I've worn glasses since the second grade, so I'm plenty accustomed to not having perfect vision. But this feels like it happened overnight and now I don't seem to see things up close very well. If there isn't adequate light, it's gets even tougher. So, I try to remember to schlep reading glasses around, but more often than not, I forget. My iPhone has proven it's worth once again as it makes a dandy way to shine some light on a menu in a dark restaurant so I can read the damn thing.
Now why am I boring you all with this on this blog post? Well, I'm here to tell you that this is no fun for a photographer. It's made verifying focus, checking for blown out highlights and reading camera settings pretty darn hard. There are even times when verifying a good facial expression is difficult. The good news is I'm also here to tell you about an awesome product delivering me from the blur of middle age eyesight. I give you the Hoodman Loupe!
This isn't a new product, but in my view it had always seemed a bit of a luxury. One of those must haves for the overly indulgent gear head or the thing to get the photographer who had everything. But with my 40-something eye challenges, I can also tell you it is making me want to look at my camera LCD again. I can see!
The loupe features a diopter like you find on a binocular so that you can dial in a sharp view of the LCD. It has the added benefit of blocking glare to make viewing the LCD a better experience than it's ever been... even when I had the eyes of a 30 year old. I can easily verify sharp focus, validate a great composition and check for blown out areas and poor exposure. I have to say that the Hoodman Loupe is allowing me to once again walk away with confidence knowing that I got the shot. While not technically true, it makes the back of my camera look like high def. It even has a nifty lanyard to hang it around your neck so you don't lose it. Which is great because you know what goes after your eyes? That's right... your memory!
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