Eye Problems

[ktoopi]

Hi Everyone

i have just been told by my optometrist that I now need multifocal glasses because basically I am getting old(sigh) and need reading glasses!! I have worn glasses all my life for shortsightedness and astigmatism......I was wondering how multifocal glasses affects looking through the view finder and focusing. Any multifocal wearers out there care to share their experience?

I am also considering laser eye surgery and have been tested and am a suitable candidate only if I have the procedure where one eye is corrected for distance and one is corrected for reading. Anyone out there had the laser procedure I am talking about.....How have you found it in relation to your photography?

Cheers Karen

[ameerat42]

Gee, that's not much chop, Karen. There have been a couple of threads on this, but go find 'em...!!!
If you have to wear them when peering into a viewfinder it'll be a hassle. But, there should be a suitable
part that you can see clearly through.

I suggest you DO NOT wear 'em when looking the the viewfinder, and (try to) adjust the dioptre setting to suit.

But, how do you go just looking at the controls? Do you have to hold the camera away from you a bit?

Perhaps, a pair of light 2ndary glasses on a "necklace" around your neck so you can quiclky check settings?
After all, multifocals are only supposed to be a convenience for several pairs of glasses.

Happily - at this stage - I only need close ups for reading.
:) anyway.
Am.

[ktoopi]

Gee, that's not much chop, Karen. There have been a couple of threads on this, but go find 'em...!!!

Am.
Thanks I'll go and look for the threads. At the moment if I take off my glasses i cannot see anything at all unless I hold it about 5 cm from my face so i don't think the diopter will help!

What you said about multifocals is what I feared. With my glasses on I can take a photo using autofocus but when I look at the lcd screen to check the photo it looks out of focus! It took me a week or so to realise that I was not taking out of focus shots.....I could hold my glasses a bit further from my face and everything snapped right into focus!! LOL:lol:

[Kenny A]

Karen...I feel your pain.
I too have a simular issue re glasses or no glasses.
Their is no easy answer...except for the surgery. (but it's a bit more expensive)
I wear my multifocals all the time when using my camera.
The problems are manly around not being able to get your eye right up the the view finder. This creates a problem were some times you have to adjust your eye up or down to actually read the camera settings within the viewfinder with the multi's. I have now learnt to adapt to the situation. If I want to use manual focus I actually remove my glasses, re adjust the dioptre setting to suit.

It is a pain, but you learn to manage.

Cheers

[ricktas]

whatever you do, don't get a labrador..so many people that have them go blind!..

[waylib]

Hi Everyone

i have just been told by my optometrist that I now need multifocal glasses because basically I am getting old(sigh) and need reading glasses!! I have worn glasses all my life for shortsightedness and astigmatism......I was wondering how multifocal glasses affects looking through the view finder and focusing. Any multifocal wearers out there care to share their experience?

I am also considering laser eye surgery and have been tested and am a suitable candidate only if I have the procedure where one eye is corrected for distance and one is corrected for reading. Anyone out there had the laser procedure I am talking about.....How have you found it in relation to your photography?

Cheers Karen

Hi Karen.
I have been in the Optical Industry for 20 odd years and have had a great deal of experience with people using Multifocals with their cameras. At the end of the day there is no easy answer as everyones experiences and expectations are different. Getting a suitably qualified Optical Dispenser to make the specs for you is important as they will be able to advise which design is best suited to your needs. Bear in mind that there are well over 300 different multifocal designs on the market so it is a huge minefield. All good lens manufacturers will offer a non adaption warranty on the lenses so if you cannot adjust to the new multifocal lenses they will be replaced by the manufacturer at no charge to either a Bifocal or Single Vision lens. First time multifocal wearers will always experience a few difficulties during the first few days but in most cases should adapt well if they have been fitted correctly.

I have had a few photographers fitted with Bifocals rather than multifocal lenses so as to minimise the peripheral distortion on the lenses and they have been happy with the result so that could be another option.

With regards to the laser surgery suitability, I cannot understand why you would only be suitable if you had the correction as mentioned although it could be because you do not want to wear spectacles at all. If they correct only your shortsightedness you would still need to wear reading glasses.

Hope this helps.
Cheers

[MarkChap]

Hey Karen, have worn multi focals for years, you will have a short period where it is a bit different, but I have never had an issue wearing glasses and looking through the view finder.

You will probably find, or at least I did, that you will use the top part of the lens, the distance part, for looking through the view finder, so just adjust your dioptre to suit. You can then just drop the camera away from your face and look through the bottom part of the lens to see the lcd screen, in focus

[WhoDo]

^ +1 (that's web speak for "me too") ;)

[Tommo1965]

interesting post

Im wearing varifocal lenses and my biggest issue is the peripheral vision...I've read on the web that some lenses (expensive zeiss) can be less irritating in this area.....

I find that unless I bend my head in the direction I want to look the view quite badly distorted ..so moving just ones eyes is not useful when wearing varifocals ..

im suffering from old eyeball condition...eg blurry up close and getting worse !!


Hi Karen.
I have been in the Optical Industry for 20 odd years and have had a great deal of experience with people using Multifocals with their cameras. At the end of the day there is no easy answer as everyones experiences and expectations are different. Getting a suitably qualified Optical Dispenser to make the specs for you is important as they will be able to advise which design is best suited to your needs. Bear in mind that there are well over 300 different multifocal designs on the market so it is a huge minefield. All good lens manufacturers will offer a non adaption warranty on the lenses so if you cannot adjust to the new multifocal lenses they will be replaced by the manufacturer at no charge to either a Bifocal or Single Vision lens. First time multifocal wearers will always experience a few difficulties during the first few days but in most cases should adapt well if they have been fitted correctly.

I have had a few photographers fitted with Bifocals rather than multifocal lenses so as to minimise the peripheral distortion on the lenses and they have been happy with the result so that could be another option.

With regards to the laser surgery suitability, I cannot understand why you would only be suitable if you had the correction as mentioned although it could be because you do not want to wear spectacles at all. If they correct only your shortsightedness you would still need to wear reading glasses.

Hope this helps.
Cheers


OP

I've tried setting the Diopter for my eyes and popping the glasses on for reviewing the images..but thats a pain..now I just shoot with them on.

funny thing is Im now only wearing my varifocals when shooting ....everything else I find that I can make it out at arms stretch and I use readers when filling in forms etc ..varifocals are a pain to read with

[Cage]

Ah, the joys of ageing Karen.

I wear bifocals and my experience pretty much mirrors that of Mark's, and to be honest, mostly I'm not even aware of wearing them. I also tried varifocals but I wasn't at all comfortable with them.

Spend a few minute getting the dioptre spot on and away you go.

The other thing I'd recommend is getting transition lens, the ones that go dark outside and clear inside. Greatest thing since sliced bread.

[Dazz1]

Here's a variation. I bought a pair of glasses 'skinny' lenses, i.e. half height vertically. I wear them down my nose a bit, and find I can look over the top of them and use the viewfinder, and look down a bit, as I move the camera a bit away from my face, and see the LCD display in focus through the glasses as well.

[ktoopi]

With regards to the laser surgery suitability, I cannot understand why you would only be suitable if you had the correction as mentioned although it could be because you do not want to wear spectacles at all. If they correct only your shortsightedness you would still need to wear reading glasses.

Hope this helps.
Cheers

Hi waylib thank you for your information..............they can only correct me as i described above because my left cornea is very thin and they cannot do a full thickness correction, but it can be what they call under corrected for reading............therefore my right eye can be fully corrected for distance and yes I would be glasses free provided all goes well, until my eyes change again and I need reading glasses again in the future .....5 - 10 years down the track.:)

[waylib]

That makes sense now. Thanks Karen. Have you also considered contact lenses rather than the surgery. Again, lots of different options including multifocal contacts and they also work well for photographers.

Cheers
Wayne

[ktoopi]

That makes sense now. Thanks Karen. Have you also considered contact lenses rather than the surgery. Again, lots of different options including multifocal contacts and they also work well for photographers.

Cheers
Wayne

Yes I have considered contact lenses........I have some that I use now but I don't tolerate them very well so I only wear them when I go for a night out on the town so to speak or a special occasion 3-4 hours is about my limit. Also my vision isn't as good with contacts as it is with glasses so I can't drive at night with them in.

[RubyKatz]

I read all of this and know that I am not alone. My eyes have deteriorated so much in the last couple of years it is hard to focus on any one thing, glasses on or off. I have had the laser testing done and because of the astigmatism weakness which is different in both eyes, and the fact I am both long sighted and short sighted, nowadays when I take a photo they all look blurry to me. I can't read the pics on the camera when changing the WB, I have to rely on others or change the screen at the back to try and see what setting I am on.

This is just another cruel step in the aging process, let alone all the rest of the torment that goes with menopause! Now don't get me started on that!!!

[Glenda]

A friend of mine had the laser surgery fixing one eye for short one for long and although thought it sounded really strange at first said it's great and manages everything well. I only need reading glasses so far and manage with the dioptre adjustment so far but am quickly reaching the stage where I will also need them for distance. Hubby on the other hand has worn glasses for distance since his early 20s and at 62 can still read anything without glasses. He's very handy when we're out photographing and I've forgotten my glasses and need him to read the screen if I want to change some control.

[ktoopi]

I read all of this and know that I am not alone. My eyes have deteriorated so much in the last couple of years it is hard to focus on any one thing, glasses on or off. I have had the laser testing done and because of the astigmatism weakness which is different in both eyes, and the fact I am both long sighted and short sighted, nowadays when I take a photo they all look blurry to me. I can't read the pics on the camera when changing the WB, I have to rely on others or change the screen at the back to try and see what setting I am on.

This is just another cruel step in the aging process, let alone all the rest of the torment that goes with menopause! Now don't get me started on that!!!

Oh No is that what I have to look forward to!!:eek: menopause is on my horizon as well!:eek: crumbs this middle/old age thing sucks!:lol2:

[William]

I'd use the Diopter adjustment and Auto focus , Mind you I used to have to wear glasses but somehow using the computor for processing fixed my eye problem , No glasses now , Figure that :confused013

[I @ M]

Mind you I used to have to wear glasses but somehow using the computor for processing fixed my eye problem , No glasses now

Are you sure ------ :D

[William]

:lol2:Thats just a typo Andrew , Speeling does'nt count :D "Computer" Seriously I had to wear glasses for driving and seeing at a distance ( Put on the glasses to watch the TV and take them off for reading the TV program ) Since I took up photography again and had to work the Computer my eyesite has somehow fixed up

[ameerat42]

...I had to wear glasses for driving and seeing at a distance ( Put on the glasses to watch the TV and take them off for reading the TV program )...

Same here, William. One day I took them off while stopped at lights and could see clearly across the paddocks. They stayed off after that. Now I only need +1.5s for reading. Who said ageing isn't good?
Am.

[William]

Good one Am, I think we are the lucky few , On a different note , Touch wood !! I seem to be getting better as I get older , Figure that :confused013

[leanneqld]

I have the same vision problems(astigmatism and shortsightedness and wear multi focals). I relate to mark and whodo. I drop the camera and hold it a little further away and look down to see the back of the camera. You reallly do get used to it.

[Lesley Bray]

I have multifocal glasses - and have no problem using my camera. I use the viewfinder without a problem - only thing I do have a slight problem with is manual focus. Lesley

[RubyKatz]

You might find that you don't need your glasses for different screens, I need glasses for my desktop but not for my Ipad. Not sure why? Maybe it is the distance? My better half comes in handy to for reading up close, he wears glasses but takes them off to read up close, my arms are just not long enough any more to read things at a distance and up close it is just a blur. However I have been advised to look at the histogram on the back of the camera when taking a pic, and this has helped I can see this and it helps judge if the photo I just took is good or bad. ;)

[Steve Axford]

I've had the laser surgery that you mention (one eye short the other long). It worked brilliantly, though it did take about 6 months for my brain to get used to it. It doesn't effect your photography at all, in fact it makes it easier. Fixing the astigmatism is the key as then you can were normal glasses (if you ever need them) and you can look through a camera viewfinder without glasses.

[jjnic]

Long sighted with astigmatism all my life and in the past few years multifocals for close up. I take mine off for taking pics and put them back on for reading the screen. You get used to it, it's now second nature.
On another note they suck cause now i can see the wrinkles! ;)
jj

[ktoopi]

An update....I was reassessed by my eye surgeon and he now says that I cannot have the laser eye surgery as my corneas are too thin and he is not willing to take the risk.....I knew something was up when he said initially that I was a very tricky case...Boo hooo so now it is definitely multifocals for me as I cannot afford the $10 000 for lens implant surgery which is now my only option for glasses free living!

I have worn glasses all my life so that is not the issue it was getting used to the multifocal aspect....I don't see how it can be possible in the glasses I wear as there is only about 2.5 cm from the top to the bottom of the frame....there would be barely any room for the transition! :)

[Steve Axford]

That's a pity. I had thin corneas too, though in my case they could use Lasek (as opposed to Lasik). I guess your corneas are even thinner.

[Bennymiata]

I've been wearing multi-focal glasses for some years, but I do remember that it took me a few days to adjust to them at first.

I leave them on and look through the top part of the lens (the long distance part) to look through the viewfinder and obviously, the lower part to look at settings etc.

It all becomes fully automatic after a few days.
I also have prescription sunglasses, but these are only fixed lenses, and it is annoying when you have to read with them on.
I can read quite well without glasses, but I also have astigmatism which can make it tiring after a while.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of surgery, as your eyes will continue to change and if you have the surgery done, you may well end up having to wear glasses anyway, later on.

Don't fret about multi-focals. If done well, they are fantastic to have, but as I said earlier, it will take you a few days to become comfortable with them.