ColColt Posted July 3, 2015 Share #1 Posted July 3, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Just a general question for those of you with M Leicas and wear glasses. If you're nearsighted, do you find it difficult to focus? I have that infirmity of the flesh and can't locate any M camera to check for myself. I would think if it were a problem there's corrective diopters out there that could easily replace(screw in?) the standard diopter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 3, 2015 Posted July 3, 2015 Hi ColColt, Take a look here M's and Glasses. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
madNbad Posted July 3, 2015 Share #2 Posted July 3, 2015 (edited) Depends on how much correction your vision needs. Diopters are available but if any astigmatism is present, they may not be the answer. Your current prescription for lenses will be a good indicator if a screw in diopter will work for you. Attempts have been made for more complex vision adjustment but they are expensive. As a extremely nearsighted person, I have been using rangefinder cameras on and off for over forty years and Leica M exclusively for the last ten. It takes some shifting the eye around to see the entire frame for the 28 lines but it's an adjustment I have made. Mostly I have found if I am able to see and use the rangefinder patch, everything else falls into place. If you should have an older M body, consider either a cover for the eyepiece or have a technician replace it with the newer rubber coated version. Scratched eyeglass lenses are, to me, a bigger problem than seeing the entire frame. Edited July 3, 2015 by madNbad Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted July 3, 2015 My eyes had changed since I first had my F2A and just this year had to go searching for an answer as to the focus problem. I found Nikon's finders are set up for -1 diopter. I called my optometrist, told him the problem and was told my last prescription for the part that matters, was +1.25. I bought a +0.5 diopter and it worked like my eyes use to. With the M cameras I wasn't sure about the finder. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
madNbad Posted July 3, 2015 Share #4 Posted July 3, 2015 Depends on the M. The M3 has a .9 magnification which is great for the 50 mm lens but needs accessory viewfinders for anything wider. Starting with the M2 .72 became the standard all the way until today. There are also the .58 and .85 variations for the MP, M7 and some M6 models. To get the same result from a diopter on a Leica, you would need to stay as close to your optometrist recommendation as possible. I hope this helps. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted July 3, 2015 I guess the bottom line to my question is does Leica have the same diopter as Nikon, i.e., -1, for their finders. If that's the case then I'd have to search for a +0.5 correction lens. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bocaburger Posted July 4, 2015 Share #6 Posted July 4, 2015 IIRC Leica's is natively -0.5. I am also nearsighted and need a +2 for reading. I wear progressive lenses and find the best thing for me is to wear my glasses and use the distance (upper) part, with a +1 diopter in place on the eyepiece. With my old Nikon F's, I do likewise but with a +0.5 on the eyepiece. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted July 4, 2015 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) I tried the progressives long ago and took them back. I wear the lined tri-focals. I take the glasses off for looking at the computer monitor but have to have them on for seeing distances. That's where the problem comes in with cameras and folks with normal vision. I found I had to use the tri-focal part of the lens to be able to focus sharply instead of the section above like you'd use for driving. With my old Nikon F's, I do likewise but with a +0.5 on the eyepiece. That's exactly what I use for my F2A. Edited July 4, 2015 by ColColt Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredR Posted July 4, 2015 Share #8 Posted July 4, 2015 http://us.leica-camera.com/Photography/Leica-M/Technical-Equipment/Viewfinder-Accessories/Correction-lenses-M Fred Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted July 4, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the link. At least I know they're available. bocaburger seems to have the same problems I do and uses the +1 diopter. That's most likely what I'd take as well. I did a quick google search and B&H Photo has one for $109. Edited July 4, 2015 by ColColt Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted July 4, 2015 Share #10 Posted July 4, 2015 I've worn glasses since 1958 full time, originally for nearsightedness and now with considerable astigmatism added. I use progressives now, and have little difficulty focusing an M body. For my older bodies I've added DAG's snap on plastic ring, but really didn't have an issue before. The only time I've had a problem has been trying to see the entire frame on something like a Canon IV with a tiny peep-hole finder. For a III series I do prefer the IIIg for that reason. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePioneer Posted July 4, 2015 Share #11 Posted July 4, 2015 Personally I prefer external viewfinders to allow me to see the entire frame. I tried a diopter on my Zeiss Ikon for awhile but I still need my glasses to see the exposure settings. This means I bounce back and forth between glasses on and glasses off. What a PITA. External viewfinders for 28 and 24 resolve that problem for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 4, 2015 Share #12 Posted July 4, 2015 IIRC Leica's is natively -0.5. I am also nearsighted and need a +2 for reading. I wear progressive lenses and find the best thing for me is to wear my glasses and use the distance (upper) part, with a +1 diopter in place on the eyepiece. With my old Nikon F's, I do likewise but with a +0.5 on the eyepiece. -0.5 is not an eye correction. It is meant to ease accommodation at 2 m., which is the virtual distance of the viewfinder/rangefinder projections. So any eye deficiency must be corrected to - 0,5 as well. However. simplistic calculations often fail. The only way to determine the correct dioptre strength is trial and error, unless one is enough of an expert to take all parameters in account, not just the simple strength of one's glasses. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted July 4, 2015 It would be great to be able to use a given diopter so that I could bring the camera to my eye sans glasses and be able to see what I'm focusing on. The problem with that is that I need the glasses to see what I plan on taking a photo of. Trial and error on finding a diopter is the cost. Diopters for a Leica M camera can be upward of $150 or more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 4, 2015 Share #14 Posted July 4, 2015 (edited) It would be great to be able to use a given diopter so that I could bring the camera to my eye sans glasses and be able to see what I'm focusing on. The problem with that is that I need the glasses to see what I plan on taking a photo of. Exactly, which is why I wear glasses at all times and don't mess with diopters (plus I need sunglasses for light sensitivity). Fortunately, my prescription allows for both camera accommodation as well as distance vision….and my glasses also correct for astigmatism. The only way to know what works for you is to try for yourself, e.g., take an M to an optician and try both glass prescriptions (many opticians have machines that simulate strengths), as well as sample diopters. Simple math won't do the trick IMO, since people vary widely in comfort and preferences. Note, too, that there are diopters that can accommodate astigmatism…. http://walterleica.com/eyepiece.html Finally, don't mess with magnifiers unless and until you have fully corrected your vision; otherwise, problems will simply be magnified. I avoid them anyway. Jeff Edited July 4, 2015 by Jeff S 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share #15 Posted July 4, 2015 With my glasses I couldn't' see sharply to focus all that well with any camera-even existing cameras that several years back gave no problem. Now, I can't see well enough to focus with any of them...all SLR's. With the replacement of the standard lens in the F2 with the +0.5 I know can see sharply to focus. I'm one of those that take their glasses off to see the computer screen but need them for driving or anything beyond about 10 yards sharply. Trying to find an M locally to check would be like finding hen's teeth. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 4, 2015 Share #16 Posted July 4, 2015 Trying to find an M locally to check would be like finding hen's teeth. http://www.lensrentals.com/rent/leica/cameras Since the focus patch has a virtual distance of 2m, I still think you need to experiment with an actual M. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted July 4, 2015 Share #17 Posted July 4, 2015 It would be great to be able to use a given diopter so that I could bring the camera to my eye sans glasses and be able to see what I'm focusing on. The problem with that is that I need the glasses to see what I plan on taking a photo of. Trial and error on finding a diopter is the cost. Diopters for a Leica M camera can be upward of $150 or more. If you go to your optometrist and hold his try-out lenses between your eye and the viewfinder, you’ll soon find the correct strength Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share #18 Posted July 4, 2015 If you go to your optometrist and hold his try-out lenses between your eye and the viewfinder, you’ll soon find the correct strength Great idea, I never thought of that. By luck and a little arithmetic I did hit it spot on with getting the +0.5 diopter for the F2A and it's worked out fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 4, 2015 Share #19 Posted July 4, 2015 If you go to your optometrist and hold his try-out lenses between your eye and the viewfinder, you’ll soon find the correct strength Post 14….response post 15…reiterate post 16... Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColColt Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share #20 Posted July 4, 2015 You're right...getting old. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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