The retina and its blood vessels
The light-sensitive layer lining the back of the eye, with the vessels that run across it.
Fundus Photography
A photograph of the back of your eye. Taken in a single flash, usually without drops, and it does not hurt.
- Senior Consultant Eye Surgeons
- 50+ combined years in ophthalmology
- Seven clinics in six locations islandwide
Camden (Orchard)Joo ChiatClementiBedokToa PayohJurong
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What fundus photography is
Fundus photography takes a colour photograph of the fundus, the back of the eye. It is also called retinal photography, retinal imaging or a retinal photo.
The eye fundus is the inside of the eye opposite the pupil. The retina lines almost all of it, so the two words are often used for the same thing.
You rest your chin on a camera and look at a light. The camera looks in through the pupil and takes the picture in one bright flash. It is digital retinal photography: the picture is saved, so it can be enlarged on screen.
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A flash through the pupil lights the retina
What a retinal photograph shows
The back of the eye, in one picture.
The macula
The small centre of the retina you read and recognise faces with.
The optic nerve
Where the nerve fibres leave the eye, seen on the photograph as a pale disc.
The photograph is kept, so the same eye can be compared with itself at a later visit. What any finding means is for your eye doctor to explain.
Are drops needed?
Usually not. The photograph is taken through the pupil as it is, which is called non-mydriatic photography.
- Some eyes are harder to photograph. A cataract, a lens implant or a small pupil can make the picture less clear.
- Drops widen the pupil where a clearer view is needed, and blur near vision for several hours.
Of our screening packages, only the diabetic retinal screening dilates, and only where necessary. More on the drops is under eye dilation.
Fundus photo or OCT scan
Both look at the retina, in different ways.
- A retinal photograph is flat, and shows colour across the whole back of the eye.
- An OCT scan is a cross-section, and shows the layers of the retina and their thickness.
Neither replaces the other, and both may be done at one visit. How they compare is set out under OCT scan or retinal photograph.
Not sure which you need? Tell our friendly staff what you have noticed and they will arrange the right appointment.
Fundus Photography Cost in Singapore
A retinal photograph is part of an eye consultation where needed, and of three of our eye screening packages.
| Screening package | Retinal photograph | Price |
|---|---|---|
| General eye screening | Non-dilated | $99 |
| Diabetic retinal screening | Dilated where necessary | $99 |
| Comprehensive eye screening | Non-dilated | $249 |
Prices shown are for our community clinics at Bedok, Clementi, Toa Payoh and Jurong. All fees shown are nett, and each figure is the price of the whole screening package.
The screening packages are senior optometrist-led and every report is reviewed by an ophthalmologist.
Where can I do Fundus Photography in Singapore?
Seven clinics, at six addresses. The screening package prices above are for our four community clinics.
The Straits Eye Centre @ Camden
Camden Medical Centre
1 Orchard Boulevard, #06-07/08 & #12-04
Singapore 248649
- Nearest MRT
- Orchard Boulevard (TE13)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye and Myopia Clinic @ Camden
Camden Medical Centre
1 Orchard Boulevard, #12-04
Singapore 248649
- Nearest MRT
- Orchard Boulevard (TE13)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Centre for Kids & Adults @ Parkway East
Parkway East Medical Centre
319 Joo Chiat Place, #03-03
Singapore 427989
- Nearest MRT
- Eunos (EW7)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Community Clinic @ Clementi
Blk 443 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-69
Singapore 120443
In Clementi New Town Centre
- Nearest MRT
- Clementi (EW23)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Community Clinic @ Bedok
211 New Upper Changi Rd, #01-743
Singapore 460211
In Bedok New Town Centre
- Nearest MRT
- Bedok (EW5)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Community Clinic @ Toa Payoh
Blk 185 Toa Payoh Central, #01-320
Singapore 310185
- Nearest MRT
- Toa Payoh (NS19)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Community Clinic @ Jurong
21 Jurong Gateway Rd, #02-07
Singapore 608546
In CPF Jurong Office Building
- Nearest MRT
- Jurong East (EW24/NS1)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
Have your retina photographed
Send us a message with what you have noticed and a time that suits, and our staff will arrange the appointment.
Common questions
What is fundus photography used for?
To record the back of the eye: the retina, the macula, the optic nerve and the blood vessels. The photograph is kept, so the same eye can be compared with itself at a later visit. Taken for diabetes, it is often called diabetic retinal photography, and it is part of our diabetic retinal screening at our community clinics in Bedok, Clementi, Toa Payoh and Jurong.
What can fundus photography show?
Changes in the retina, its blood vessels and the optic nerve. Diabetes can damage the small blood vessels of the retina, glaucoma can widen the cup at the centre of the optic nerve’s disc, and high blood pressure and high short-sightedness can also change how the retina looks. The photograph records what is there; what it means is for your eye doctor to explain.
What does a normal fundus photo look like?
An orange-red background, with a pale round disc where the optic nerve leaves the eye. Blood vessels branch out from the disc, and the macula is a slightly darker area at the centre. The colour varies from person to person.
Is fundus photography necessary?
Not at every visit. It is most useful where the retina needs a record to compare against later, as in diabetes. It is part of three of our eye screening packages at our community clinics, and at a consultation your eye doctor decides whether you need one.
Does fundus photography need dilating drops?
Usually not. Most retinal photographs are taken through the pupil as it is. Where the view is not clear enough, drops may be used to widen it, and they blur near vision for several hours. Of our screening packages, only the diabetic retinal screening dilates, and only where necessary.
Is a retinal photograph the same as an OCT scan?
No. A retinal photograph is a flat colour picture of the whole back of the eye. An OCT scan is a cross-section that shows the layers of the retina and their thickness. Both are sometimes called a retinal scan.
Is a retinal photograph the same as a dilated eye exam?
No. In a fundus examination, also called fundoscopy or ophthalmoscopy, the doctor looks at the back of the eye directly, usually through a pupil widened with drops. Retinal imaging records the same view as a picture that is kept, usually without drops. One does not replace the other.
Is fundus photography safe?
Yes. It uses a flash of ordinary light, not X-rays, and nothing touches the eye. The flash is bright, and you may see a coloured after-image for a few moments.
How long does fundus photography take?
A few seconds for each eye once you are seated at the camera. If drops are needed, they usually take 20 to 30 minutes to work first, sometimes longer.
How much is fundus photography?
No price is published for a retinal photograph on its own. It is part of three of our eye screening packages, from $99 nett at our community clinics in Bedok, Clementi, Toa Payoh and Jurong, and can be part of an eye consultation.