Viewfinder dilemma with Canon SLR

OptimusBri

OptimusBri

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,604
Name
Briony
Edit My Images
Yes
I have been wanting an SLR for quite a while now, and my boyfriend's Dad generously gave me his old Canon one.
Bought some batteries for it, put the film in, only to find that I can't see properly through the viewfinder...
It will beep when it focuses on something, so I think it's working fine and I know what the problem is. My eyesight is somewhat poor, and I have glasses which I wear sometimes. On my DSLR there is a dial to turn next to the viewfinder (can't remember the proper name of it for the life of me) so you can see through it clearly depending on your eyesight. There isn't one of these on my SLR, which I'm pretty sure is what the problem is. I asked my friend who is rather clued up about SLRs and he said that's what it is.

Does this mean that I will always have to wear my glasses when using it in order to see through it properly? Or is there some kind of thing I can buy for it to help with this problem?

Thanks in advance :)
 
So just to clarify, you only can't see through the viewfinder when you aren't wearing your glasses?

Edit: it's called a 'diopter adjustment' :thumbs:
 
chris321 said:
So just to clarify, you only can't see through the viewfinder when you aren't wearing your glasses?

Edit: it's called a 'diopter adjustment' :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Ah that's it! :)
Yep that's right. Well, I can through the viewfinder, it's just a bit blurry/not in focus. I mean, I could wear my glasses every time I use it...it would just be a bit of a pain as I don't wear them all the time, my eyesight hasn't got to the point (yet!) where I have to have my glasses on every day.
 
Ah right, got it. I'm a bit confused, are you talking about your 350D, or a different camera?
 
You can get doptric adjustment lenses for the viewfinder eyepiece (Canon do them). This LINK will explain a bit more. I'm not sure who stocks them but I'd guess they'd be available to order.

cheers
 
Think the OP is talking about the Canon SLR he now has.

Depends on which camera you have, you used to be able to buy Dioptor Correct lens which would slip over the view finder window allowing you to use the camera without glasses.

If you camera has a round type view finder eye piece then you may still be able to get them from camera shops or online (but not sure where) and screw it into the eye piece.

If not then you may have to keep your glasses on.
 
On my old Nikon film camera, you could unscrew the viewfinder lens, (the one you put your eye to), and was able to purchase a replacement that was the same dioptre as my glasses, resulting in being able to look through the camera without glasses.
If you indicate what film SLR you have, you may be able to pick up a dioptre viewfinder lens on E-bay-that's assuming you know what dioptre your glasses are?
 
OptimusBri said:
I have no idea! I guess I can find that out by going in to my Specsavers and asking?
Click to expand...

Yes, they will have details on dioptre adjustment for each eye -assuming you bought your glasses from Specsavers.
 
It's written on the prescription that they give you iirc. Seem to remember mine being L+1.25,R+1.50 or some such gubbins - though there's another line for the reading glasses prescription, and I'm not sure if you'd need the distance or reading glasses details (I don't need reading glasses - YET ;))
 
It could be worth seeing if any of your local opticians are doing free contact lens trials. Lenses are a load easier for photography than glasses IF you get on with them.
 
Les McLean said:
Yes, they will have details on dioptre adjustment for each eye -assuming you bought your glasses from Specsavers.
Click to expand...

Yep I did :)

TheBigYin said:
It's written on the prescription that they give you iirc. Seem to remember mine being L+1.25,R+1.50 or some such gubbins - though there's another line for the reading glasses prescription, and I'm not sure if you'd need the distance or reading glasses details (I don't need reading glasses - YET ;))
Click to expand...

Hmm, this means I am going to have to search for my prescription!
I don't need reading glasses, it's only things that are far away that I can't see properly.

However, after reading the link that Bill kindly posted, it actually says:

I see lots of forum postings saying things like, “my eyeglass prescription is -4.5 diopters, which lens do I need?” But that doesn’t really help, because eyeglass diopters are different from viewfinder diopters.

So it's not really that simple, and reading the rest of the article on how to figure it all out properly is hurting my brain...maybe just wearing my glasses would be an easier option! :lol:
 
OptimusBri said:
Does this mean that I will always have to wear my glasses when using it in order to see through it properly? Or is there some kind of thing I can buy for it to help with this problem?

Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...

There is a small round dial next to the viewfinder. Turn that and all should come into focus.

Canon-EOS-50D-back-375.jpg


This is an image of the 50D and you can just see the dial to the top right of the viewfinder poking out over the rubber eye peice. Not sure whether yours is the same.
 
OptimusBri said:
Hmm, this means I am going to have to search for my prescription!
Click to expand...


You can take your glasses to the opticians and they'll be able to measure the strength of your glasses and tell you what dioptre you require if you can't find your prescription.
 
EOS_JD said:
There is a small round dial next to the viewfinder. Turn that and all should come into focus.

Canon-EOS-50D-back-375.jpg


This is an image of the 50D and you can just see the dial to the top right of the viewfinder poking out over the rubber eye peice. Not sure whether yours is the same.
Click to expand...

My SLR doesn't have a diopter adjustment.

Carl V said:
You can take your glasses to the opticians and they'll be able to measure the strength of your glasses and tell you what dioptre you require if you can't find your prescription.
Click to expand...

Okay, will try to remember to do that tomorrow :) thanks.
 
Hi Briony - they are all still out there, I had to get one for the SL35E, what you get from Rollei is a new VF, a screwdriver and three screws... they are pretty standard from manufacturer to manufacturer but as you say, you need your prescription to determine the strength.

rollei-diopter.jpg




Arthur
 
OptimusBri said:
Yep I did :)


I see lots of forum postings saying things like, “my eyeglass prescription is -4.5 diopters, which lens do I need?” But that doesn’t really help, because eyeglass diopters are different from viewfinder diopters.
Click to expand...

No they're not, a dioptre is a dioptre!

There is more to fitting a correction lens to your camera than just using your spectacle prescription (Rx), since many cameras have the viewfinder optical system that places the viewfinder screen optically at 1 metre, some at 2/3 metre, so you would need to add +1 or +1.5 dioptres to your Rx, which means that if your Rx is +2 D, then you need +3 or +3.5 D, while if it's -2 D, you need -1 or -0.5 D.

Take your camera to your optician - preferably a small independent one (you'll get blank looks from the staff at visionsavers) - and they will let you try different lenses in front of the viewfinder to see what gives you the best focus.
 
I used my prescription when I bought my adjuster for my Bronica. It didn't work. See if you can find them cheaply on eBay, you might need to buy a couple of different strengths so you can work out which is best for you.
 
Ah, now I understand why all my photos are out of focus. Its not my skill, its the diopter correction....:lol::lol::lol:
 
True - and my reason is that my diopter is still on the shelf rather than on the camera :D
 
Isn't it funny, Arthur, that Rollei, being thre first German company to shift its manufacturing base to Far East, and failing on quality control; have now come back to make even the diopter in Germany, while others are moving the manufacturing to China etc.
 
It's a funny old world right enough Ujjwal, nowt certain but death and taxes.

And German engineering!
 
Yes, but I thought they came under taxes!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top