me. I use my right eye for viewing, but do have close my left eye for use with the 28mm framelines. Two eyed 1:1 viewing will only work with the 35 and 50mm lines for me.

I find that this works fine, but a friend who also wears glasses prefers to have a diopter correction eyepiece and push his glasses up out of the way when viewing. I have tried this, but although it has the advantage that you can then easily see the whole of the R-D1 frame and use it for 24/25mm lenses, I find it too inconvienient.

A personal trial with your own glasses is probably best if you can arrange it.

 

[sevres_babylone]

I cannot see the 28mm framelines without scanning, and this has discouraged me from getting the 28mm ultron. I would not be able to work quickly and frame accurately.
I do occasionally use the 25mm snapshot skopar, using the whole VF, but it does involve scanning and effort.

 

[Rob-F]

Thanks for the replies so far. When I use a 35mm lens on my M2, I can't really see all the way into the corners without scanning; but from long use, I know where they are. Pressing my glasses closer helps me to maximize my view; in fact it is necessary. The result is satifactory enough that I don't necessarily feel the need to switch to my .58 body. But it's tight.

So: is it like that, with the R-D1? This is an issue that makes me hold back on getting one. (Another issues is the lack of 24mm and wider framelines.)

 

[JonasYip]

I have to scan a little to see the edges of the 28 framelines. But like you said, I know roughly where they are and am comfortable using them. I would't be able to do the "whole viewfinder =~ 25mm" thing though.

But depends on your glasses... Mine are small and pretty thin, and I have very little bridge (Asian nose) so I can get fairly close...

J

 

[Tuolumne]

My glasses are thick, even with high index plastic, and I have a hard time seeing the 28mm frame lines on the R-D1 without peering around every corner of the viewfinder. But since RF viewfinder frames are just approximations anyway, it's not that bad. Once I can see a corner of the 28mm frame lines, I pretty much know where everything else would fall. If you're used to shooting a camera with glasses, then it shouldn't be that much more of a bother. I always use the 28mm frame lines when shooting indoors at close quarters, like events or parties.

/T

 

[Rob-F]

Thanks for the comments! Sounds like there needs to be an R-D1W, for wide angle lenses, with lower magnification and framelines for 21 and 24mm lenses in addition to the 28/35/50 frames.

 

[ampguy]

I can see them about as well as on my .72 M6 with glasses pressed close (I'm slightly myopic - nearsighted). I'd be concerned about scraping expensive glasses on the eyepiece. I generally use a diopter and no glasses, which gives even a better view for 28. I use a real 28 (zeiss 28/2.8 Biogon), not a 25.

 

[Jim Watts]

The framelines in the R-D1 have a 'safety' factor of x0.85 at infinity, so there is quite a margin around the edges of the image on sensor compared to when using the full extent of the framelines with a 28mm (43mm equivalent lens). The field of view is closer to that of a 50mm lens, so if you can't quite see the corners its not really a problem as what you do see should still be on the sensor.

My own past experience with the M2 and present with the M4 and a 35mm lens would suggest that what you are seeing with these should just about translate to the R-D1.

The only real attraction of the M8 for me is to get closer to a 35 on 35mm without additional finders.