darn viewfinder tinting

i bought a new camera a few weeks ago, it is a wonderful camera, only the viewfinder is tinted, making everything look a bit darker. this is my first new camera. i have only had older model cameras that had no tinting, and since i didnt have a light meter, i taught myself to judge the light with my eyes. so i would set my camera based on what i saw through the lens. now i cant do that because i can hardly see through it. plus it makes focusing very difficult. i want to know is there anything i can get to take off the tinting, it gets on my nerves :evil: :!:

Hmm, if it was an older camera, I would say perhaps the iris was closed down in real time *the new slr's close the iris as it takes the picture*, that would make the viewfinder look darker and perhaps tinted.

I never heard of a tinted viewfinder.

What kind of camera and are you shooting on manual?

Good catch Gerry. I'm wondering if it does NOT have an automatic lens.

nope, it is a new minolta. it is manual, and everything looks tinted before i take the picture. it is my older cameras that didnt have the tinting. my husband says that all new cameras have it.

What model number is it?

my bad, it is a vivitar, i have a minolta though. it is a vivitar 3800n

Im looking the camera up online, but something came to mind. Did they give you a filter for the lense? *smirks*

nope, no filter, they gave me a lense hood and some weird thingy, but that is it, the pictures come out fine, i guess i am b.s ing my way through it, i just dont look through the viewfinder till i take my picture, then i go crazy trying to focus.

Ok, so youve taken pictures, so I wont ask if its the lense cap *smirks more*.

You could ask the retailer or email the company?

i guess. i just want to know if i could just wipe it off with something so i could see through it to focus. you are so helpful, thank you.....but no it wasnt the lenscap either :wink:

so no one knows if i could just wipe it off of the viewfinder with like windex or something, it makes it really difficult to focus and really see my subject since everything is so dark

Have you removed the lens and checked the position of your mirror??? Also what f stop is the lens set on if you are small (in the higher numbers) this will darken what you see thru the viewfinder, such as 16 or 22 etc. If your mirror isn't falling into position, this might darken it also.... just a guess.....

I'm also wondering the same thing as maheanuu.

I think the Vivitar is full manual. I read a review of it, and don't remember all the particulars, but I know some fully manual cameras stop the lens down when you dial the aperture ring down instead of when you press the shutter switch.

I wonder if it would help to compose and focus with the lens wide open and stop down just before you shoot?

I read about it and it is fully manual with an "idiot" lite that says the shutter speed is correct for the apature setting red if not, green if go.... So it seems to me that the camera is stopped to the max at present and hence the lo lite focus problem... again I am sorta shooting in the dark as I don't have a camera to verify this with..

Thanx for the vote of confidence drlynn...

i shoot at 5.6 it is a brand new camera, the pictures turn out okay i guess, but because the lens or viewfinder is tinted, i cant really see to focus. so some of my shots come up out of focus. my husbands mom has a new minolta and hers has the same thing....so i am guessing all new cameras are made that way. it isjust like no matter how well you focus, the picture still isnt sharp. i will just go back to shooting with my minolta that is 20-30 years old....they new how to make a camera back then, everything was made with good quality, not the cheap crap people use today to save money.

Just a point is the viewfinder bright without the lens attached?

Also have you tried a different lens to see if the problem persists?

huh, it seems to be the lens that is shaded, not the viewfinder, when a put a lens up from a much oldercamera, everything was clear, and the amount of light coming through was perfect and i can see and focus perfectly. so i guess it is the lens that is messed up....because i absolutley cant focus correctly, everything looks fuzzy when i look through it, and everything looks so dark.

I'm too tired to read this whole thread again. But is there a filter on your lens that can come off? Sorry if this has already been discussed.

thank you, it hasnt. i dont know how you could take it off, there isnt anything there, it is just the lens. any help would be great

A new lens? Does that help?

What lens are you having problems with? The brand and focal length, etc would be helpful in getting info on it.

Some lenses, many years ago, came in manual or automatic. Some came in both modes. Check and see if the lens has a manual/automatic setting. If it does set it to automatic.

Since the viewfinder is bright with a different lens there is a possiblity that the lens is stuck in manual.

To check this go to the back of the lens, in the lens mount area. Dial a small f/stop, i.e. f/16. On the back of the lens in the area of one of the mounting lugs there may be a pin (silver in color) or a flat bar/lever (normally flat black).

By depressing the pin or moving the lever the lens should close down. If the pin is in the full out the lens should be wide open. If it is stuck in a depressed position the lens will be closed down. Most of the lever types will close down when moved in a clockwise direction.

The lever or the pin should move freely with a gentle push. If either is stuck in the closed position then the light going through the lens to the mirror and viewfinder will be greatly reduced.

QUESTION: When you say "tinted" do you mean dark or a color such as red or purple?

QUESTION: Any chance you can post a photo of the lens, front, back and side?

QUESTION: Did you buy it at a local shop? If so can you bring it back to them to get some help?

QUESTION: If you bought it mail order can you call and talk to a store representative?

If the lens is defective you should be able to get a replacement.

by tinted, i mean everything is dark, therefore making everything fuzzy, so i cant see to focus correctly. the lens is a manual lens, everything about the camera is manual, its the only way to shoot! i bought it from freestyle photographic. like i said, i put a different lens up to the camera and i could see fine(didnt mount it because it was a different type of mount) but apparently all new cameras have this shading because my mother in law bought a camera, only hers was automatic, i dont know what type, but hers has it as well, i guess they put it on there to help with the sun or whatever, it is just a pain in the butt. i think i will stick with my old trusty minolta. i hate technology, for it to cost so much, it really is made quite cheap

Im so confused. So its an old camera you bought from freestyle? Manual lens, manual controls, but your MIL's new camera is the same way?

I dont think you can tell if its the lens or body well enough without actually mounting a lens to a camera.