varifocals and viewfinder

Hi
I am a new user of varifocals ,does anyone have any advice re using the viewfinder (do i take the eyecup off).I dont want to have to keep removing them every time i use the camera.

Roy

I'm using varifocals with my K-x - if I want to see there's no option

I have the same problem. You end up trying to crane your head back to look thru the lower part of the lens. I'm told the effective distance from the viewfinder to the focus screen is about 1 Mtr. so your looking at reading/computer distance. I've gone for magnifier eyepieces on K20 and K200 and looking over the top of the glasses. I've asked a couple of opticians if they can fit my prescription into an eyepiece but no luck so far. Apparently either their equipment cannot cope with the small diameter of the eyepiece lens, or the standard lens blank would be to thick to fit the eyepiece. Don't forget to adjust the diopter setting to focus on the screen.

I have big problems getting my manual focus lenses focused with my varifocals. I don't have a split screen in the K10 yet, I'm hoping it will improve my success rate.

I haven't tried this, but perhaps a pair of over the counter reading glasses would help ?
The trouble is, I'd keep walking into things......

I believe there are diopter pieces that can fit over the viewfinder, maybe with that you can adjust the viewfinder enough for you to see through it without using glasses?

Yes you can, you need a Pentax M Eyepiece for K10/K20/K200 (but it does not fit k100), this can be fitted with diopter corrective lenses. Unfortunately this does not resolve the problem, if like me you have astigmatism. One optician did suggest the use of contact lenses, which can now be weighted so that they sit on the correct axis.

Will probably cost you quite some money Barrie
If you do it don't forget to use Pentax glass

If your talking about getting my perscription put into an M eyepiece, the quote was over £200.

So you have to use the lower "reading" area of the glasses not the middle area?


Roy

It may depend on your prescription, but it's the bottom for me or as I've said not at all.

thanks all ,suppose i will have to keep trying...or not

I too use varifocals.

I generally try to use hyperfocal distance focusing if possible, then I only need to frame.

In any case, I have noticed that -over time- the various viewfinders on my various cameras have damaged the coating of the right lens of my spectacles, creating a matte spot, where it rubs the most on the viewfinder surround, as well as removing some of the coating on the spectacles' frame in the near vicinity.

This was so "bad" that it became obvious in the normal daily use of my glasses, resembling a grease-spot or fingerprint on the lens.

What I do now is to use these "damaged" spectacles for my photography and other glasses-lens-unfriendly activities, such as mowing the lawn or using the line-trimmer (keeping them on for the entire session), while saving my new set for all other uses.

This is one area where "live view" and the LCD screen of d*****l(:shock is an advantage.

I thought there might be problems using varifocals, so I've simply got normal and computer screen glasses. The shorter focusing ones are ideal for use with older cameras without dioptre adjustment and the normal ones are fine for everything else.

I could never get on with varifocals, made me feel very weird! Okay, I know I am anyway, but it made it worse!

So I've always used bi-focals and don't have any issues.

The main (top) section of the specs are set for distant/infinity viewing and you should have the VF diopter adjustment set for that. i.e. adjust it for maximum sharpness of the grid lines.

I would imagine that with varifocals, the correct viewing position would be through the top centre of the glasses, I imagine the exact position could be quite critical.

I have never had a problem with my varifocals with a camera, binoculars or telescope.

However it does take a few weeks to get used to them when you first start. Even walking can feel strange, even worse going up the lake district hills ! I just increased the wearing of the new glasses over time interspersed with using my old ones. I soon got used to them that way.

Dave

Good as they are you cant spill or tipe ani beetr