Topic: Eye Trouble

[Verian]

Recently I feel I have been having trouble focussing on a subject, or rather, recently I have been focusing perfectly on a subject but the results suggest otherwise. I do wear glasses as I am short sighted, but it may be time for a re-test as my optician did tell me at the start of the  year that when you get to my age you can start to lose your ability to focus well on things that are nearby as well.
This issue seems to mostly occur when using Waist Level Finders, which are my favourites, so I will be continuing to use them, and I tend to use the pop up magnifying thingy which I thought would compensate. Has anybody any advice they can give on focussing when you are near sighted? Do I, as I suspect, just need new glasses or is there something else I can do?

[gothamtomato]

The best advice I've heard on this is to find an optician who is a photo hobbyist (which can be time consuming, but at least he'll understand the issues and be able to properly advise).

[Francois]

Unless the camera's ground glass shims have fallen off, in which case new glasses would be useless, there's not much to do...
Or maybe there is... Have you tried getting a cheap pair of glasses at the dollar store and popping out the lenses to attach them in some way to the finder?

[Verian]

The best advice I've heard on this is to find an optician who is a photo hobbyist (which can be time consuming, but at least he'll understand the issues and be able to properly advise).

Tall order! but I will try my usual oprician first, he may understand or even know somebody.

Unless the camera's ground glass shims have fallen off, in which case new glasses would be useless, there's not much to do...
Or maybe there is... Have you tried getting a cheap pair of glasses at the dollar store and popping out the lenses to attach them in some way to the finder?

It's with two different cameras (Mamiya C220 and Bronica ERTS) and both are in good condition. Maybe I just need to be wearing some of those cheap reading glasses, that might well be worth a go Francois.

[Bryan]

I wear reading glasses but when I focus my Rolleiflex I don't seem to have any problem without the glasses.  I assume I'm focusing my eye on the ground glass and not the subject far away.  I also use the pop-up magnifier with no problems.  I used to be near sighted before I had the Radial Keratotomy surgery about 18 years ago so focusing on things far away is no problem for me.  I would think I would have problems with the ground glass but I don't.  I use a focusing loupe on my 4x5 cameras and have no problem when I'm not wearing my reading glasses. 

[Sandeha Lynch]

I've several times hacked my last pair of glasses to create diopters for viewfinders.  Works fine.

One problem in focusing with a WLF is that when you bend forward a small bead of tear can form right on the tip of your eye lens.  Not where you want it so you have to keep blinking to clear it.  Particularly bad in windy weather.

[Kai-san]

I am nearsighted too (-4.0) and I usually take my glasses off when using a WLF. But I have to adjust the distance to the focusing screen to see clearly. To use the magnifier I have to put the glasses back on. Anybody watching me in action must have a field day! 
It is probably a good idea to vist an optician, I'm thinking it cannot hurt anyway (except from the pain in your wallet).

[ManuelL]

I often missfocus with my Mamiya C33 (focus to close). My eyesight didn't change according to my optician. I have spoken with my father (previous owner of the camera) and he thinks it might also be because the magnifying thingy is a bit wobbly and doesn't spring quite into the position it should.

I also don't know if the distance from which you look into the finder can have an impact?

[Sandeha Lynch]

Assuming you're not using the diopter, the distance from eye to focus screen can make a big difference.  I suspect that this may be as much due to our eyes, (with or without glasses) as to different screens and their Fresnel lenses.  You have to find what is right for you and your camera.

[Late Developer]

I'm very long sighted (+7.25) and only my right eye works anything like properly as the sight in my left eye never developed beyond being able to see a muddle of light, shape and colour.  However, I use Rolleiflex and Hasselblad matte screens without much problem - aside from not being able to see the whole of the ground glass in one go.  I work on the basis that once the object upon which I'm focusing is in as sharp focus as I can get it, that's job done - and so it seems to be. 

When I bought my F6, it had an odd dioptre in the eyepiece which meant getting it in focus was tricky.  Once I realised and removed it and adjusted the focus gizmo on the side of the viewfinder, I didn't have any more problems.

Maybe worth just getting a quick eye check to see if it's your prescription that needs adjusting.

[Francois]

Or as I said, just cutting-up a pair of cheap glasses and maybe fixing the lens to the fold-up magnifier. You'd have to experiment at the store for that.

Or just do like I used to do on my Blackbird: guestimate the distance and zone focus the stuff

[Verian]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I need to have a test soon anyway so I'll do that, and it may be partially to do with a slowish shutter speed while not using a tripod as well. Everything looks really sharp in the viewfinder, but the results vary, i'll try a couple more rolls and try to note down the settings so I can compare against results.

The attached was taken on Sunday, it was F4, 1/125 hand held. Mamiya C220. The light was failing, pin sharp in the viewfinder but a little off in the final image, although this one is not too bad.

[Francois]

Don't forget that the bigger the film the shallower the dof for an equivalent aperture.
And also the longer the lens, the shallower the dof for the same aperture.
That might have something to do with it.