Diopter For Leica M

[PATB]

I am getting tired of smudging my glasses when shooting my MP or dSLR (anything with a viewfinder!), so am thinking of using either contacts or a diopter. I prefer not to got for LASIK at this time.

Can someone who uses a diopter give me some insight as to its pros and cons? I realize I will have to keep removing my glasses, but this may not be a big deal when just shooting family pictures (I think).

Also, how do you figure out the diopter strength? My optician told me that I need a -2.5 diopter for my right eye. I asked him about the effect of the -5 diopter already in the viewfinder of an MP and he is unsure.

Thanks in advance for any info.

[stunsworth]

Hi Pat, unlike you I'm long-sighted, so I don't have to . I use reading glasses with a strength of +2 dioptres. I bought a correction lens of this strength and it transformed my focussing abilities.

I would guess you'll need a lens of -2, perhaps someone can confirm this?

[DTD]

I've just (yesterday) got a -2 eyesight correction lens which seems to do the job (should hope so at the price) and makes the camera a lot nicer to use.

There's some guidance here:

Leica FAQ - M eyepeice correction lenses - how to estimate?

There's a warning about astigmatism and the ability of the correction lens to counter it.

[andybarton]

If I'd known Dave, you could have had mine. I don't use it any more.

[DTD]

Didn't realise you were a -2 kind of chap! Oh well!

Still, might finally get a few pictures taken with the thing. I sometimes get the feeling me and Leica's were not fated.

[andybarton]

You can always put mine on that second M body

I got the CD, btw. Cheers!

[stumac]

Pat,

I took my camera to my optomotrist and we slected a suitable lens from his test box, then obtained the equivalent leica one.

Regards, Stuart

[Neville Porter]

Originally Posted by DTD

I've just (yesterday) got a -2 eyesight correction lens which seems to do the job (should hope so at the price) and makes the camera a lot nicer to use.

There's some guidance here:

Leica FAQ - M eyepeice correction lenses - how to estimate?

There's a warning about astigmatism and the ability of the correction lens to counter it.

Your link is very interesting.
I had eye surgery last year and actually had my own lenses removed and new multifocal lenses inserted. (Multifocal meanining I can read without glasses and see in the distance perfectly! ) I then had another operation and the floaters were removed. So my site is really Gin clear. It seems I now have better than 20/20 vision according to the surgeon & separately my optician. I also have zero astigmatism. So actually my sight is terriffic. Even so I can tell using an R8 SLR exactly what is missing with the -5 even if the specialists give me 20/20. Curiously (and some may say in contradiction) while the multi focal inplants are purposely approx -5 diopter they still have very very good results when measured by specialists measuring what I can see as apposed to my assessment. It should be noted that the M viewfinders are also -5 diopter. Put these two -5's together and there is some loss. Mindful of this I just happen to have the chance to try a +1 diopter Leica lense screwed onto my M8 viewfinder. Whoa this is really terrific. The sharpness, clarity etc is REALLY REALLY SIGNIFICANT! The viewfinder FEELING & EXPERIANCE moves into awhole new field.
The point of my little story is to encourage all of you wearing glasses or contacts and using an M camera take it along to your optician and have him "hold" the correct diopter between your eye (no glasses, take them off) and your viewfinder. If you have not got atigmatism or some other condition you may be surprised at the postive result. If you to have some condition like astignatism that requires a corrected lense and therefore have to wear your glasses, then still see if an extra +5 or more makes a differance. I think its a resonable generalistion to suggest that Leica fans are interested in clarity etc. If you see the differance I have experianced then order the Leica correction diopter necessary. Its the cheapest Leica accessory you will ever buy. You really will enhance your M experiance enourmously.

(Just for those wondering can I really see or not note;
I often use my DMR to photograph deer on a farm where they are +- 75 meters away and with only a 70-200mm lense and monopod. I must be able to focus and capture a picture which generates a picture that lets us read the Ear tag number and bar code of each deer.
I take 600 to 800 hundred photos each year like this. Be sure I could not do this successfully if my eyes were not up to it.)

[yadillah]

I am long sighted, and need glasses for reading..
I have always removed them when taking photographs as it makes it much easier to see all the information in the viewfinder. On my Nikon D200 is built in correction. In the absence of that on my M7 and M8, I rely on a correction lens.
I just went along to where I bought the cameras and tried the different ones until I found one that suited.
Everything is now a clear as a bell. I have a correction lens on each camera.

[andybarton]

Originally Posted by yadillah

I just went along to where I bought the cameras and tried the different ones until I found one that suited.

Most dealers (at least over here) have these as order only items, and don't keep any stock at all.

[DTD]

Originally Posted by andybarton

Most dealers (at least over here) have these as order only items, and don't keep any stock at all.

That's my experience. IIRC Leica don't do 1/2 magnification lenses either?

My astigmatism was just below what's correctable. My lens prescription has been pretty steady for a few years, so hopefully it won't become a problem.

I was told by a dealer that opticians test at 1 metre, but for the rangefinder it ideally would be at 2 metres. Don't know if this is true?

A while ago I posted asking if there were any reason eyesight correction could not be built in to M-series cameras. The feeling was it would be difficult due to the size and design of the rangefinder. Pity, as I have become so used to built-in correction of my dSLR.

[stunsworth]

On a couple of occasions I've had real difficulty focussing my 5D, only to realise that the diopter adjustment had been accidentaly changed :-)

[spydrxx]

For a couple of years I had a -2 diopter correction lens on my M4 but I got aggravated when my vision went to -2.5 and -2.0 didn't cut it, -3 was too much. So I went back to my glasses. Last year I found a used Canon -2.5 and it worked perfectly except it wouldn't fit on the M4 (of course). I futzed with the mounting to get it to fit one of my other cameras, then inadvertently sat on it and squashed it while cleaning the camera's viewfinder. Back to glasses time. Sure wish Leica made half step diopters for their rangefinders.

[PATB]

Thanks for the reply everybody.

As an update, I called Leica NJ and was told that for -2.5, I need a -2.0 due to the internal -.5. This is contrary to the Nemeng FAQ of ignoring the -.5. Too bad Leica does not have a -2.5 so I may have to try the -2.0 anyways. If that doesn't work and -3.0 is too much, I'll just use contact lenses or put up with glasses. Oh well.