Pentax Viewfinder Eyecups

Scheimpflug · Expire: 2011-11-18

I'm in need of some advice from the Pentax crowd. Wink

I'm finding with my P and M-series Pentaxes that when it is bright outside, or when I am really intent on focusing, I tend to press my eye too close to the metal viewfinder to block out the surrounding light. It gets a bit uncomfortable, and I suspect I am also straining my eye a bit to focus so close.

I've been looking at the eye cups, and it seems as though there are three designs: the big flared style, the round flat or cup style, and the little rubber bumper style (as is sometimes found on DSLRS). Within these designs, they also seem to come in various forms (metal vs plastic vs rubber mounting, magnifying and non-magnifying, rotating or non-rotating, and Pentax-fit vs Generic-fit).

Just making guesses, I would assume that the flared style is best for people without glasses (which is me), and the round style for those with glasses. But then it also seems as though the flared style would complicate switching from landscape to portrait...

Are there any pros/cons to the original Pentax rubber mount (such as the Pentax Eyecup-M), vs the vintage style metal mount, vs the modern generic plastic mounts?

Any suggestions, or insight into your personal preference? Question

Thanks.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I don't have a lot of experience with Pentax-specific eyecups. In fact the only Pentax I own that gets any use is an old KX which at the moment has no eyecup or ring or surround of any sort. Which reminds me -- I need to get one for it.

I wear glasses, but whenever possible, I will try to locate a diopter for my old cameras so I can use them without my glasses. My DSLR has the built-in adjustment. If my old camera has a square eyepiece, then sometimes a diopter eliminates the possibility of using an eyecup, which is a problem for me. Because I definitely prefer the standard, round, flared, i.e. more-or-less conical, eyecup. I like the fact that it eliminates all exterior light leaks when my eye is up to the viewfinder. I don't have a problem with my eyecup interfering when I rotate my camera from landscape to portrait, either. I wish my EOS DSLR had a conical eyecup instead of that ungainly trapezoidal-rectangular thing it has. I keep telling myself I need to buy a Tenpa for it:

Click here to see on Ebay

If I'm stuck using a camera without diopter adjustment or a diopter, I still prefer an eyecup, and I just fold it over so it behaves more like the bumper you mention, and then it's not so bad when I have to use my glasses.

And for the record, these comments refer specifically to my Nikons and Canon F-1, which have round eyepieces, as well as to my Pentax KX, Canon FTb and Canon AE-1, and even my EOS DSLR, all of which have rectangular eyepieces. I have the flare-type eyecups for all of them, except for the KX and the EOS, which both need them, IMO.

Hope this helps ya some.

Scheimpflug · Expire: 2011-11-18

Thanks, that is great help. Cool

So just to clarify, you prefer this style:

over this style:

?

And also, the eyepieces you have used which have an adjustable diopter, do they also have any magnification, or are they just a focus adjustment?

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Scheimpflug · Expire: 2011-11-18

DigiChromeEd · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 3460 Location: Northern Ireland

It took me a long time to find a rubber eyecup which suited my Asahi Pentax cameras and was comfortable to use (I wear glasses). Quite by accident I found this one shown below on my Asahi Pentax SPF. It is a Nikon DK-16 which was designed for their D40 DSLR.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

DigiChromeEd's shot got me to wondering. So I pulled the eyecup off my Canon AE-1 Program, then dug out my Pentax KX, which should have an eyepiece shape similar to the SPF, shouldn't it? And sure enough, the Canon eyecup fits fine. Just a little loose but it stays put.

And the cup can be folded forward for eyeglass wearers, such that it functions much the same way that the Nikon "bumper" does in DigiChromeEd's shot.

Considering the many millions of A-series cameras that Canon produced over the years, and the fact that there are probably still a number of producers of aftermarket accessories that include the Canon-style eyecups, this might be a fruitful avenue to pursue when looking for eyepiece accessories for the old Pentax cameras.

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Wow! Peter, thanks for resurrecting that thread. You guys discussed this just a couple of weeks before I joined the forum. What a great idea!

I even have the tools you show in the thread -- and then some -- and I'm very used to doing exacting detail work when required. I may have to dig some for the UHU adhesive, though.

I just took a look at a set of -2 reading glasses I own, and the only problem I can foresee is that they are thicker than the diopters the camera makers produce. They're even thicker than the lenses in my glasses. Huh. Guess there's no reason why I can't cut up an old set of my glasses though.

Scheimpflug · Expire: 2011-11-18

peterqd · Expire: 2014-01-04

Scheimpflug · Expire: 2011-11-18

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Well, the Canon eyecup fits around the outer frame, and leaves the interior glass part open, so I don't think it would do any good.

About using a lens out of glasses, I'm interested in trying this on several of my cameras. Some have round eyepieces and some have rectangular ones. And the KX has that sort of rounded rectangle. I don't want to cement them in place -- undoing that sort of mod becomes a potentially delicate operation. So I would have to come up with some method of making the diopters removable. With my F-1 and Nikons, there are eyepiece rings available. I can probably mount a diopter in an eyepiece ring. It's the square-format viewfinders that will likely be more problematic. Maybe clear silicon seal instead of an adhesive would be one answer.

Scheimpflug · Expire: 2011-11-18

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I see. Well, that might work. Only way to find out would be to give it a try. I'm thinking though that the Nikon bumper might work better in that regard. It seems to be a thicker piece of rubber. The Canon eyecup is only maybe 1mm thick right there.