What the heck is the diopter you ask? Great question and it is often overlooked on the camera but it is a valuable tool for helping to see things clearly in the viewfinder. I know many photographers that have never touched or turned this dial. once I bring it to their attention, they are amazed at the difference it makes when not only shooting, but reviewing images through the EVF.

So, where is it located? This is found to the right of viewfinder. It can be especially helpful if you don’t reduce the Viewfinder Display Size and, instead, opt to remove your glasses before looking through the viewfinder. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why the viewfinder looks a little blurry, you won’t be the first!

What exactly does it do? Another excellent question. A diopter controls a lens system in your camera’s viewfinder, and it allows you to match the focus of your viewfinder to your eye. You may be wondering, does it affect my images? Adjusting the diopter does not affect the actual sharpness of your photos; it only affects the sharpness of the viewfinder. In other words, a blurry viewfinder doesn’t translate to a blurry image.

Adjusting the diopter is easy with few simple steps that are below:

1. Make sure you have a lens attached to your camera – ideally, a sharp lens that can focus relatively close.
2. Then mount the camera on a sturdy tripod. Place the setup in front of a flat scene with decent detail and good contrast, such as a bookshelf, a clock, or a brick wall with detail.
3. Using your lens’s autofocus, focus on the scene.  (If you’re using a manual-focus lens, that’s okay, but you’ll need to be extra careful to ensure accurate focusing.) Take a test shot, then zoom in to view the details on your LCD. Make sure the results are crisp. (If you have a mirrorless camera, you may be able to view the image through the viewfinder, but do not do this! Resist the temptation and verify accurate focusing without looking through the EVF.)
4. Turn the diopter knob. The image may get sharper or softer. I’d recommend pushing the diopter adjustment until the viewfinder looks extremely blurry; then bring the diopter back until you see a tack-sharp image.
5. That’s it! Now your images will be tack sharp as you look at them through the viewfinder.

I hope this helps you and would love to hear your comments on how this simple adjustment changed your photography. Please leave a comment below.