Trouble seeing viewfinder data

Does anyone have trouble seeing the display in the viewfinder in bright sun while using transition type eye glasses? They get dark and combined with sun glare, the vf info is almost non existant.
Was shooting at Redundo beach today and was having a terrible time seeing the viewfinder info. Never noticed this before. Anyone else have this problem?

Wish I had my 20 yr old eyes again!

charly

*chuckles*

I have trouble seeing the viewfinder data period. Being shortsighted my glasses/eyes can only cope with focussing a fair way away so have long since given up trying to see what goes on around the viwefinder and concentrate instead on whats going on at the far end of the lens.

You don't say what camera you have, but that was one of the things I hated on the XT (regular glasses for nearsightedness). I had to keep pulling the camera down from eye level to look at the small LCD. Now, however, with the 40D I see great.

Which camera body are you using? I wear glasses. I could see the viewfinder information without any problem on my old A2 film bodies, and then on the 10D as well. The 20D and 30D are horrible! Outdoors in bright light, I can't see the viewfinder data at all. Evidently Canon failed to incorporate the function that boosts the backlight in the viewfinder to compensate for brighter ambient light. I never owned the Xt or Xti: word has it that the backlight is implemented properly on those "entry level" cameras.

The 40D is much, much better. Not quite as good as the 10D, but at least I no longer feel like I'm "shooting blind" outdoors.

Take the dark glasses off and use the diopter adjustment on the camera to correct your short-sightedness

neil_r wrote in post #4125949
Take the dark glasses off and use the diopter adjustment on the camera to correct your short-sightedness

The problem with some of us short-sighted ones is that the diopter adjustment doesn't go far enough...............A​lso being able to see only what is literally in front of your nose makes for interesting walking around - except in uninhabited flat deserts that is! - seeing the camera controls and information perfectly has the gloss taken off when you have just fallen over something/somebody and are lying on the ground wondering how to explain why.

PaulB wrote in post #4126137
The problem with some of us short-sighted ones is that the diopter adjustment doesn't go far enough...............A​lso being able to see only what is literally in front of your nose makes for interesting walking around - except in uninhabited flat deserts that is! - seeing the camera controls and information perfectly has the gloss taken off when you have just fallen over something/somebody and are lying on the ground wondering how to explain why.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com …ender-EP-EX15-Review.aspx

Hermeto wrote in post #4126229
http://www.the-digital-picture.com …ender-EP-EX15-Review.aspx

So just how does cutting the size of the finder image by 30% help me to see the finder information better?
The finder size and brightness is no problem, I don't mind getting nose-grease on the LCD and I can SEE the info. fine but in very bright conditions it just isn't quite bright enough - and yes, like the OP, I use photochromic lenses; and the display is set as bright as possible.

PaulB wrote in post #4126382
So just how does cutting the size of the finder image by 30% help me to see the finder information better?
The finder size and brightness is no problem, I don't mind getting nose-grease on the LCD and I can SEE the info. fine but in very bright conditions it just isn't quite bright enough - and yes, like the OP, I use photochromic lenses; and the display is set as bright as possible.

Eyepiece extender will also ‘expand’ the range of viewfinder diopter adjustment and help correcting your short-slightness.
That’s what it’s made for.

The effect is pretty much the same as when you slightly move your eye glasses away from your eyes, further down the nose.

Hermeto wrote in post #4126495
Eyepiece extender will also ‘expand’ the range of viewfinder diopter adjustment and help correcting your short-slightness.
That’s what it’s made for.

The effect is pretty much the same as when you slightly move your eye glasses away from your eyes, further down the nose.

Not enough to cope with my needs I'll bet!
However all the other problems would still remain - reduction of vf. image size, having no vision beyond the camera controls when taking glasses off (safety issues when moving about and photographing motorsport and/or archaeological sites), won't make the vf. info any brighter etc.
Thanks for the idea anyway, I did once try one and hated it.

Thanks for all the replys, guys.
Yep it's an xt...have always intended to add the diopter xtension so I could shoot w/o glasses. Probably the thing todo is take off the specs in those bright conditions and the best option get the 40D if the vf info is bright and clear.

thanks,
charly

I had the same problem, wear the same kind of glasses. I did get the diopter extension but that alone didn't solve the problem. I started wearing a sun hat and that, with the diopter extension has solved the problem. Just have to pull the brim down enough to block any sun on my glasses.

Most data is repeated on the top LCD

At least that is the case with my 10D and my 30D, unfortunately, the smaller LCD on the top rear of the XT is not as easy to read. Additionally the information in the viewfinder of the 10D and 30D is easier to read for me than is the information in the viewfinder of the XT.

IMO, the XT provides fine imagery eual to the 30D but, I enjoy using either my 10D or my 30D more than I enjoy using the XT. The information readout is just one of the ways in which IMO the control system of the XT is inferior to the xxD series of cameras.

Just have to live with the bad viewfinders of the consumer cameras. I totally struggle with my 30D and the 5D is not much better. I tried the 40D and it also has the problem. Bright sun and Canon's viewfinders don't mix.

Hogloff wrote in post #4130893
Just have to live with the bad viewfinders of the consumer cameras. I totally struggle with my 30D and the 5D is not much better. I tried the 40D and it also has the problem. Bright sun and Canon's viewfinders don't mix.

At the same time, one can also argue that people with problematic eyesight and Photography in general, don’t mix.
You cannot really blame camera manufacturer for problems that you have with your eyes.