When I use the DOF preview button on my camera to check the DOF I always find it not quite clear enough. I am considering to buy an eyecup and hope that it may help to improve the preview by blocking side light. However, I wear eyeglasses. With the eyeglasses on, I think the effect of the eyecup will be reduced since side light can come in from the space between the glasses and my face. I wonder how much the effect will be reduced. With eyeglasses on will the eyecup not be very helpful for improving the view in the viewfinder of the camera? Is there anybody who uses an eyecup with his/her eyeglasses on? If yes, what is your experience?
Regards,
Frank
My opinion? The DOF-Preview-Button is next to useless but for live view.
If you're looking through the viewfinder your field of view is limited. I held a 3.5 inch disk drive at arm length and that's about the same size a peek through the eyepiece is giving me. And one thing is for sure: An arm length is not the common viewing distance for prints in 10x15 cm.
If you're only using prints half this size, composing DOF through the viewfinder is ok. If you're using larger image sizes you will magnify everything, esp. focus errors.
Ciao, Walter
No. I don't use an eye-cup. A different focusing screen may help, but eye-cups generally don't.
A standard focusing screen for a digital camera has a similar DoF as a lens stopped down to F/5.6 - F/8, so whether you use an eye-cup or not is not going to help you a lot if anything at all.
With a Canon camera that has exchangeable focusing screens, you can use a laser matte, the -S focusing screens (EE-S, Ef-S, Eg-S, etc.), which are extremely finely matted. It makes them darker, although I don't really notice the difference, but the most important aspect is that these are screens designed to work with fast lenses, and have a corresponding lower f-stop rating. They are great for judging real DoF, especially on FF cameras, and are a must for accurate MF.
I don't know the equivalent of these focusing screens for other camera brands, however. They probably do exist, I would expect.
BTW, I wear glasses.
Kind regards, Wim
Yes, it seems that the eyecup will not help much in DOF preview. Then I am not considering to buy it now. It is a pain that most (if not all) morden Nikon lenses do not have good DOF scales. Modern Nikon zoom lenses do not have them at all.
But perhaps the DOF preview button is not useless at all. Sometimes it may still be very useful, according to
http://www.naturephotographers.net/artic...905-1.html
Best regards,
Frank
I had an eyecup on my old Canon Elan IIe film camera. I also wear eyeglasses. There was a small advantage with using the eyecup concerning viewfinder brightness/contrast, but not a great deal. To me, it made it easier to really focus on the image in the viewfinder without the distracting light coming in from the side. But, it was not such a big improvement that I felt the need to purchase one for any of my subsequent digital bodies.
The more I think about it, and remember (it has been over 10 years ago!), maybe I used the eyecup with my eyeglasses in order that the eye-control focus would work better due to the reduced glare on the lens of my eyeglasses. Now I am missing the eye-control focus....LOL. I thought it was pretty cool.
[quote name='Frank' timestamp='1301637488' post='7271']But perhaps the DOF preview button is not useless at all. Sometimes it may still be very useful, according to
http://www.naturephotographers.net/artic...905-1.html[/quote]
I wrote "next to useless but for live view". I use live view a lot in architecture and landscape.
Some points in the article are valid, some matter of discussion(at least), 9 is not recommended by the author himself and 10 is just written to achive a round number.
Not impressed by the article, sorry.
Ciao, Walter
[quote name='Walter Schulz' timestamp='1301646846' post='7279']
I wrote "next to useless but for live view". I use live view a lot in architecture and landscape.
Some points in the article are valid, some matter of discussion(at least), 9 is not recommended by the author himself and 10 is just written to achive a round number.
Not impressed by the article, sorry.
Ciao, Walter
[/quote]
Sorry about my English, Walter, but I have not got the meaning of your "next to useless but for live view". Do you mean the DOF button can be used as a kind of live view?
Yes, I agree that the point 9 in that article is not useful for viewfinder not covering 100%.
Frank
[quote name='Frank' timestamp='1301650424' post='7282']
Sorry about my English, Walter, but I have not got the meaning of your "next to useless but for live view". Do you mean the DOF button can be used as a kind of live view?[/quote]
Live view = option in most of the current DSLRs = Mirror swings upwards, shutter is opened, main display shows the picture-to-be, viewfinder is blocked. Press the magnify button and troubles setting focus are gone.
[quote name='Frank' timestamp='1301650424' post='7282']Yes, I agree that the point 9 in that article is not useful for viewfinder not covering 100%.[/quote]
I would rather say it's blunt nonsense for another reason. To detect mechanical vignetting you will get best results with good contrast. And reduced contrast is exactly what you get pressing said button.
Ciao, Walter
[quote name='Walter Schulz' timestamp='1301654068' post='7283']
Live view = option in most of the current DSLRs = Mirror swings upwards, shutter is opened, main display shows the picture-to-be, viewfinder is blocked. Press the magnify button and troubles setting focus are gone.
I would rather say it's blunt nonsense for another reason. To detect mechanical vignetting you will get best results with good contrast. And reduced contrast is exactly what you get pressing said button.
Ciao, Walter
[/quote]
Thank you. I see, you have asigned the DOF button to live view.
I will make some more try on the DOF preview. If finally I find that it is not very useful, I will also direct it to another function.
Frank