Retinal imaging camera at Direct Vision Opticians Great Barr Birmingham

What is retinal imaging and why do we offer it?

July 3, 2025

Retinal imaging is a digital photograph of the back of your eye, the retina, taken with a special camera during your eye test. It gives your optometrist a detailed, permanent picture of the retina, the optic nerve and the blood vessels, which can be enlarged on screen, shown to you and compared at future visits.

What can it help find?

Your optometrist always examines the back of your eye during a test. A photograph adds a record that can be studied closely and compared over time, which helps with spotting early signs of:

Glaucoma, through changes in the optic nerve
Macular degeneration, changes in the central part of the retina
Diabetic eye disease, changes in the small blood vessels
Signs linked to high blood pressure and other general health conditions

Many of these conditions cause no symptoms early on. Finding small changes sooner means they can be monitored or referred for treatment sooner.

What is it like?

It takes a minute or two. You rest your chin on the camera, look at a target light, and there's a bright flash. It doesn't touch your eye, there's no puff of air, and it doesn't hurt. Most people don't need eye drops for it.

Is it the same as diabetic eye screening?

No. If you have diabetes, keep going to your NHS diabetic eye screening appointments as well as your regular eye test. The two do different jobs, and one doesn't replace the other.

Where and how much?

Retinal imaging is available at our Great Barr practice:

Included in every private eye examination (£30)
£10 as an add-on to an NHS eye test
Free for new patients over 60 having an NHS eye test

If you're seen at Sheldon, your eye test still includes a full check of the health of your eyes. Find out more on our over-60s eye tests and diabetes and your eyes pages.