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Author Topic: Desktop editing setup: monitors, sizes, distances, resolution … glasses?  (Read 4621 times)

KirbyKrieger

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Hi.  After spending the morning with my optician, I am seeking advice on setting up a computer workspace for editing digital images with the goal of printing.

I am 53, and after years of perfect vision now resort to protheses to keep my vision near perfect.  A couple of years ago, I switched to bifocals.  I have always kept the "reading" lens set to about 20 inches for use with computers.  In order to continue to enjoy 20/20 vision, it seems I now need trifocals, progressives, or two sets of bifocals, one for "about town" and one for work.  I am not interested in progressives: I use my eyes as calipers, and can't put up with the large patches of unresolvable information they present.  Trifocal lenses are great if you insist on one pair for all day.  I am willing to use one pair for work, and one pair for "not-work", so I am likely to go with two pairs of bifocals, a "work" pair and an "all the time" pair.  Hence my questions.

What is the best studio set-up for those who wear glasses?  I am willing to consider any changes.

I work in two different studios.  At each I have my 15" Retina MBP, and a 24" or 27" NEC monitor.  I prefer a standing desk.  Since I got the Retina MBP, I have found (as have my clients) the NEC monitors to be "grainy".  (I use a 2490 WUXi2 and a P270W.)  I do most of my editing on the Retina display, and use the large monitors for, in essence, a sort of "life size" preview.

Two 24" retina-quality displays, with NEC's color controls, would be nice.  (I calibrate everything with a ColorMunki Photo, and use SpectraView II for the NECs.)

The glasses question is this:  what length should the two lenses in the work bifocals be set?  Where should the monitor(s) be placed relative to me?

Thanks.
« Last Edit: May 15, 2014, 03:08:08 am by KirbyKrieger »
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Schewe

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Well, I can only tell you what I've evolved in my studio...first off, yes, forget progressives. I do wear progressives for out and about but the "ideal" spot is always to small and you'll be moving your head all the time to keep the display sharp.

What I've done for the last 10 years is get an occupational prescription specifically set to to be a bit further than arm's length (about 35"). I never really want to be too close to the display. Also since I work on a 3 display system (2 30" displays and a 27" for pallets) I position my displays in an arc around me so when I look straight into the display it's head on. I also have my displays raised so my eyes hit right in the middle up/down.

I did get a pair of occupational glasses recently that included a specially position bifocal that's a bit lower than normal. So, I can look down on the desk for clear reading up close and look up with the longer view.

This has worked very well for me for a long time.
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digitaldog

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I'm in the same camp, and agree with Jeff. I have a separate set of glasses with a prescription just for working on my desktop system (27 or 30" display). Elsewhere I use bifocals, but never went with progressive from day one. I just didn't care about how they 'look' and heard from others who had issues with them. On the road (like today) with a Retina Macbook, the regular bifocal set works fine.
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KirbyKrieger

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Jeff — many thanks.  Exactly the kind of info I was seeking.


I did get a pair of occupational glasses recently that included a specially position bifocal that's a bit lower than normal. So, I can look down on the desk for clear reading up close and look up with the longer view.

"Lower than normal" refers the height of the horizontal line separating the distance lens from the inset reading lens?  Do you have that (reading) lens set so it focusses at the same reading distance as your regular glasses, or is it extended a bit?

KirbyKrieger

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I'm in the same camp, and agree with Jeff. I have a separate set of glasses with a prescription just for working on my desktop system (27 or 30" display). Elsewhere I use bifocals, but never went with progressive from day one. I just didn't care about how they 'look' and heard from others who had issues with them. On the road (like today) with a Retina Macbook, the regular bifocal set works fine.

I made the same decision re: progressives when I first got glasses.  I didn't want any areas of uncertainty in my field of vision (and I wear them so I can see, not so I am noticed).

Do you work with a 27" and a 30" side-by-side?  Is the change in scale bothersome in any way (assuming they are set to the same or nearly the same resolution)?

Has your Retina display not left you finding the large displays a little rough/grainy/unsharp?

RSL

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I'm with Jeff. Just tell your ophthalmologist you want computer glasses. He'll know how to modify your standard prescription for those. It's a pain to have to switch back and forth, but anything else is worse.
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Schewe

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"Lower than normal" refers the height of the horizontal line separating the distance lens from the inset reading lens?

When I got the computer glasses with the bifocals, the eye glass guy determined where to place the hight of the bifocals. Unfortunately, that placed the line at just the bottom of my large displays and caused a flair. So, I returned them and told him to make them lower. So, the line in the new pair is below the bottom of the display but if I look down (without moving my head) close focus is where I need it to be.
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PeterAit

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I too wear trifocals. I have had a set of "computer glasses" made that are bifocals, duplicating the close and middle distance parts of the trifocals. Thus, the main (upper) part of the lenses is perfect to view the monitors (about 24" away) and the lower part is for close-up reading.
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Adam L

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I just ordered my second pair of computer/reading bifocals.  I'm maximizing the size of the glass that focuses on the computer with this second pair.   I love these glasses and can't recommend them enough, especially if you're nearsighted and your eyesight is poor.
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Jeremy Roussak

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I have varifocals (which I think is what you mean by "progressives") for general use. I got used to them with almost no difficulty. The area suitable for computer use is ridiculously small, though. I have bifocals for computer use, with a small bottom area for reading and the large area set to a little over arm's length, so not quite as far as Jeff does (but then, I don't have three huge monitors either).

Switching glasses all the time is a PITA, but one has to accept ageing with a degree of grace. I'll consider LASIK or one of the alternatives when I see a significant number of consultant ophthalmologists having the procedure!

Jeremy
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IanB

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I've been using varifocals for quite a few years now (I'm 58, and have always worn glasses), but I have found that extended use of a computer monitor requires dedicated single vision lenses, set to the right distance for the monitor - in my case about 3" beyond the length of my extended fingertips. I simply order them at the same time as a new pair of varifocals, and keep them in a case by the monitor. The problem with varifocal or bi/tri focal lenses is that the field of view is just too small and leads to either eyestrain or neckstrain problems as you try to adjust. I'd also recommend staying away from high refractive index glass - this means that the lenses can get quite thick at the edges (depending on your prescription and the size of the lens), but the relaxed field of view is much, much better. The trade-off is that this leaves you with just about the most basic type of lens you can get - so they can be pretty cheap (your optician may not like that!).

Varifocals can be OK if you use a laptop, as you can position the monitor to suit the reading portion of the lenses, but I really wouldn't recommend it for long-term or critical work - it can get quite painful over time.
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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I tried varifocals/progressives many years ago when the alternative was bifocals. I was never happy with them, so I went back to bifocals.

Now, at age 76, I have three (yes, 3) different sets of glasses: Trifocals, which I call my "outdoor glasses" and which I mainly use for driving the car; then one set of Bifocals which are mid-range at the top and reading range at the bottom, which are my normal "indoor glasses, and which I use for reading and for some computer use.

My third pair is mid-range only, which I got primarily for reading music (I play flute) because the bifocal line was too confusing. I have found that these are best for the computer, too, as long as I don't need to do any close reading. Surprisingly, I have also found them to be best for hiking, and most camera use, as the absence of the bifocal line makes it much easier to judge where my feet need to go on uneven ground, and I can adjust the diopter setting on my camera so the finder is clear.

My main problem now, of course, is keeping track of three pairs of glasses and remembering where I put a pair down.
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hokuahi

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Yes, an ophthalmologist will know what you need. I have a dedicated mono-vision pair for approximately arm's length editing on two screens; one, my NEC 27", and the other a little to the left, a generic Sony 25" PC monitor that I keep my PS pallets on. I've found it to be the best way to go for me. For everything else I use progressives.
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BradSmith

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I've also had "computer glasses" for years.  One tip.....measure how far your monitor is from your eyes when you are using your computer.  Then when you see your optician, be sure he actually sets a viewing target that distance in front of the machine they use to determine your prescription.  Sometimes, they simply want to make a "fixed adjustment amount" to your standard glass prescription without actually setting up a target at YOUR viewing distance and then determining the prescription for that distance.  Occasionally over the years, this hasn't been quite right.  So I've learned to ask them to determine the prescription through measurement at my actual desired focal distance.  By the way, my monitor is 18" from my eyes.  The prescription for that "computer distance" is different than it would be at Jeff's stated 35" distance.  The optician's "fixed adjustment amount" for computer glasses couldn't be correct for both of those distances.
Brad
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Alan Klein

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I tried fixed computer glasses but it didn't work.  Probably what Brad described that the distance wasn't set properly.  So I've used progressives like forever.  What I noticed was that when I got smaller glass frames, it was worse than when I used those big aviation types from years ago.  It seems that the smaller the frame and its glass, the quicker the transition.  So more is out of focus from the center point of the screen to the edges.   You have more head movement as you look around the screen.

My point being that if you want to use progressives, get the largest frames you can.

Another thing I noticed is that the smaller frames have more A.S. (I think that's what it's called.)  Transition lines between dark and lighter areas at the top of the lens have a bluish line and when you look from the bottom of the lens the line looks reddish.

Jimbo57

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I have been using varifocals for about 30 years now and have no problems with them at all.

I had not thought about the question posed by the OP but, having now looked at what I do, I use twin 27" monitor, angled at about 135 degrees to each other and with the centres of each at a distance about 24 - 30 inches from my eyes when my head is moving about naturally while using the keyboard, mouse or graphics tablet for photo-processing.
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pcgpcg

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I'm happy with one pair of glasses that focus on infinity when resting in their normal position. That's fine for hiking and around the house. If I need to move the focal point for computer work or reading I just slide them down my nose until they're just right. :)
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