Out of focus eye at DVinfo.net

Mark Ahrens · December 3rd, 2011, 06:23 PM

When i shoot a football game in the bright sun, i use the EVF and for up to 6 hours afterwards, the vision in my left eye is blurred - pretty badly. Is this an occupational hazard? Is this normal?

I know i'm going to get a bunch of 'shoot with both eyes open' responses . . . but i've tried and i find it difficult to concentrate.

Ken Hull · December 3rd, 2011, 07:01 PM

Problems with your left eye for a while is normal. But 6 hours??? Really?
You might try using an eye patch, rather than squinting the eye close. That way, the muscles around the eye can be relaxed, instead of pressing the eye out of shape.
- Ken

Mark Ahrens · December 3rd, 2011, 08:34 PM

Well, i stopped shooting at 5. And it's 9:30 now. Still seriously blurry. I see double vision when reading text by the bad eye. Maybe i am squinting hard - never noticed. I'll look for a pirate supply store nearby. Thanks for the tip!

Allan Black · December 4th, 2011, 12:07 AM

Mark, get checked out asap, you might need glasses. If so get transitional lens (the ones that darken outdoors)

The cost of those is paid for by not needing to continually replace lost or broken sunglasses .. those lens can block out harmful UV rays too.

Also try learning to shoot video with both eyes open, in the viewfinder you can see bad stuff coming into frame. HTH.

Cheers.

Jon Fairhurst · December 4th, 2011, 02:39 AM

This problem becomes worse with age. Our lenses get harder as we get older. That's why we need reading glasses, the muscles just can't bend the lenses as far as they used to.

When you put pressure on the lens for an extended time, it eventually distorts. And if you are older, it doesn't go back to its normal shape for a while.

Yeah, get an eye exam. It's good to do that regularly anyway. But I would be surprised if it doesn't get back to normal before long.

In the meantime, drink lots of fluids. Water is the body's lubricant.

David W. Jones · December 4th, 2011, 09:10 AM

This may sound stupid, but try to learn to shoot with booth eyes open.

Allan Black · December 8th, 2011, 07:26 PM

Yo David, no offence buddy but you might need glasses :)

Happy Xmas Cheers.

Denise Wall · December 8th, 2011, 08:21 PM

This happens to me too and has for years. It gets worse as you age like others have said. I try to keep both eyes open but don't always manage it. Oddly, I use my left eye for shooting when it's my right eye that's dominant. (I'm left handed mostly.) I wonder if shooting with my non dominant eye makes it harder for me to keep that dominant eye open.

December 3rd, 2011, 06:23 PM	#1
Mark Ahrens Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Plantation, FL Posts: 239	Out of focus eye When i shoot a football game in the bright sun, i use the EVF and for up to 6 hours afterwards, the vision in my left eye is blurred - pretty badly. Is this an occupational hazard? Is this normal? I know i'm going to get a bunch of 'shoot with both eyes open' responses . . . but i've tried and i find it difficult to concentrate. __________________ Mark Ahrens www.heritagefilms.net

December 3rd, 2011, 07:01 PM	#2
Ken Hull Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 240	Re: Out of focus eye Problems with your left eye for a while is normal. But 6 hours??? Really? You might try using an eye patch, rather than squinting the eye close. That way, the muscles around the eye can be relaxed, instead of pressing the eye out of shape. - Ken

December 3rd, 2011, 08:34 PM	#3
Mark Ahrens Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Plantation, FL Posts: 239	Re: Out of focus eye Well, i stopped shooting at 5. And it's 9:30 now. Still seriously blurry. I see double vision when reading text by the bad eye. Maybe i am squinting hard - never noticed. I'll look for a pirate supply store nearby. Thanks for the tip! __________________ Mark Ahrens www.heritagefilms.net

December 4th, 2011, 12:07 AM	#4
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,930	Re: Out of focus eye Mark, get checked out asap, you might need glasses. If so get transitional lens (the ones that darken outdoors) The cost of those is paid for by not needing to continually replace lost or broken sunglasses .. those lens can block out harmful UV rays too. Also try learning to shoot video with both eyes open, in the viewfinder you can see bad stuff coming into frame. HTH. Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.

December 4th, 2011, 02:39 AM	#5
Jon Fairhurst Inner Circle Join Date: May 2006 Location: Camas, WA, USA Posts: 5,513	Re: Out of focus eye This problem becomes worse with age. Our lenses get harder as we get older. That's why we need reading glasses, the muscles just can't bend the lenses as far as they used to. When you put pressure on the lens for an extended time, it eventually distorts. And if you are older, it doesn't go back to its normal shape for a while. Yeah, get an eye exam. It's good to do that regularly anyway. But I would be surprised if it doesn't get back to normal before long. In the meantime, drink lots of fluids. Water is the body's lubricant. __________________ Jon Fairhurst

December 4th, 2011, 09:10 AM	#6
David W. Jones Trustee Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Little Rock Posts: 1,383	Re: Out of focus eye This may sound stupid, but try to learn to shoot with booth eyes open. __________________ David W. Jones www.joneshdfilms.com

December 8th, 2011, 07:26 PM	#7
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,930	Re: Out of focus eye Yo David, no offence buddy but you might need glasses :) Happy Xmas Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.

December 8th, 2011, 08:21 PM	#8
Denise Wall Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Advance, NC Posts: 153	Re: Out of focus eye This happens to me too and has for years. It gets worse as you age like others have said. I try to keep both eyes open but don't always manage it. Oddly, I use my left eye for shooting when it's my right eye that's dominant. (I'm left handed mostly.) I wonder if shooting with my non dominant eye makes it harder for me to keep that dominant eye open.