A question about dioptics and viewfinders

[tink]

I have so much trouble manual focussing it's unbelievable. Others have used my camera and they've done ok. Until one last night who is a great photographer. She had a go at my D70 and had the same problem!

Now my question is, can I buy a diopter to attach on my viewfinder to improve the viewing? I know that some cameras do this but I went to the "Maxwell" site for Nikon sales and I couldnt find one. I'm hoping to at least widen it so I can get a better view to 'see' better through it.

Thanks'
Wendy

[Michael Fanelli]

I have so much trouble manual focussing it's unbelievable. Others have used my camera and they've done ok. Until one last night who is a great photographer. She had a go at my D70 and had the same problem!

Now my question is, can I buy a diopter to attach on my viewfinder to improve the viewing? I know that some cameras do this but I went to the "Maxwell" site for Nikon sales and I couldnt find one. I'm hoping to at least widen it so I can get a better view to 'see' better through it.

Thanks'
Wendy

Diopter are the units used to describe the curve of a lens, i.e., how much positive or negative magnification. For example, I am extremely nearsighted and my eyeglasses use a correction of -10 dipoter.

Putting a diopter on the viewfinder is used to make the viewfinder "in focus" if your eyes are not average. They do not magnify the image or make it easier to manually focus. Change the dipoter either way and you will get blurry results.

Manually focusing many DSLRs is tricky as most people don't use it anymore. What I do is set my camera options (a Canon) to use only the center focusing box. Focus with the box and recompose. Its faster than the old manual focus and is extremely accurate.
.

[SmartWombat]

Do you wear glasses?
I need to asjust mine (Canon have a +/- adjustment knob) for best focus.
My right and left eyes are different (I see different colours too!) and I have it set for my right eye.

Can you see the marks on your focussing screen clearly?
If the screen isn't clearly in focus, then you will find manual focussing difficult.

Your D70 has a diopter adjustment.
• Built-in diopter adjustment (-1.6 to +0.5 m-1)

So perhaps it got knocked in the camera bag, or while over your shoulder.
That wold be the first thing I'd check.
Use the 5 AF marks on the viewfinder and witnout focussing the lens (or even turning the camera on) use that adjuster until you can see the marks at their sharpest.