Viewfinder and blurred vision... Binocular VF?

[Bobby Rue Goldberg]

I did a quick Google search and couldn't find any medical information on this, but here's my experience using viewfinders. Since there have been a few threads on viewfinders here recently, I thought I'd bring up my problems with them.

When I look through a viewfinder with one eye, my natural tendency is to close the other eye. But I can't just leave one eye open without closing the other eye much harder than normal. So, after I spend a few hours doing this, the eye that I've been closing is often blurry for several hours afterward. Nothing dramatic but enough for me to notice the difference between the two eyes. And I'm young and have healthy eyes.

My concern is not the blurry vision itself but that the pressure I'm generating on the closed eye is unnatural and could cause long-term damage if I do it for years.

I've been working on ways to keep both eyes open while looking through the VF, but this is tough and distracting.

IMO, using the LCD is probably safer than using a VF if you're having to keep one eye tightly closed for long periods, but I have no evidence of this. It's just that if it's tight enough to cause vision problems for hours, it can't be good for you.

Has anyone else experienced blurry vision from using a VF for long periods? What about a binocular VF?

 

[LMNCT]

Probably the best thing that you can do for yourself is see your physician ASAP. Your condition sounds as though it should be checked by a pro.

 

[Vesku]

I did a quick Google search and couldn't find any medical information on this, but here's my experience using viewfinders. Since there have been a few threads on viewfinders here recently, I thought I'd bring up my problems with them.

When I look through a viewfinder with one eye, my natural tendency is to close the other eye. But I can't just leave one eye open without closing the other eye much harder than normal. So, after I spend a few hours doing this, the eye that I've been closing is often blurry for several hours afterward. Nothing dramatic but enough for me to notice the difference between the two eyes. And I'm young and have healthy eyes.

My concern is not the blurry vision itself but that the pressure I'm generating on the closed eye is unnatural and could cause long-term damage if I do it for years.

I've been working on ways to keep both eyes open while looking through the VF, but this is tough and distracting.

IMO, using the LCD is probably safer than using a VF if you're having to keep one eye tightly closed for long periods, but I have no evidence of this. It's just that if it's tight enough to cause vision problems for hours, it can't be good for you.

Has anyone else experienced blurry vision from using a VF for long periods? What about a binocular VF?

I keep my eyes closed several hours during night time and the vision is very blurred at morning

 

[Bobby Rue Goldberg]

I did a quick Google search and couldn't find any medical information on this, but here's my experience using viewfinders. Since there have been a few threads on viewfinders here recently, I thought I'd bring up my problems with them.

When I look through a viewfinder with one eye, my natural tendency is to close the other eye. But I can't just leave one eye open without closing the other eye much harder than normal. So, after I spend a few hours doing this, the eye that I've been closing is often blurry for several hours afterward. Nothing dramatic but enough for me to notice the difference between the two eyes. And I'm young and have healthy eyes.

My concern is not the blurry vision itself but that the pressure I'm generating on the closed eye is unnatural and could cause long-term damage if I do it for years.

I've been working on ways to keep both eyes open while looking through the VF, but this is tough and distracting.

IMO, using the LCD is probably safer than using a VF if you're having to keep one eye tightly closed for long periods, but I have no evidence of this. It's just that if it's tight enough to cause vision problems for hours, it can't be good for you.

Has anyone else experienced blurry vision from using a VF for long periods? What about a binocular VF?

I keep my eyes closed several hours during night time and the vision is very blurred at morning

When you close both eyes, the pressure is gentle. When you force yourself to keep one eye open for long periods, the eye that's closed is creating much greater forces. Try it out for yourself and feel how much harder you're closing your eye when the other is open.

In other words, it's totally unnatural to keep one eye only open for long periods of time. Anything unnatural that you're forcing yourself to do for our modern world may come with unforeseen consequences.

For example, look at bike riders and impotence. It's only recently that we've come to realize that bicycle seats cause erectile dysfunction due to the unnatural pressure they generate.

I'd be interested to see some medical studies on this.

 

[Bobby Rue Goldberg]

Probably the best thing that you can do for yourself is see your physician ASAP. Your condition sounds as though it should be checked by a pro.

I've had a comprehensive eye exam within the last 6 months. No problems.

 

[Grzzl]

Probably the best thing that you can do for yourself is see your physician ASAP. Your condition sounds as though it should be checked by a pro.

I've had a comprehensive eye exam within the last 6 months. No problems.

Still he's right. They can have missed something.

 

[Bobby Rue Goldberg]

Probably the best thing that you can do for yourself is see your physician ASAP. Your condition sounds as though it should be checked by a pro.

I've had a comprehensive eye exam within the last 6 months. No problems.

Still he's right. They can have missed something.

 

[Bobby Rue Goldberg]

https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/comments/2iiwlm/does_shooting_for_extended_periods_of_time_mess

I've also read some other sporadic cases of this happening on other photography sites. It's possible that different people close their eyes in different ways when using a VF, so some people are more susceptible to it than others.

I also have a feeling that due to the subtlety of the effect, people with worse vision than mine may notice it less, due to the fact that their vision is already compromised to some extent. So, a minor additional blurring may be less noticeable to them.

 

[Vesku]

A binocular (two oculars) VF would new something new for a camera. With a telescope it gives almost twice the resolution of seeing things and very relaxing experience. Lets see who introduces that first. The experience of photographing would be more pleasant and with a 3-d lens it would be awesome.

 

[webber15]

I've had blurred vision (cannot remember which eye though) when spending time looking through a vf,,but speaking to a younger mate,found out that he gets the issue too,,it goes away after a while,,we are both nature toggers...I personally don't think its anything to worry about...but...if you are concerned maybe see a specialist,,but as one eye is focused on what the viewfinder see's and the other on something else,,sometimes it is not surprising that when we open both eyes together that it's blurred for a bit...

Also many birders nowadays keep both eyes open when using a scope,some seabird watchers use foam which they attach to the scope,and this sticks out to the side blocking their line of sight...but...that would be difficult to engineer on a camera...

 

[Gregm61]

I did a quick Google search and couldn't find any medical information on this, but here's my experience using viewfinders. Since there have been a few threads on viewfinders here recently, I thought I'd bring up my problems with them.

When I look through a viewfinder with one eye, my natural tendency is to close the other eye. But I can't just leave one eye open without closing the other eye much harder than normal. So, after I spend a few hours doing this, the eye that I've been closing is often blurry for several hours afterward. Nothing dramatic but enough for me to notice the difference between the two eyes. And I'm young and have healthy eyes.

My concern is not the blurry vision itself but that the pressure I'm generating on the closed eye is unnatural and could cause long-term damage if I do it for years.

I've been working on ways to keep both eyes open while looking through the VF, but this is tough and distracting.

IMO, using the LCD is probably safer than using a VF if you're having to keep one eye tightly closed for long periods, but I have no evidence of this. It's just that if it's tight enough to cause vision problems for hours, it can't be good for you.

Has anyone else experienced blurry vision from using a VF for long periods? What about a binocular VF?

Sounds like a Canon conspiracy to me......everyone's better off with an optical finder

 

[Michael J Davis]

I did a quick Google search and couldn't find any medical information on this, but here's my experience using viewfinders. Since there have been a few threads on viewfinders here recently, I thought I'd bring up my problems with them.

When I look through a viewfinder with one eye, my natural tendency is to close the other eye. But I can't just leave one eye open without closing the other eye much harder than normal. So, after I spend a few hours doing this, the eye that I've been closing is often blurry for several hours afterward. Nothing dramatic but enough for me to notice the difference between the two eyes. And I'm young and have healthy eyes.

My concern is not the blurry vision itself but that the pressure I'm generating on the closed eye is unnatural and could cause long-term damage if I do it for years.

I've been working on ways to keep both eyes open while looking through the VF, but this is tough and distracting.

IMO, using the LCD is probably safer than using a VF if you're having to keep one eye tightly closed for long periods, but I have no evidence of this. It's just that if it's tight enough to cause vision problems for hours, it can't be good for you.

Has anyone else experienced blurry vision from using a VF for long periods? What about a binocular VF?

I keep my eyes closed several hours during night time and the vision is very blurred at morning

When you close both eyes, the pressure is gentle. When you force yourself to keep one eye open for long periods, the eye that's closed is creating much greater forces. Try it out for yourself and feel how much harder you're closing your eye when the other is open.

In other words, it's totally unnatural to keep one eye only open for long periods of time. Anything unnatural that you're forcing yourself to do for our modern world may come with unforeseen consequences.

For example, look at bike riders and impotence. It's only recently that we've come to realize that bicycle seats cause erectile dysfunction due to the unnatural pressure they generate.

I'd be interested to see some medical studies on this.

... back to eyesight... ;-) As a teenager I learnt to use a microscope with both eyes open so that I could draw with my right eye what my left eye saw. It has proved very useful since as I use one eye on the vf and the other looks for activity outside the frame. It's a matter of training the brain which image to respond to.

However, I think you are referring to the physical/muscular effects of keeping the eye shut. So why don't you wear an eye patch that enables you to keep the unused eye open? Easy to slip off and on.

If that still gives you blurry vision you do need professional advice. But IANAO!

Mike

 

[Bobo Hodls]

Left eye dominant here, and I usually close my right eye. I've seen that problem too from time to time.

I'd think you can re-train yourself over time by being conscious of the problem, and either try to keep your other eye open or just not to pressure-squint it closed.

 

[Klarno]

I find I rarely have to close my other eye tightly. I look through the VF with my right eye, have my left eye open, and what's in the viewfinder is all I see. Maybe it's possible to train yourself not to close one eye while you look through the viewfinder--it might take time, but our brains are good at this sort of thing and should be able to figure out how to deal with two disparate sets of information (in people with stereoblindness, the brain actually only pays attention to one eye's image). Then I think the best practice is to set your diopter so that the eye not looking through the viewfinder is focusing at a comfortable distance.

Blurred vision can have to do with moisture levels as well. Too dry, or too wet, and things won't refract right. Keeping your eye closed for extended periods could easily cause things to be too wet.

--
http://www.photoklarno.com

 

[Zensu11]

Probably the best thing that you can do for yourself is see your physician ASAP. Your condition sounds as though it should be checked by a pro.

I've had a comprehensive eye exam within the last 6 months. No problems.

Please see an ophthalmologist ASAP! I had a full vision check up too in my early 20s' and 2 months later noticed some distortion in my left eye that was very faint to begin with and I went back to my eye doctor who confirmed I had histoplasmosis (which causes lesions on the lungs mostly but can also effect the eyes). After 6 months of medical treatment my condition did not respond to medication and the main lesion was spreading from my emacula (central focusing) to my optic nerve. They performed laser surgery on my left eye to seal the lesion and even though I have no central (detail) vision I at least have peripheral vision (3D). Sorry to go on about a personal problem but get to your eye doctor ASAP. It might be nothing but then again is it worth risking your vision?

 

[n3eg]

When I look through a viewfinder with one eye, my natural tendency is to close the other eye. But I can't just leave one eye open without closing the other eye much harder than normal. So, after I spend a few hours doing this, the eye that I've been closing is often blurry for several hours afterward. Nothing dramatic but enough for me to notice the difference between the two eyes. And I'm young and have healthy eyes.

My concern is not the blurry vision itself but that the pressure I'm generating on the closed eye is unnatural and could cause long-term damage if I do it for years.

I've been working on ways to keep both eyes open while looking through the VF, but this is tough and distracting.

IMO, using the LCD is probably safer than using a VF if you're having to keep one eye tightly closed for long periods, but I have no evidence of this. It's just that if it's tight enough to cause vision problems for hours, it can't be good for you.

Has anyone else experienced blurry vision from using a VF for long periods?

Yes, and this is one of at least ten reasons why I am a viewfinder hater. No peepholes for me.

 

[n3eg]

So why don't you wear an eye patch that enables you to keep the unused eye open? Easy to slip off and on.

Arrrr....Pirate Photography.