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'Scope headaches? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter SimonC
- Start date
Malcolm Onley
New member
Eye strain
Hello. I have just joined the "forum" being new to birding and all that this entails. I was browsing the site to find info to help me in choosing a good scope when I found this eye strain question. As I have very little experience yet I'm a bit reticent to add any advice but I do have experience from a parallel field which might be of use.
I used to do a great deal of scientific microscapy and we were all taught very early on to keep both eyes open at all times precisely to avoid eye strain and never to close the "other" eye. At first this felt very strange and the brain had difficulty in coping. But remarkably after several hours of practice the brain adapted (as the tutors knew ot would!) and you "saw" (or registered) only the image you were concentrating on in the scope. Eye strain was eliminated. Once learned, that was it; ie you didn't have to adapt each time as it became second nature.
Hello. I have just joined the "forum" being new to birding and all that this entails. I was browsing the site to find info to help me in choosing a good scope when I found this eye strain question. As I have very little experience yet I'm a bit reticent to add any advice but I do have experience from a parallel field which might be of use.
I used to do a great deal of scientific microscapy and we were all taught very early on to keep both eyes open at all times precisely to avoid eye strain and never to close the "other" eye. At first this felt very strange and the brain had difficulty in coping. But remarkably after several hours of practice the brain adapted (as the tutors knew ot would!) and you "saw" (or registered) only the image you were concentrating on in the scope. Eye strain was eliminated. Once learned, that was it; ie you didn't have to adapt each time as it became second nature.
digi-birder
Well-known member
Malcolm, on behalf of admin and all the moderators, let me offer you a warm welcome to BF.
Please don't feel reticent about contributing to the discussions, no matter how inexperienced you feel.
We look forward to hearing all about your birding experiences and hope you enjoy your visits to BF. You may find, though, that you become a little addicted!
I have to admit that I close the other eye when looking through the scope, but I will certainly give your suggestion a try.
Please don't feel reticent about contributing to the discussions, no matter how inexperienced you feel.
We look forward to hearing all about your birding experiences and hope you enjoy your visits to BF. You may find, though, that you become a little addicted!
I have to admit that I close the other eye when looking through the scope, but I will certainly give your suggestion a try.
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
Hi Malcolm, and another welcome. I'm interested in this comment about keeping both eyes open when using a scope, because we'll be getting one shortly. Perhaps if I use your suggested method right from the start, I'll find it easier to get used to it, rather than try to change later if I get a headache problem.
Now - slight change of topic - for people who already have scopes - which eye do you use? I use my right eye with a camera, so I suppose this would be what I would do with a scope.
Now - slight change of topic - for people who already have scopes - which eye do you use? I use my right eye with a camera, so I suppose this would be what I would do with a scope.
digi-birder
Well-known member
I have to use my right eye, as I have a slight squint in the left one. Not enough to make me look cross-eyed, but enough to make everything blurred when I close the right eye.
It varies. I kick with my left foot and bat and bowl left-handed, but I throw with my right arm (I'm not much of a cricketer, BTW!) I also write right-handed. Can't do any of these things with either hand/foot so can't be classed as ambidextrous. I think cack-handed is probably the word you want!pduxon said:
Jason
Elizabeth Bigg
Addicted member
Sounds a bit like me Jason - things I've been taught to do, I do right-handed, but for self taught things I use my left hand.
Caused me all sorts of trouble when I was trying to coil and throw a rope (Girl Guide badge). It was only years later I realised the problem - coiled left handed, tried to throw right handed, ended up in a terrible tangle! :eek!: I tie bowlines left handed - so I used to teach the left handed students in a group of people learning to sail.
Caused me all sorts of trouble when I was trying to coil and throw a rope (Girl Guide badge). It was only years later I realised the problem - coiled left handed, tried to throw right handed, ended up in a terrible tangle! :eek!: I tie bowlines left handed - so I used to teach the left handed students in a group of people learning to sail.
normjackson
Well-known member
Duck Rabbit?
Imagine this without the the beam splitter:
http://www.monkoptics.co.uk/Observation/cyclops.html
Guess waterproof body means we should interpret this as an attempt to bring beam splitter to terrestrial viewing.
Imagine this without the the beam splitter:
http://www.monkoptics.co.uk/Observation/cyclops.html
Guess waterproof body means we should interpret this as an attempt to bring beam splitter to terrestrial viewing.
Gaz Shilton
Well-known member
Hi SimonC,
What I have found to eleviate a similar problem I had was when I got a Skua stay-on-case for my new scope, I put the lens cover to the side of the lens, it blocks out the light of the eye I am not using so I can now keep this eye open, thereby taking the strain off it having it closed all the time I look thru' the eyepiece.
What I have found to eleviate a similar problem I had was when I got a Skua stay-on-case for my new scope, I put the lens cover to the side of the lens, it blocks out the light of the eye I am not using so I can now keep this eye open, thereby taking the strain off it having it closed all the time I look thru' the eyepiece.
