Glasses On or Off?

[RobSay]

Hello - a question for observers who wear glasses ..

I can either view with my glasses on (EPs chosen with decent relief) or take them off and refocus. It takes about 2cm travel between the two on the focuser

My feeling is that glasses off provides better seeing but this has an impact on shared observing with my lad (who has perfect eyesight of course ..). If I nail something faint at high magnification he's only got a limited to refocus before it might have moved considerably.

Do other wearers of glasses find unaided viewing 'better' or is that my subjective bias? And should I try and stick with glasses on in an effort to achieve better shared viewing?

Oh and the scope is 5" Newtonian Reflector (SW Exp 130) - with a couple of replacement eyepieces & decent collimation.

Other disgarded options:

- Contact lenses aren't an option (that's my choice).

- Two scopes, lad isn't up for self guided viewing jsut yet .. and space .. and sel imposed resistance to 'stuff acquisition'

I'm interested in opinions...

cheers

Rob

[toshapetriji]

Go for the 2 scopes you deserve it.

[Parus major]

I don't wear glasses myself but I just find it easier to have the eyecups folded or twisted down for wildlife watching and I've taken the habit over to astronomy. I feel they get in the way and reduce the width of the image that I can see with the only down side being in astronomy that they want folding back up to put the caps back on.

[russ]

I have severe astigmatism, so i tend to wear my glasses for low power viewing where i want to see the whole field as sharp as possible to the edge. But go without the glasses for high power. None of my high power eyepieces have good eye relief, so useless for glasses.

Which means when finding faints objects at low power, the focus is just about right for my sons. But at high power it's off a bit but the planet is bright and easy to refocus.

[Gerontius]

I have exactly the same issues as russ with astigmatism.

So much so that I can't use high power eyepieces effectively.

It would be nice to have high power eyepieces with a decent relief.

[AndyH]

I push my specs onto my forehead before looking through the eyepiece. If someone else is wanting a look, I crank the focuser wheels back out a smidgen for them and tell them they may need to refocus slightly. I've got quite good at determining the amount the focus wheel needs to move, for the norms with good sight.

I've tried to view with specs on and I dislike it and can't get used to it.

Andy.

[kniclander]

I have a scope with a prescription mirror

not really -I'm glasses on for finder; glasses off for main scope.

tbh even with glasses on you can't really focus accurately for soemone else becasue they'll probably have their eye a lot closer than yours - I have exactly this problem with my kids too so I'm trying to get the to get the hang of focusing themselves.

[nemesis]

I'm slightly short sighted, so have been using my glasses when scanning the sky and getting the general position, but then take them off when looking thru the eyepieces.

[Johnboy]

Even with eyepieces that have decent eye relief I can't get used to wearing my specs, so like Andy I push them onto my forehead. I personally find it more comfortable to have my eyes pressed to the eyecup. It's a bit of a pain really as I need my specs for everything else, so basically there on then off then on then.... You get the picture. LOL

John

[E621Keith]

I observe with my glasses on due to my astigmatism. Also, I am very short sighted so I need to observe with glasses while using binoculars because mine doesn't have enough focuser travel.

[CliffordB]

I have moderate astigmatism so also tend to observe at low power with glasses on and higher powers with them off. I find observing without to be much more comfortable though, and whether I'm wearing glasses or not other observers still tend to have to fine tune the focus for themselves.

Clive

[Carbon Brush]

Take a look at this lot from last September....

http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/118364-question-about-wearing-glasses-viewing-through-scope.html

[RobSay]

Not just me then ... not really noticed much difference with high and low power as yet. FWIW I also attempt an approximate refocus before saying 'that's amazing you've got to see that'. Lad is getting better at the small adjustments.

ta

R

[RobSay]

Take a look at this lot from last September....

http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/118364-question-about-wearing-glasses-viewing-through-scope.html

ah ha - will take a look.

Searched for 'glasses' but didn't see this ..(!)

ta

[russ]

Seems quite a few of us have an astigmatism. Real pain. I suppose with could all buy a set of Televue eyepieces with a Dioptrx for each eyepiece. Problem sorted for a mere 4 figure sum.

What do amaze me is how much better the sky is naked eye with the glasses on. Like looking at a different sky.

[Midpoint]

I'm with Russ and CliffordB. Due to astigmatism, glasses on for low power and glasses off for high power.

[johnnychaos]

I'm slightly short sighted, so have been using my glasses when scanning the sky and getting the general position, but then take them off when looking thru the eyepieces.

me too.

I try to do that stick them on your forehead thing but it never works for me and any higher they get tangled in my dreads! to I just take em off and put them in my pocket.

[kharga]

I wear Varifocal glasses and leave them on for using binos and scopes. I just need to remember to look through the "distance" part of the lens (ie the higher part) !