such thing as ND eyecup???

I'm wondering if there is such thing as a tinted eyecup for our cameras. I mean, all of my cameras have removeable eyecups, but none have any kind of tinting options.

The reason I ask is... my optometrist (who is also an amazing photographer) and I were discussing this. I told him I love to put the sun right into the frame when shooting. It is NEVER recommended to look at the sun through any magnification, which the cameras do. He said that the harmful UV rays would be absorbed due to the sheer amount of glass in the lens, so that isn't a concern. But solar burn IS a concern, and repeated exposure could very well damage the eyes.

He suggested maybe sunglasses, but I have better than 20/20 vision and cannot get used to wearing any kind of eyewear. I even tried it, but it was so uncomfortable to use a camera with glasses... I don't know how some of you do it. I couldn't even see the whole viewfinder!

So that's why I'm wondering about tinted eyecups. I searched around and didn't find anything. Does anybody know of any tinted eyecups? Maybe like an ND8 filter integrated into it??

Just use your nictitating membrane. j/k

I have 20/20 and I still wear my oakleys when I drive.

picturecrazy wrote in post #5403331
I'm wondering if there is such thing as a tinted eyecup for our cameras. I mean, all of my cameras have removeable eyecups, but none have any kind of tinting options.

The reason I ask is... my optometrist (who is also an amazing photographer) and I were discussing this. I told him I love to put the sun right into the frame when shooting. It is NEVER recommended to look at the sun through any magnification, which the cameras do. He said that the harmful UV rays would be absorbed due to the sheer amount of glass in the lens, so that isn't a concern. But solar burn IS a concern, and repeated exposure could very well damage the eyes.

He suggested maybe sunglasses, but I have better than 20/20 vision and cannot get used to wearing any kind of eyewear. I even tried it, but it was so uncomfortable to use a camera with glasses... I don't know how some of you do it. I couldn't even see the whole viewfinder!

So that's why I'm wondering about tinted eyecups. I searched around and didn't find anything. Does anybody know of any tinted eyecups? Maybe like an ND8 filter integrated into it??

Got some tape and a dremel?

How about cutting out proper sizes from ND Gels?

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Neutral_Density​_Pack.html

With that much real-estate in each gel, you could have several for each camera and stack them if needed.

One would think that the 'frosted' surface of the focusing screen sufficiently reduces the damage to the eye, but I suppose a bright enough thing like the sun is still a poblem even if diffused by the focusing screen. I guess you could try to find a sheet of ND filter material in suitable density, and put a piece over the eyepiece.

What CDI said (damn this is getting scary)

...also people used to use bits of film negative they were otherwise disposing of. ( "Film"? ... what is this, "film" you speak of? ) The gels though are paper thin (gel thin? ) and will do the job. It gets a bit finicky messing with it if you have to swap often, but it do0es the job.

If you really do find yourself needed to swap a lot, you could go ahead and get another eyepiece and attach the gel to one of them semipermanently.

My Prnt Scrn key is gonna lose its text label if this keeps up...

I was going to mention getting additional eyecups for that too.

One thing to note, it probably is not good for the sensor either. Just like your eye, the sensor is a sensitive piece of equipment that HATES heat. The sun could easily heat it up and hurt it with multiple exposures of the sun.

That is why when astronomers shoot the sun they use pinhole viewers and other means of reflecting the sun on a surface to view it and lessen its intensity.

Grentz wrote in post #5403951
One thing to note, it probably is not good for the sensor either. Just like your eye, the sensor is a sensitive piece of equipment that HATES heat. The sun could easily heat it up and hurt it with multiple exposures of the sun.

That is why when astronomers shoot the sun they use pinhole viewers and other means of reflecting the sun on a surface to view it and lessen its intensity.

Some I rather doubt that even a 5fps burst at 1/8000 would do much to heat up the sensor!

Wilt wrote in post #5403978
Some I rather doubt that even a 5fps burst at 1/8000 would do much to heat up the sensor!

No, but I seem to recall a recent thread about someone using a supertelephoto lens and mirror lockup at the beach, and ending up burning a hole through their shutter.

silverhalide wrote in post #5403994
No, but I seem to recall a recent thread about someone using a supertelephoto lens and mirror lockup at the beach, and ending up burning a hole through their shutter.

Countless numbskulls have done exactly that, in the history of photograpy. I would be truly impressed if that was a metal focal plane shutter curtain that fried!!! Cloth curtains, especially in the days before instant return reflex mirrors, were a known vulnerable thing in the sun.

Wilt wrote in post #5403978
Some I rather doubt that even a 5fps burst at 1/8000 would do much to heat up the sensor!

You really have a big magnifying glass in front of the sensor that is sensitive to heat pointed into the sun, anything is possible

Not saying it will happen, just saying something to think about.

Hmm, good ideas guys. thanks!

I think getting another eyecup and affixing an ND gel in there would be a great solution! I've been thinking of cutting ND glass filters but I never even thought about gels. nice!

I've been shooting the sun for years and never any damage. I shoot typically at 1/250 and that is a very short time for the sensor to even get heated up.

now live view with the sun...now THAT is something I wouldn't do.

thanks for the ideas guys!

Have you tried just using DOF preview mode?