What to do when the eyes are going!!

[Dimitri]

Been wearing glasses since I was 10 or 12. In the past 2 yeaars or so I also developed presbyopia so moved to bifocals. Found then PITA so I just had a normal pair of glasses (myopia + astigmatism) and a reading pair (presbyopia). Now I can see the GG and use the loupe with no problem. Before that I took off the glasses to check the GG, but it wasn't always easy.

For WLF I can still use the normal glasses with the magnifier and all seem OK.

[biloko]

I do less (but better) pictures using a tripod and high f stops... and I also remember all those I have already done in my F! life...

[TPPhotog]

Well many years in IT certainly played havoc with my eyes, but I get less headaches since I left IT.

At first I admit I took the panic road and got my first auto-focus camera.

Then I found I only needed to use my glasses to see the F stops and speed. Alternatively if the information is displayed in the viewfinder I didn't need to wear my glasses.

Interestingly for me I've found I shoot better pictures without my glasses as I see the lines and form better without needing the detail. Once I have the negative I can see the real details within the picture. So usually I now put my glasses in my pocket when out prowling for the street shots.

[FrankB]

I've been wearing glasses since early schooldays (astigmatic). Can't do lasers 'cos of glaucoma in the family plus amount of correction needed, contacts would have to be weighted in order to keep them in the correct orientation (possible but fiddly).

As far as photography goes:

- if using an old-style SLR then have a pair of glasses just for that (the metal 'finder on my Dad's old Pentax S1a scratched the hell out of one pair!).
- with any eye-to-the-finder type camera make sure the eye relief point is far enough back so that you can see the whole 'finder image with your glasses on.

Can't speak for WLF's or GG as I haven't much experience with them.

Best of luck with your tests,

Frank

[WarEaglemtn]

35mm or 2 1/4 autofocus and a nice older Deardorff 8x10. Or, a brand new DPPI 8x10, currently being made by Jack Deardorff.

It is a lot easier to focus on the large ground glass.

[benjiboy]

I suggest you Find out from the camera manufacturer if the focusing screen on your camera is set at an aparrant distance of one meter, or infinity, then have an optician test your eyes, and ask him/her what correction you would need for that distance,take your camera with you, then buy the nearest available eyesight correction lense the camera maker makes for the flip up magnifier and replace it.

[jovo]

Yes! Welcome to the fuzzy world of presbyopia...a 'now that you're in your 40s' thing. I've been wearing lineless bi (actually there's a sliver of a third magnification) focals for years and never had any trouble with using any kind of camera other than to sometimes have to take the glasses off entirely to see the entire screen on my P67.

The real PITA is trying to play tennis. The ball comes at you in your upper distance portion and then you drop your gaze to follow the ball into your racket when...$#%@$^^^!!!!....the focus changes completely to the close-up part....where? what ball? d'jou hit a ball? Grrrrrrrr....

[rexp]

"and, by not wearing your glasses, you'll find that your prints need much less spotting"

-thanks, I bonked my knee laughing at that one. Maybe I should ditch the drugstore glasses I keep on my finishing table...

[Cheryl Jacobs]

At 32, my vision is now estimated at 20/4000 (no, there are no extra zero's mistakenly added on there) and I'm just now starting to have problems with astigmatism. Best thing for me is to shoot 2-1/4 format with a prism finder. Because I shoot rapidly moving little people as my primary business, I have to be able to manually focus very quickly. I'm finding that I just have to concentrate a lot more than I used to, but I can still do it.

Still, I'm realistic enough to be glad I enjoy teaching workshops, because at some point it's very possible I won't be able to do children's portraiture anymore. Best to have a backup plan.

[roteague]

For me, it depends which camera I am using. When shooting 35mm I wear contact lenses and with 4x5 I wear glasses (so I can take them off when focusing on the GG).

[resummerfield]

I wear progressive glassess, with the same problems everyone else experiences. For LF work, I had to position the loupe, then move my head (and glasses) to find the "sweet spot". But I found a better way--I now use an "Optivisor" with the attached accessory loupe. I put the Optivisor on like a cap when under the darkcloth (and also wear my glasses). By itself, the Optivisor has about 2.5x, but with the loupe about 5x. I’m considering getting the stronger main lens, about 4x, so it would give about 7x with the attached loupe.

[bjorke]

I just had my annual eye exam yesterday, by coincidence. My doctor asked about computer sceens, and was glad to hear that I don't lean close to the monitor. Most people do! I've used computers for years without trouble (my prescription has stayed steady since 5th grade or so). At the computer (like: right now): normal working distance, my extended fingertips can juuust reach the closest part of the screen.

[JHannon]

Just a quick link to information about Diopter (http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/diopter.html) lenses. It may be of interest.