# Diopter adjustment question .....



## wgp1987 (Jan 22, 2010)

Hey peeps. I love to manual focus with my lovely full frame penta-prisim viewfinder but something has me thinking my eyes may not be as perfect as they once were. I was taking pics of a crayon the other day and i was thinking my lens was soft or the DOF was too shallow, but after reading some posts i considered maybe its my eye sight and my diapoter isnt properly adjusted. Is there anyway to make shure it is? LIke a test or something i can do?


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## MrRamonG (Jan 22, 2010)

1) Mount it on a tripod, manual zoom on a subject, switch it to auto and see if the focus changes?

2) Go to an eye dr?


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## wgp1987 (Jan 22, 2010)

MrRamonG said:


> 1) Mount it on a tripod, manual zoom on a subject, switch it to auto and see if the focus changes?
> 
> 2) Go to an eye dr?


 
the doctor wont adjust my camera! lol


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## Alex Martinez Photo (Jan 22, 2010)

This happened to me once. all i did was auto focus close up on an object. if what you auto focused on is still not in focus then adjust the diapoter untill it is.


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## Garbz (Jan 22, 2010)

Are the focus dots on your camera sharp? What about all that other info in your viewfinder? If not adjust the dioptre.


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## Josh66 (Jan 22, 2010)

MrRamonG said:


> 1) Mount it on a tripod, manual zoom on a subject, switch it to auto and see if the focus changes?
> 
> 2) Go to an eye dr?



Good test to see if it's right, but not to fix it.

To fix it (I'm sure this will be really obvious) - mount on tripod, AF on something, adjust diopter till it's sharp.


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## Dwig (Jan 22, 2010)

If your camera has an adjustable eyepiece diopter setting, then the best way to adjust it for your eye is to:

1. Find a dim location so that your eye dialates. This reduces your eye's DOF making its focus more critical.

2. Remove the lens. This leaves a blank screen with no image to confuse the situation.

3. Adjust the eyepiece diopter until you can see the texture in the matte portion of the focusing screen.

If your camera doesn't have an adjustable eyepiece then separate lenses need to be added. Your choices are (in no particular order):

1. Go to a good eye doctor, preferably an optometrist, and take your camera along. Have him refract you for best vision at about a 6' (2m) distance. This is the apparent distance that most fixed VFs project the image of the focusing screen.

2. Go to a good pharmacy and test the over-the-counter reading glasses, generally the weaker offerings, with your camera's VF to find the best fit.

3. Go to a good camera store that stocks the camera manufacturer's eyepiece diopters and try on several to find the best fit.


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## wgp1987 (Jan 22, 2010)

I will try everything but going to an eye doctor because i dont think my insurance covers it :/


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## wgp1987 (Jan 22, 2010)

Garbz said:


> Are the focus dots on your camera sharp? What about all that other info in your viewfinder? If not adjust the dioptre.


 
This is what i have read in books. But i have forgotten. Thanks.


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## Garbz (Jan 23, 2010)

wgp1987 said:


> I will try everything but going to an eye doctor because i dont think my insurance covers it :/



All the doctor will do is tell you you have a problem and sell you some glasses. This won't help your camera one bit!

Print out this chart on A4:
http://www.i-see.org/block_letter_eye_chart.pdf

Place it on the wall at head height. From exactly 20ft away cover one eye (don't close the eye, cover it), and try to read your way down the chart till you can't read the row anymore. When that happens go and check what row you get to and note the acuity line on the left. If you got to 20ft, and you were 20ft away then you've got 20/20 vision (normal good vision). If you got no further than 200ft then you're 20/200 and legally blind 

This will tell you if you have vision problems as good as any doctor, but you still need to adjust your camera manually by trying to focus on something in the viewfinder and adjusting your dioptre as you do.


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