How dumb can I be? Really dumb.

[Mike Buckley]

About six months ago I had highly successful cataract surgeries in both eyes, though my right eye is the only eye pertinent to this topic. Since then and not before then, I have been wearing reading glasses to view through the camera's viewfinder. A couple days ago my wife mentioned that it didn't make sense now that I have 20/25 vision that I would have to wear glasses to view a scene through the viewfinder. She asked if I had ever tried adjusting the viewfinder's diopter. I had actually forgotten the camera has a diopter and I'm not willing to give myself the break that it had been about 7 or 8 years since I had adjusted its setting.

Naturally, adjusting the diopter worked perfectly and I no longer need reading glasses to use my camera. When working the buttons, dials and menus, I can hold the camera far enough away to see those details well enough without using glasses. My hunch is that I'll need the reading glasses to fine tune the focus when displaying the scene at 100% on the camera's LCD in my makeshift studio, but I won't be sure about that until I try without the glasses.

There might be just one person as dumb as me about this, though that's highly doubtful. Even so, this post is for you if you're that person.

 

[nuclearjock]

Congrats Mike. That's awesome

 

[Walter Rowe]

My vision has changed over the years. My eye doctor says I still have 20/20 distance vision (with some astigmatism, but not enough to warrant corrective lenses). For reading I do need reading glasses for my iPad most of the time also to correct for astigmatism and a little focal length correction. I too had to one day realize my diopter on the camera viewfinder was adjustable and I hadn't done so. That helped a lot, especially for EVFs like the new Z bodies!

You are not alone!

 

[Palouse]

Mike, you will have to re-shoot all your photos. Hopefully they will be in focus this time

I need my glasses full time, and even though I can adjust the diopter to compensate, I need glasses for everything else. So I shoot with them on. It would be nice if Nikon had a readout or some indicator of where you have it set so you could quickly change between 2 settings. Or better yet, have 2 electronically adjustable settings available at the push of a button.

 

[Pa]

One of the things I like about my new (to me) Z6 is that I don't have to get out my reading glasses to chimp an image or use the menu. Everything can be displayed in the viewfinder for which I have the diopter adjusted "just right".

But I have done some equally dumb things as Mike described.

 

[Walter Rowe]

One of the things I like about my new (to me) Z6 is that I don't have to get out my reading glasses to chimp an image or use the menu. Everything can be displayed in the viewfinder for which I have the diopter adjusted "just right".

But I have done some equally dumb things as Mike described.

Yes! Exactly!

 

[Clix Pix]

When buying a new camera, first thing I do during the setup process is adjust the diopter.... I prefer not wearing glasses while shooting, so even though I'll have them handy in a pocket or bag, I look through the VF with my naked (and aging) eye to compose and get the shots I need..... Autofocus helps a lot with this, too, of course! Manual focus, needed in macro work, is a bit more challenging for me, I will admit! When I need to menu-dive for some reason then the glasses come out of the pocket so I can read the menu sections and tinker with whatever setting I am changing.

 

[ac12]

How about a modified reading glasses/bifocal.
0 diopter on top.
x reading diopter on the bifocal.

I started doing similar for some of my other glasses.
I have my computer glasses for the screen 24 inches from my eyes.
Buy I have a bifocal section for 16 inches, so that I can read stuff on my desk, which was difficult before I put in the bifocal.

BTW, I HATE the hassle of removing and putting on my glasses. Then where do I put it when not worn, so that I don't damage it? I either wear it or not.

 

[Palouse]

BTW, I HATE the hassle of removing and putting on my glasses. Then where do I put it when not worn, so that I don't damage it? I either wear it or not.

I agree! Drives me crazy.

 

[Terri French]

One of the things I like about my new (to me) Z6 is that I don't have to get out my reading glasses to chimp an image or use the menu. Everything can be displayed in the viewfinder for which I have the diopter adjusted "just right".

But I have done some equally dumb things as Mike described.

One of my favorite features.

 

[Terri French]

How about a modified reading glasses/bifocal.
0 diopter on top.
x reading diopter on the bifocal.

I started doing similar for some of my other glasses.
I have my computer glasses for the screen 24 inches from my eyes.
Buy I have a bifocal section for 16 inches, so that I can read stuff on my desk, which was difficult before I put in the bifocal.

BTW, I HATE the hassle of removing and putting on my glasses. Then where do I put it when not worn, so that I don't damage it? I either wear it or not.

That’s what I have, too.

 

[Mike Buckley]

One of the things I like about my new (to me) Z6 is that I don't have to get out my reading glasses to chimp an image

One of my favorite features.

Can the captured image and/or the live scene be viewed at 100% in the viewfinder?

 

[Terri French]

Can the captured image and/or the live scene be viewed at 100% in the viewfinder?

Not sure if it 100% or not but you can zoom into the focus point and scroll around from there to check focus. I’m assuming it’s 100%. Maybe someone else will know for sure.

 

[Mike Buckley]

you can zoom into the focus point and scroll around from there to check focus.

For the captured image, for the scene before the shutter is released or both?

 

[Terri French]

For the captured image, for the scene before the shutter is released or both?

Both

 

[Bear Dale]

How many people do wear glasses whilst using their camera? I'm 57 and still able to without, but not sure how many more years for.

Is it something you just get used to

 

[Mike Buckley]

Is it something you just get used to

I never had any trouble using the glasses with the camera even on the first try. However, in the six months I used the glasses, I never got used to the fuss of taking them out of my pocket to put them on and returning them to my pocket after taking them off. As simple as that process seems, it was a pain in the butt for me.

 

[Bear Dale]

Thanks Mike.

 

[ac12]

How many people do wear glasses whilst using their camera? I'm 57 and still able to without, but not sure how many more years for.

Is it something you just get used to

All the time.
I have to use glasses, so I just used it. There was no "getting used to it."
I am near sighted and need it to see anything beyond 4 feet.
So when I used a corrective eyepiece, I quickly discovered how impractical that was, because I had to put on my glasses to see the subject outside of the camera, and where I was walking. IOW a good idea, but fails in real life.

In my case, I cannot wear contacts, so I am stuck with glasses.

 

[Walter Rowe]

Both

Terri is correct. You can zoom to 100% live view and image review.

We should get together sometime Mike. You can make a list of questions and spend some time with my Z and we can explore to get you all the answers you want. Maybe a Great Falls outing or something like that.