eyeglasses and waist level finders

[fralexis]

I have a Mamiya RZ67, the greatest camera ever, with a waist level finder. I find it difficult to focus sometimes due to eyeglasses. The diopter helps. My question is this: Is it better to wear the glasses with the diopter or not? What are the experiences of others.

Also, does the AE prism finder for the RZ67 have a diopter?

 

[Christopher Walrath]

I always wear my prescription eyewear. In my thinking, why focus with faulty gear?

Oh, and welcome to APUG.

 

[bdial]

If you mean the built-in magnifier, you would use it with the glasses, unless you happen to be able to see the screen through it better without the glasses.

 

[flatulent1]

I have the misfortune to wear bifocals, so sometimes I have to take the glasses off to see better. Which ever works.

 

[nick mulder]

short sighted ...

I take mine off to focus - they just get in the way otherwise

 

[Paul Sorensen]

I don't think that the RZ prism has a built in adjustable diopter, but they are available separately for both the prism as well as the waist level finder. According to B&Hs listing the same ones work for the RB and the RZ.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/33688-REG/Mamiya_213_430__3_Diopter_for_Waist.html

They also have them in various strengths for the Prism:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/33683-REG/Mamiya_213_441_3_Diopter_for_Prism.html

Of course, you need to get one that matches your prescription.

 

[Steve Smith]

short sighted ...

I take mine off to focus - they just get in the way otherwise

The lens fitted is designed to work for people with normal vision. Therefore, if you need corrective lenses to 'normalise' your vision, in theory they should be used with the viefinder lens.

In practice though if you are short sighted like me, it can be an advantage. Removing glasses with a negative dioptre prescription is the same as adding a positive dioptre and can be a big advantage for close up vision - especially for looking at the image on a view camera's ground glass.


Steve.

 

[Q.G.]

The lens fitted is designed to work for people with normal vision. Therefore, if you need corrective lenses to 'normalise' your vision, in theory they should be used with the viefinder lens.

In practice though if you are short sighted like me, it can be an advantage. Removing glasses with a negative dioptre prescription is the same as adding a positive dioptre and can be a big advantage for close up vision - especially for looking at the image on a view camera's ground glass.

Just wait until the lenses in your eyes harden, and don't focus anymore...

I didn't need glasses to see the viewfinder either, neither with or without magnifier. But now that my eyes are fixed-focus thingies (still near-sighted, but not fixed at the distance that i would have liked), i find that a properly corrected magnifier is invaluable.

So i don't use glasses looking through the magnifier.
Except on cameras that don't have a dioptre corrected lens in the magnifier. Then, i need my glasses. But glasses move your eye away from the lens, and can limit your field of view.

 

[markbarendt]

One of the reasons I love my RB is that the screen is big and the magnifier works for my eyes (right now).

It's getting tougher.

I'm in my first set of bifocals and this has been quite a learning experience.

The Rx isn't the issue.

One of the things I learned was that opticians are very good at normal but for the rest of us it's a struggle.

Many do things like set the "line" at the lower eyelid (last I checked my eyelid doesn't determine the light path ) and expect the glasses to be pushed clear up against your face (regardless of where they will normally ride or what you tell them about that :confused: ) and seem only to know about what they keep in stock (most don't seem to know about double "D" lenses which would help under a darkcloth on LF).

Okay enough ranting.

Upshot of all this is that having a hand held magnifier has become handy especially for low light.

 

[jp80874]

Also, does the AE prism finder for the RZ67 have a diopter?

Try an AE prism finder in fairly low light before you buy it. IMHO you lose a lot of light in that right angle. My 70 year old eyes with trifocals could not get enough light to focus. The image looked in focus through the prism, but printing at 16x20 it was not. I got a Beattie split image glass for the wlf and was able to use the camera again at waist level. Alternatively going to a larger format with a larger ground glass helped more.

John Powers

 

[fralexis]

Thank all of you for your excellent answers! It is all very confusing for me. I see the image in the wlf and always have to use the magnifier. Then of course, I'm not sure my perception of "sharp" is what is really sharp. Any optometrist photographers I can find.......

 

[tessar]

It all depends on what condition your eyeglasses correct. If you're nearsighted (negative-diopter lenses) you should be able to see the groundglass clearly at waist level or with the magnifier wearing your regular glasses. If you're older and have what's known as middle-age sight, the groundglass at waist level will be blurred without reading glasses (positive diopter) but the image with magnifier (also positive diopter) will be clear without reading glasses. If you have middle-age sight and wear bifocals, the bottom half of the bifocals should be OK at waist level, the image with magnifier should be OK using the top half.
I have middle-age sight and use the WLF with reading glasses, the magnifier without. Using a prism, the image is seen as if at a distance, so it will be clear with glasses if you're shortsighted, without glasses (or the top half of bifocals) if you have middle-age sight.
I'm no optometrist, but I speak from experience! It all sounds complicated, but it becomes second nature.

 

[Q.G.]

I'm no optometrist, but I speak from experience! It all sounds complicated, but it becomes second nature.

... Once you have found out how to deal with your particular eyesight situation.
It is complicated, because it's different for everyone of us.

 

[brian d]

always have to use the magnifier. Then of course, I'm not sure my perception of "sharp" is what is really sharp. Any optometrist photographers I can find.......

I just got home about a hour ago from picking up my first pair of bifocals, right now its at least looking like for the first time I'll be able to focus a TLR without having to use the magnifier It also looks like getting use to bifocals is NOT going to be fun

 

[michaelbsc]

Your first pair? A mere child.

I can tell you that learning to use bifocals is much easier that pretending it isn't happening to you and screwing things up because you can't see them.

I am much happier with bifocals than I would be without. Reality happens.

 

[Marcus S]

Would it be possible to have a diopter made to fit your vision?

 

[Q.G.]

Would it be possible to have a diopter made to fit your vision?

That's the route i took.

Some encouraging words though:
- Some people never get used to bifocals.
- Some people would need trifocals (and never get used to those)
- Varifocus glasses aren't all they are cracked up to be (and some people never get used to them).
- Variable glasses (i.e. 'zoom' glasses) do exist, but are still clumsy affairs, and not available. Intended as cheap alternative to prescription glasses for the third world anyway, so not likely to appear in our luxury shops.

 

[2F/2F]

The standard diopter (marked "1.5," I believe) is for people who don't need glasses, or for people who are already wearing their glasses. The corrective diopters for the flip-up part of the WLF are for those who wear glasses, but who wish to focus without them on.

So, those who wear glasses can:

1) Focus with glasses on, without the flip up magnifier
2) Focus with glasses on, with the flip up magnifier, with the standard 1.5 magnifier installed
3) Focus without glasses on, using the flip-up magnifier with the corrective magnifier with the proper diopter for ones vision problem installed

...and those who wear glasses cannot:

1) Focus without glasses on, without using the flip-up magnifier (except as noted above by some other folks - it depends on what kind of blind you are)

 

[Theo43]

Glasses on or off, flip-up magnifier up or down, focusing is easier with a split image focusing screen. My advice is to get one of those.
Ted

 

[nick mulder]

Thank all of you for your excellent answers! It is all very confusing for me. I see the image in the wlf and always have to use the magnifier. Then of course, I'm not sure my perception of "sharp" is what is really sharp. Any optometrist photographers I can find.......

Sorry, should have mentioned - I always use the magnifier also ...

Once I'm 'in there' I am %100 used to the image flip and backwards horizontal movement on the GG - if I use it at waist level I sometimes get all lefty righty confused as I also use video cameras with screens that don't image flip...

 

[George Collier]

When I shoot with the Rollei's, I keep my glasses on and use the flip magnifier. I have progressive lenses, and have learned to find the sweet spot in the glasses (but the magnifier has to be all the way flipped up).
Same with 35mm, find the sweet spot.
4x5, is different - I compose with glasses off (I'm somewhat nearsighted, so not too bad, plus I'm composing general forms and light, not texture, etc so I kind of like it). I focus with a Scheider 4x on the GG.