G1 eye relief

[monza]

I'm 47 and have good eyesight (20/20.) However, if I read a book or work on the laptop for a while (or play a game on the iphone), it takes time before my eyes can refocus on more distant things (like the TV.) I don't use reading glasses (yet.)

If I shoot the G1 all day, I'm concerned that when I look up everything will be fuzzy. It would not really be practical to use reading glasses. Using the LCD means my eyes will be close-focused.

What about the EVF? If one looks thru the viewfinder, what point is the eye actually focusing upon? Something a few inches away, or something more distant?

For those who use a G1 and wear glasses, can you see the entire EVF?

Also, what is the best way to fine tune the proper diopter adjustment?

 

[Per Ofverbeck]

I´d say the G1 is one of the most "spectacle friendly" cameras I´ve ever used. I´m 66, with a pronounced astigmatism on both eyes. I use varifocals, all the time, for everything; I just have to if I want to see clearly.

The varifocals of course allow me to use the LCD in the "reading" zone, and see intermediate and distant objects in other parts of the glasses. With your symptoms, and choice of not using glasses, I can imagine you might have some problems with the LCD, but that would apply to any camera.

The EVF is VERY easy to see with glasses on, the whole image as well as the information at the borders, both when shooting horizontals and verticals. I haven´t used any camera with eyepieca that´s so easy (and it has a soft rubber cup that doesn´t scratch).

Also, there is s diopter adjustment with a good range for fine-tuning. I have it set so I use the "distance" zone on my glasses, so I can see distant objects directly when putting the camera down. Actually measuring the apparent viewing distance is beyond my abilities, but my impression is that it is more than one meter.

 

[edslaughter]

I agree completely with Per. The G1 is the best camera I've owned as far as spectacles go. I also wear varifocal lenses.

I would add that the EVF is projected at apparent infinity: when you look through it, your eyes, with or without spectacles, focus on infinity and see both the scene and the data in focus. I _must_ look through the EVF using the distant vision part of my glasses. I can't use it with the bottom, reading part. The LCD, of course, is "real" not virtual, and I usually have it close enough that I use the bottoms of my varifocals--which if fine for the G1 since it can be tilted to make that work well.

 

[peterb]

I'll third that. As a proud member of the four-eyes club since 1961 it is so nice viewing into the finder of the G1. More than the D2 for sure. And more than some of the vast majority of DSLR peep holes from Nikon and Canon (although the D90, D300 and D700 are, I admit, REALLY nice...it's just that DSLR's for me are just too damned bulky).

The G1 has impressed me from the get go in sooooo many ways. From its handling to the images it produces. What's really wild (and some might say foolhardy) is I the bought the thing without ever having held one (via the only dealer at the time on the Net who had one in black). Just from what I'd read about it online. And from what I read and what I saw (picture wise) I was sold.

P

 

[Martin S]

Hi.

I am an ophthalmologist, and what u describe is common for the around 40 set. It is called presbyopia, and usually manifests as u describe with a sluggishness in refocussing from near to distant objects (sometimes from distant to near also).

The problem with the camera viewfinder is easily solved either with as pair of reading glasses, or by setting the eyepiece diopter wheel to a + setting (usually arrived at by trial and error while looking thru the finder. The image in the evf seems to be focussed at infinity so a simple adjustment should work fine.

For those of us with corrective lenses, a simple adjustment of the diopter wheel while looking thru the distance correction zone of the progressive lenses should work nicely.

If u wish to use the LCD, a pair of near corrective lenses would be required.

Hope this answers ur questions.

Martin

 

[monza]

OK good, so I should be able to shoot all day using the EVF without having the effects of presbyopia.

 

[btrancho]

I have also found (and this took some getting used to) that shooting with both eyes open greatly reduces the presbyopia. I am left eyed and thus my right is blocked by most cameras. However, the G1's viewfinder setup allows me a fair amount of right side peripheral vision and this seems to reduce the effect substantially.

I'd be curious to know if anyone else has experienced this.

 

[monza]

Hmm. I will have to test this. I'm very happy with my vision overall, and very glad that I don't need reading glasses yet; I have no problem focusing close-up. The only problem is refocusing, after focusing close for extended periods.

I'm a left-eyed shooter as well. When I was a kid and was learning to shoot a rifle, my dad pointed out that I was aiming with my left eye while triggering with my right hand, which is actually kind of awkward positioning.

It had never occurred to me which eye I was aiming with, but I suppose I subconsciously made the choice due to my left being sharper than my right.

A few years ago I got lasik in my right eye, and it's now sharper than my left but aiming a camera with my right eye is uncomfortable for me even though it is a clearer view.

 

[Per Ofverbeck]

...I'm a left-eyed shooter as well. .... aiming a camera with my right eye is uncomfortable for me

Same with me (but I´m left handed, too). Maybe one of the reasons I never felt REALLY at home with an M Leica; my big nose came in the way... And the LCD on most of my cameras are a greasy mess...

The G1 is perfect in that respect; the eyepiece juts out far enough so I have no problems with this.

I have also found (and this took some getting used to) that shooting with both eyes open greatly reduces the presbyopia. I am left eyed and thus my right is blocked by most cameras. However, the G1's viewfinder setup allows me a fair amount of right side peripheral vision and this seems to reduce the effect substantially.

I'd be curious to know if anyone else has experienced this.

Yes, I´d say it is a well known advice to do just that; the biggest problem would be that most modern finders give a magnification of far less than 100%, so it´s difficult to merge the views from the two eyes. The venerable old M3 did have exactly 100% magnification, so it was actually made for shooting with both eyes open.

For the reasons given above, I never could benefit from this; my right eye ended up right behind the flash contacts....

 

[ampguy]

Not a G1 owner (yet), but the EVF being focused at infinity matches up with my other Panasonic EVF's with live view, in that at 0 diopter adjustment I need my glasses for infinity, or I can set the diopter for my ~ -2 myopia in R eye, and go without glasses.

 

[m3photo]

Re: G1 - Yet Another

I'll third that....it is so nice viewing into the finder of the G1.

The G1 has impressed me from the get go in sooooo many ways. From its handling to the images it produces. What's really wild (and some might say foolhardy) is I bought the thing without ever having held one ... Just from what I'd read about it online. And from what I read and what I saw (picture wise) I was sold.

P

On the strength of what I'd seen on the web I went to my usual dealer and bought it without even bothering to open the box until I got home, such was my confidence.
I'd had, and enjoyed (save the smallish file sizes) the Konica-Minolta A2 as a go-anywhere camera (the best camera's the one you've brought with you at the time - philosophy).
I side with everyone else about the EVF; having come from the A2 I must admit I cringed the moment I first looked into it but am pleasantly surprised to find it's very clear and as the whole camera is well implemented, being able to even review your shots while still looking into the viewfinder is nothing short of amazing as it's never been done before, of course.

I won't go on, save to say that to those of you out there who are still wondering if it's worth taking the plunge - this is the sort of camera you won't regret buying and playing with.