super newbie question

chickpea · May 5, 2011

I'm very very new to dslr's. I Just..and I MEAN just, purchased a nikon d5100 as my first slr- what's up with the diopter adjustment?
I didn't realize it even had it, and the canon rebels and olympus of the same caliber don't.
Is this a good feature? The way a photographer explained it to me was that it helps if you have prescription glasses...I don't...sooooo...
How often do I adjust it? every photo? before I take the first photo of the day? Does it affect how my shots are focused with my lens?
I've tried 'google-ing' to no avail.
Advice please!!

this is my first post!!

Hardrock · May 5, 2011

It takes the place of your glasses so you can shoot without them. If you dont have glasses than adjsut it and leave it.

Josh66 · May 5, 2011

Are you sure the Canon's & Oly's didn't have it? I've never seen an SLR that didn't... Sometimes you have to remove the rubber eye-cup to get to it.

Even if you don't wear glasses, you should still adjust it to the correct setting. Once you have it adjusted to where it needs to be, that's it. You don't have to ever change it - unless your eyes change, or it gets bumped to the wrong setting or something...

It makes sure that what you think is in focus actually is. Look at the marks on the focusing screen (AF points, stuff like that) and adjust it till they look the sharpest.

Big Mike · May 5, 2011

I'm fairly sure that even the entry level Canon (& Nikon) cameras have diopter adjustment.

It's something that you would really only adjust once, so that it's right for your eyes, then you don't worry about it. As mentioned, make sure you are adjusting it so that the marks on the screen are sharp.

KmH · May 5, 2011

Whatever you do, don't read the D5100 users manual, particularly the part where it explains the dipoter adjustment.

AUG19 · May 5, 2011

O|||||||O said:
You don't have to ever change it - unless your eyes change, or it gets bumped to the wrong setting or something...

I agree and in the OP's case it's unlikely to be relevant..but sometimes I use one of these for certain shots, and that requires dioptre adjustment.

chickpea · May 5, 2011

KmH said:
Whatever you do, don't read the D5100 users manual, particularly the part where it explains the dipoter adjustment.

LOL- too late! maybe this is why I'm a little confused!

chickpea · May 5, 2011

Not sure- all the other newbies in my beginner slr class didn't know they have it if they do. Maybe it is under their rubber caps...

O|||||||O said:
Are you sure the Canon's & Oly's didn't have it? I've never seen an SLR that didn't... Sometimes you have to remove the rubber eye-cup to get to it.

chickpea · May 5, 2011

The photographer told also told me it is the difference b/w having an optical viewfinder and an electronic viewfinder. Anyone want to explain that part to me?? pretty please...

enzodm · May 5, 2011

chickpea said:
Not sure- all the other newbies in my beginner slr class didn't know they have it if they do. Maybe it is under their rubber caps...

perhaps they too didn't read their manual?

Of course this is true for dSLR, if they have just compact or bridge cameras, likely they do not have diopter adjustment. If someone of them has a Canon Xs/T2i, just look on the right side of the viewfinder. There is a small wheel (like here). It is better to know it exists, because sometimes it can be inadvertently moved.

KevinPutman · May 5, 2011

So that's what that little knob is for...the one that makes my viewfinder all fuzzy when I play with it!

Josh66 · May 5, 2011

chickpea said:
The photographer told also told me it is the difference b/w having an optical viewfinder and an electronic viewfinder. Anyone want to explain that part to me?? pretty please...

Optical viewfinder is just that - you are actually looking through the lens.

With an electronic viewfinder, you are not actually looking through the lens - you are looking at a little LCD screen that is displaying what the lens is seeing.

Two problems I can see that electronic viewfinders *might* have are reduced battery life (another LCD that's always on...), and maybe a little lag between what the screen displays and what is actually in front of the camera.

Read this for more information:
Electronic viewfinder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

enzodm · May 6, 2011

O|||||||O said:
Two problems I can see that electronic viewfinders *might* have are reduced battery life (another LCD that's always on...), and maybe a little lag between what the screen displays and what is actually in front of the camera.

...third: resolution not adequate to fine manual focusing.