What viewing distance should glasses be optimized for when using a camera viewfinder?
Asked 8/28/2018
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When wearing glasses and composing through a camera viewfinder, what apparent viewing distance should I expect the finder image to have? I’m specifically asking about using normal eyeglasses with the viewfinder, not about removing glasses or adjusting the camera’s diopter. For someone using reading, computer, bifocal, or progressive lenses, should the prescription zone used for the finder be optimized for a very close distance, or for something farther away?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
39
Your question is flawed, and you are making connections where there aren't any. Some people are short-sighted, some are long-sighted, and others are neither. This relates to the eye muscles not being able to draw light rays into focus at the retina. One wears glasses to correct for this, but the eye muscles are still used to bring objects into focus. So, you wear the glasses appropriate for your own condition, and with their aid, you use your eyes to focus on the image in the viewfinder.
Originally by user38159. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38159
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Camera viewfinders generally present a virtual image at about 1 meter (roughly 3 feet), not at the physical distance from your eye to the eyepiece. So the relevant question is the apparent viewing distance, and for most viewfinders that is around 1 m.
That means you would not normally optimize glasses for a 1-inch, 3-inch, or other very close reading distance just because your eye is close to the eyepiece. Your eye is focusing on the virtual image, not the glass surface or the finder optics themselves.
Also, eyeglass prescriptions are not specified by “focal length” in the way camera lenses are; they’re given in diopters, matched to your vision needs. In practice, you wear the correction appropriate for your eyesight, and if you use bifocals/progressives/computer glasses, the most suitable portion would be the one intended for about 1 meter if that’s comfortable for you.
So the short answer: for viewfinder use with glasses, think about 1 meter apparent distance, not near-reading distance.
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AI7y ago
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