Love the cameras, viewfinders don't love me...

[Lauris]

So, afTer I wrote a paean to my retina in another thread, I took it out for a walk and remembered "I can't frame to save my life with this thing." I wear glasses and have a permanently blurry right eye (brain problem), so I'm a worst case scenario for all but the best viewfinders. For some calibration, I can't get the borders or light meter in the spotmatic all at once, and I've been using the back square bezel on the retina. Maybe if I hunker down and use just the two, I'll develop a better 'feel' for them?
Yet, I still love my retina and spotmatic the best...

Outside of shoe mount viewfinders*, anything that can be done**?

Thanks a ton...

*Im really not smart enough to focus and frame in two steps, and they look like they'd kill the pocketability of the retina

**also hopefully aside from other cameras, I got a Miranda here that has a surprisingly great vf, and I know all the OM's, Nikons and later Pentaxii are all better at everything, and I may resort to an ME Super one day... But it doesn't hurt to ask

 

[Peltigera]

I have the same problem with older cameras. My technique (if I can call it that) is to compose the picture without the camera and then concentrate on only the main elements while looking through the viewfinder. This means that my pictures taken with older cameras concentrate on the bolder elements in the picture only which has a large effect on my work but I do not think to any detriment.

 

[Sirius Glass]

So, afTer I wrote a paean to my retina in another thread, I took it out for a walk and remembered "I can't frame to save my life with this thing." I wear glasses and have a permanently blurry right eye (brain problem), so I'm a worst case scenario for all but the best viewfinders. For some calibration, I can't get the borders or light meter in the spotmatic all at once, and I've been using the back square bezel on the retina. Maybe if I hunker down and use just the two, I'll develop a better 'feel' for them?
Yet, I still love my retina and spotmatic the best...

Outside of shoe mount viewfinders*, anything that can be done**?

Thanks a ton...

*Im really not smart enough to focus and frame in two steps, and they look like they'd kill the pocketability of the retina

**also hopefully aside from other cameras, I got a Miranda here that has a surprisingly great vf, and I know all the OM's, Nikons and later Pentaxii are all better at everything, and I may resort to an ME Super one day... But it doesn't hurt to ask

A change in format to 120 with a TLR [Mamiya C330] or SLR [Hasselblad] will provide a larger viewing area that your eyes can view from many different positions to give you a clear image of the viewing screen. Add a magnifier prism to increase the size and eliminate the left right reversal and you will be a happy camper.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

I have the same problem with macular edema in my right eye. You can train yourself to use your left eye. It takes awhile but it does work.

 

[jeffreythree]

Are you right eye dominant? Right handed people can end up being left eye dominant and never lift an optic device up to their left eye to see if it works better over there. It can feel strange with a camera since you are parking it on top of your nose to get the finder to your left eye. A patch can be used to retrain your brain to switch your eye dominance.

 

[darinwc]

My friend has the same problem with the retina cameras. He ended up buying a leica shoe mount finder. You could also use one of the cheap 'tele/wide' finders that come with wide-angle adapters and mask it down to match the frame.

 

[blockend]

The Voigtlander Kontur finder may be the answer.

 

[Sewin]

I struggle too, I'm left eye dominant and struggle to read anything in the left hand side of the viewfinder.
Luckily my Prakticas have the needle etc on the right hand side.

I'm tending to use my old FSU rangefinders more, but I can't read the apertures or speeds!

I did go walkabout over the weekend in the city with an autofocus Ricoh zoom point and shoot and quite enjoyed myself!

Must be an age thing.

 

[dynachrome]

For some people an AF SLR with a diopter adjustment may be the best thing. The diopter adjustment will get most users in the ballpark so they can at least compose. The AF will then take care of focusing. AF SLR film cameras, even very sophisticated ones, go for very low prices today.

 

[GRHazelton]

The Voigtlander Kontur finder may be the answer.

From what I hear it would do the job. But they are rare and therefore costly. A modern version at an affordable cost - not too likely - might be a popular niche item.

Here's what it is and how it does it: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kontur