Question about age and manual focusing...

[dhsimmonds]

The problem sometimes as we get older is not necessarily just vision issues but more often the delay between getting the subject focussed and pressing the shutter!

For many subjects this delay doesn't matter a jot, ie landscapes, still life, studio portraits etc. However if wildlife, action sports or even grandchildren is your thing.........then take it from me as a septuagenarian, good, modern autofocus dslr systems nail it every time!

Not the thing that Leica MF enthusiasts always want to hear, but I am afraid that it's true. I am the first to admit that AF never replaces that sensual movement required to focus a Leica lens...........but for me, getting the shot is far more important.

 

[forbar]

The problem sometimes as we get older is not necessarily just vision issues but more often the delay between getting the subject focussed and pressing the shutter!

For many subjects this delay doesn't matter a jot, ie landscapes, still life, studio portraits etc. However if wildlife, action sports or even grandchildren is your thing.........then take it from me as a septuagenarian, good, modern autofocus dslr systems nail it every time!

So true, so true...and thank you for being frank about it. I keep beating myself up for my "wobbliness"!

B.

 

[Braeside]

I'm your age too - and I also suffer from long-sightedness.

Like V64 above I started using different strength contact lenses instead of my vari-focals. I use a +2.5 in my left eye, and a +1.75 in my right eye - this is perfect, as I can read the lcd with the left eye, and focus with the right eye.
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Being the same age, shortsighted, having to wear distance glasses I can get by with keeping the glasses on and using a .5 diopter and peering over the top to see the LCD. However it is not ideal and hard to see the corners of the viewfinder.

I am going to see if this contact lens idea works for me, I have not had contacts for many years so it will take a bit getting used to. I also do not know how much astigmatism will affect things, I know I have some.

Will report back once I have visited the optician.:toocool:

 

[jonoslack]

Being the same age, shortsighted, having to wear distance glasses I can get by with keeping the glasses on and using a .5 diopter and peering over the top to see the LCD. However it is not ideal and hard to see the corners of the viewfinder.

I am going to see if this contact lens idea works for me, I have not had contacts for many years so it will take a bit getting used to. I also do not know how much astigmatism will affect things, I know I have some.

Will report back once I have visited the optician.:toocool:

HI There
Good luck - make sure you get the moist disposable ones (all that washing is a pain in the backside). You may need to persevere for a day or so, but something I started ten years ago just for photography has turned into an everyday habit.

 

[Cindy Flood]

Being the same age, shortsighted, having to wear distance glasses I can get by with keeping the glasses on and using a .5 diopter and peering over the top to see the LCD. However it is not ideal and hard to see the corners of the viewfinder.

I am going to see if this contact lens idea works for me, I have not had contacts for many years so it will take a bit getting used to. I also do not know how much astigmatism will affect things, I know I have some.

Will report back once I have visited the optician.:toocool:

For years I have worn a contact in my left eye for reading. My distance vision (right eye) was fine except for an astigmatism that didn't cause much trouble. I focused with the right eye (with astigmatism). I just recently went for my annual checkup and my astigmatism situation had worsened, so now I am wearing a contact in my right eye that corrects the astigmatism. It is working great.

 

[Double Negative]

The problem sometimes as we get older is not necessarily just vision issues but more often the delay between getting the subject focussed and pressing the shutter!

True enough! My vision isn't what it used to be; in fact I can't read for sh!t anymore without my glasses. Manual focusing so far has been just fine for me without them. Though I'm definitely a bit of a slow focuser.

If anything, I spend a little extra time just racking the lens in/out to make sure the RF patches are definitely lined up, especially in dimmer light or lower contrast scenes.

One solution? Stop down more to cover your error.

 

[Braeside]

For years I have worn a contact in my left eye for reading. My distance vision (right eye) was fine except for an astigmatism that didn't cause much trouble. I focused with the right eye (with astigmatism). I just recently went for my annual checkup and my astigmatism situation had worsened, so now I am wearing a contact in my right eye that corrects the astigmatism. It is working great.

That's good to know Cindy. I hadn't realised that you could get such lenses.

Have appointment with optician this week. :bugeyes: :thumbup:

 

[Braeside]

HI There
Good luck - make sure you get the moist disposable ones (all that washing is a pain in the backside). You may need to persevere for a day or so, but something I started ten years ago just for photography has turned into an everyday habit.

Thanks Jono, I couldn't get on with varifocals at all, they were horrible for the computer, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that contacts are something I can cope with.

Yes, I will be wanting the daily disposable ones, as I recall the mucking about with cleaning solutions when I did have contacts so many years ago.

 

[Double Negative]

There's no freakin' way I could deal with contacts. I can't even put eyedrops in my eyes without flinching... Let alone getting "all up in there" to put in/take out contacts. Yeesh.

I've been toying with the notion of LASIK, but I'm not sold on it for a variety of reasons.

 

[wolverine]

For most of us at our age, LASIK immediately requires reading glasses after getting correction for poor distance vision. Does this affect acuity looking through the rangefinder for focusing?

 

[jonoslack]

There's no freakin' way I could deal with contacts. I can't even put eyedrops in my eyes without flinching... Let alone getting "all up in there" to put in/take out contacts. Yeesh.

Of course you could - it's really okay after a little practice. The only thing that one can never learn is not to stick out one's tongue when putting in contact lenses.:ROTFL:

 

[v64]

Of course you could - it's really okay after a little practice. The only thing that one can never learn is not to stick out one's tongue when putting in contact lenses.:ROTFL:

Yes it does take some practice. But your optician will show you how! The white of the eye is actually not very sensitive (unlike the iris).

 

[Double Negative]

For most of us at our age, LASIK immediately requires reading glasses after getting correction for poor distance vision. Does this affect acuity looking through the rangefinder for focusing?

That's just it, my distance vision is fine; it's just the near that's shot. And I wear reading glasses now. My concern is the dry eyes, etc. I've got a friend who had it done who seems pretty happy in general with it. But I've been hesitant.

Of course you could - it's really okay after a little practice. The only thing that one can never learn is not to stick out one's tongue when putting in contact lenses.:ROTFL:

Yes it does take some practice. But your optician will show you how! The white of the eye is actually not very sensitive (unlike the iris).

LOL!

I suppose it's worth a shot. I'd rather use contacts for photography as then I'll get the better vision - without the glasses. It'll be a learning experience I guess!

 

[forbar]

Does the contact cover all the field of vision in the eye? If so...how does one walk around with the magnified eye not making you nauseous? I can't even walk around with my reading glasses on my face..I have to put them on top of my head when I get up from reading because just getting a glimpse of anything in the distance under that magnification makes me dizzy.

 

[Braeside]

Well, I went to the optician this morning and we discussed the contact lens idea. He reckoned I could get away with just one lens in my right eye for distance, as I can read without my reading glasses (closeup). He under corrected the distance vision lens by 0.25

I have almost no astigmatism, so that was not a problem.

I got 7 days supply of lenses for a trial. I have to start wearing them for 2 hours a day then 4, 6, finally 8 hours max.

Biggest challenge was taking the lens out - It took about 15 minutes at the opticians, with him watching. However when I tried at home, I got it in about a minute, so practice makes perfect. (I did have contacts back in the 80's, so I did have a bit of experience with putting them in and taking them out - but have clearly unlearnt all I knew).

Managed to drive home without incident!

However this setup will not do for my computer use I am afraid. I have to get too close to the screen to read it comfortably.

As an experiment I tried one of my reading glasses lenses and the single distance contact lens and that looked pretty good to me when viewing the computer and it did not seem to affect the distance vision. Maybe I need a monocle for computer work?

I will take a trip back to see him tomorrow and suggest that I do need my left eye corrected for reading with a lens as well. Also I am not happy with the distance under correction as things are not as clear as I would like.

 

[jonoslack]

Well, I went to the optician this morning and we discussed the contact lens idea. He reckoned I could get away with just one lens in my right eye for distance, as I can read without my reading glasses (closeup). He under corrected the distance vision lens by 0.25

I have almost no astigmatism, so that was not a problem.

I got 7 days supply of lenses for a trial. I have to start wearing them for 2 hours a day then 4, 6, finally 8 hours max.

Biggest challenge was taking the lens out - It took about 15 minutes at the opticians, with him watching. However when I tried at home, I got it in about a minute, so practice makes perfect. (I did have contacts back in the 80's, so I did have a bit of experience with putting them in and taking them out - but have clearly unlearnt all I knew).

Managed to drive home without incident!

However this setup will not do for my computer use I am afraid. I have to get too close to the screen to read it comfortably.

As an experiment I tried one of my reading glasses lenses and the single distance contact lens and that looked pretty good to me when viewing the computer and it did not seem to affect the distance vision. Maybe I need a monocle for computer work?

I will take a trip back to see him tomorrow and suggest that I do need my left eye corrected for reading with a lens as well. Also I am not happy with the distance under correction as things are not as clear as I would like.

HI David
Good first try - I agree, get one right for reading and the other for distance, and the reading one really ought to be computer screen distance rather than close up. I don't think it's terribly useful if you are only using it for photography.

Hi Forbar
you get used to it really quickly, what happens is you switch eye dominance when you look away to the distance - after a bit of practice you don't even realise that it's happening. Certainly less dizziness than trying to go down steep stairs in varifocals

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

I wore glasses for 10-15 years. Got tired of sweat collecting on them and, also inspired by a girlfriend's opinion, switched to hard contacts. Great vision -- 20:10 in both eyes. Good peripheral vision, which matters a lot if you fly airplanes, less for photography in the landscape, but maybe is important on the street. When I found I couldn't wear them 12+ hours a day, discovered gas permeable (current style non-disposable) contacts. Got 5-10 more years that way. Finally went to varifocal lenses, which took about a year to learn. They sacrifice peripheral vision, since only the vertical strip through the center of each lens gives a sharp image. Now I get nauseous going down steep stairs without my glasses... One eye is still good enough to focus with a rangefinder without glasses, but unfortunately that one is on the left.

scott

 

[Double Negative]

...but unfortunately that one is on the left.

Too bad you can't switch 'em - or just drop in new ones. Yet...

 

[Braeside]

HI David
Good first try - I agree, get one right for reading and the other for distance, and the reading one really ought to be computer screen distance rather than close up. I don't think it's terribly useful if you are only using it for photography.

Hi Jono, I certainly want a solution that I can use generally, not just for photography.

Phoned up optician and assistant says to give it a couple of days and see if I still have the problem with computer reading . Hmmm - seems unlikely it will improve, but I'll go along with it and see.

 

[jonoslack]

I wore glasses for 10-15 years. Got tired of sweat collecting on them and, also inspired by a girlfriend's opinion, switched to hard contacts. Great vision -- 20:10 in both eyes. Good peripheral vision, which matters a lot if you fly airplanes, less for photography in the landscape, but maybe is important on the street. When I found I couldn't wear them 12+ hours a day, discovered gas permeable (current style non-disposable) contacts. Got 5-10 more years that way. Finally went to varifocal lenses, which took about a year to learn. They sacrifice peripheral vision, since only the vertical strip through the center of each lens gives a sharp image. Now I get nauseous going down steep stairs without my glasses... One eye is still good enough to focus with a rangefinder without glasses, but unfortunately that one is on the left.

scott

Have you tried the new moist disposable contacts?