Does 4k Display hurt or help eyes?

[Karen P]

I've read conflicting posts about whether the 4k display on the 21.5" iMacs helps or hurts the health of the eyes. Does anyone know anything about this. I'm nearsighted to a fairly severe degree and now starting to need reading glasses as well. I want to avoid anything that will further damage my eyes.

Thanks,
Karen

 

[pigoo3]

Thread moved to better area.

- Nick

 

[Karen P]

Thanks Nick. I did try doing a search first but nothing came up. I'm brand new to this site, so still don't really know how this forum works, logistically speaking.

 

[pigoo3]

The thread was originally posted in the "Switcher Hangout" area. A thread about computer display's is not a Switcher Hangout topic.

A display question (as the thread title implies) would go into the "Other Hardware" area. Or a display question with an iMac (as the body of post #1 implies)…could go into the "Apple Desktops" area.

Hope this helps,

- Nick

 

[badshoehabit]

Expert advice about screen usage. http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/computer-vision-syndrome

I'm shortsighted, worn contact lenses for decades and when I got the point where I needed help with reading, my opthalmologist suggested one lens for distance and one for reading which meant no messing around with glasses. This worked well for a time but now I use bifocal contact lenses and can see anything, any distance away. Feel 15 years younger!

 

[chscag]

I've seen scattered reports from users of the newer iMacs (mostly the 5K retina models) that it was hurting their eyes. For sure excessive glare can be an eye tiring experience if you sit in front of your machine for hours at a time. But I've seen nothing to indicate that the 4K and 5K displays were harmful to one's eyes. However, let's not forget the tobacco companies said the same thing about the cigarettes they sold....

 

[harryb2448]

Not my eyes and I have an annual checkup, but chascag it did hurt my pocket. Related do you think?

 

[chscag]

LOL Harry, you have to spend those retirement dollars somewhere. I don't know about you, but I don't want to leave anything laying around for Uncle Sam to tax or grab! ;P

 

[IWT]

Hi Sue,

worn contact lenses for decades - now I use bifocal contact lenses - Feel 15 years younger!

That puts you in the paediatric group - not sure the Mac-Forums allow children to post!;P BTW, my wife has worn hard contact lenses for 47 years, which is not far off some kind of record.

From a logical perspective, the higher the resolution, the clearer the image, and the more it can be magnified or enlarged without distortion. Theoretically, this should produce less eye strain if the font size and corresponding data are optimised by the user.

I feel that eye strain has the following major components: the number of hours at the screen in total/day; the length of each session before a 5-10 minute break; the brightness of the screen.

To minimise these, force yourself to have at least 5-10 minutes break after each hour on screen; adjust the brightness down to comfort levels during the day; use an app like f.lux to adjudt the colour hues appropriately for evening and nightime work.

Ian

 

[badshoehabit]

That puts you in the paediatric group - not sure the Mac-Forums allow children to post!;P BTW, my wife has worn hard contact lenses for 47 years, which is not far off some kind of record.

Ian

Hard lenses - 44 years and going strong, though they are gas permeable nowadays. I dabbled with soft but couldn't see anything, near or far. Much better vision with hard but getting used to them was awful. I think I paid £60 (1972) which was an enormous sum at the time (about £760 at today's value) and I **** well wasn't going to give up!

 

[Karen P]

bifocal contacts, huh? This sounds appealing given that currently I can't see probably out of my glasses or my contacts for either driving, reading, or computer work. I've also heard people getting glasses specific to computer use.

 

[chscag]

Bifocal contacts or bifocal glasses will drive you crazy if you attempt to use them for computer work. You'll wind up with either a crick in your neck or a stiff neck from trying to focus your eyes. I have a set of computer glasses I use which focus correctly at around 30 inches from the screen. I use them all the time and have no problems with tired eyes or a crick in my neck. ;D

 

[Slydude]

Have to agree there. For me it seems to have gotten a bit more noticeable since I got the new iMac. I like the standard display settings but might move everything one size larger in the display settings. I've spent a few days this week checking and deleting files recovered from my iTunes library the last time that drive crashed. Reading the filenames in finder or the sing titles in iTunes is a little difficult when done for long periods of time.

I might have to ask my optometrist about a set of glasses specifically for computer use. Already wearing bifocals.

 

[IWT]

I have a set of computer glasses I use which focus correctly at around 30 inches

Ditto. Wonderful!

Ian

 

[badshoehabit]

Bifocal contacts or bifocal glasses will drive you crazy if you attempt to use them for computer work. You'll wind up with either a crick in your neck or a stiff neck from trying to focus your eyes. I have a set of computer glasses I use which focus correctly at around 30 inches from the screen. I use them all the time and have no problems with tired eyes or a crick in my neck. ;D

That depends on the style. The first ones I tried (soft with concentric circles, couldn't see anything clearly; RGP with a straight divide) were horrendous and I felt like you but now I have ones with a delta shaped insert at the bottom so never have to move my head. And the merge between the two planes gives me focus for my computer. I cannot be bothered faffing about with glasses Like, where are they NOW?). http://www.scotlens.com/GP_MultiFocal_Delta.html

 

[Ember1205]

A number of years ago, I had done some reading on the "Retina" displays in the fourth gen iPads (which were new at the time). The articles that I found had cited the Retina displays being better for children and the aged specifically because they were designed to display at a resolution that was optimal for the human eye (hence the "Retina" moniker). The general sense was that they would provide the least amount of strain of the various display types and this would help to ensure that maturing eyes (children) were not hindered and older eyes (the aged) would not suffer additional deterioration of their eyesight specifically because of the display.

You still need to place the display at an appropriate distance, use the proper resolution and 'size' for rendered items, and keep your exposure down as much as possible overall (and use the machine in shorter "bursts") to help protect your eyes.