[Kerrowdown]

Dons fireproof overalls

Glad you said it, not me

[vandamro]

Definitely! Can't go without the katzeye screen!

[v5planet]

I purchased a katzeye with the optibrite treatment not too long ago. it's definitely easier to focus -- once you know what you're doing. i'm not entirely sold on the split prism, but the microprism collar is golden.

[NaClH2O]

back to topic:
I tried NaClH2O's method out and it seems promising, after a couple of shooting series i've seen some improvement in my focusing (not much but still).

Thanks for the linky work around. As to Godfrey's method, I found that I had to practice with it for a while, at least a month or so. Not every day, mind, but a least once a week I'd set up my target. After a while I'd set up multiple targets and work with various focal lengths.

NaCl(how do you get to MoMA? practice practice practice)H2O

[eddie1960]

another one for Katzeye.

It makes manual focussing a pleasure, and reminiscent of the old-days when auto-focus was a novelty used to sell expensive kit to people with little sense.

Dons fireproof overalls

having tried a couple of early auto focus cameras i would agree wholeheartedly
the way nikon dealt with auto aperture in the EM was horrid too if you ever tried it (i got one as a gift and sold it for a canon ae1 at the time - closest canon ever came to making a Pentax quality camera IMHO, though replaced it with Pentax when it was stolen

[Lowell Goudge]

I have diagonal split images in both my K10D and my *istD.

For the K10D, i put a single split diagonal focusing screen from Jinfinance. It required no shimming or other adjustments and works very well. It even imporved metering on manual aperture lenses over the stock focusing screen.

For the *istD, which I only reciently installed a split image focusing screen, I again ordered from Jinfinance, but this time took the double diagonal split screen. I actually like it better than the single split.as it seems to show smaller focusing errors that you might miss with the single split image.

I have also had correspondance with Rachel Katz about whether she would be producing a diagonal split image, and at the time she advised that the diagonal split was not as accurate, I did not get into details but I think the real meaning is that the most accurate is to intersect yur subject at a right angle and not 45 degrees.

[Groucho]

Grocho - how did you manage to take a shot like that through the viewfinder ? Enlighten us then we can all do it and show what our various focus screens look like !

Cheers
Kevin

Late reply... but what I did was set up two tripods. IIRC, I put the K20D on one tripod and set up the image you see in the photo. I then took my K100D and (again, IIRC) mounted my 50mm macro and set it up so the lens was practically touching the viewfinder. It's a little bit fuzzy and you don't get the entire screen (no LCD display at the bottom, etc) but it's enough to get an idea of how it works. I think I took a picture of the picture-taking process but it was quite a while ago.

I will add that I've played a little more with manual focusing on the K-5 and for whatever reason, I seem to be getting more keepers than with the K-7. I'm not sure why since they should be about the same... I'm guessing that maybe my particular K-5's in-focus indicator is more accurate than my K-7's. Between looking closely and the in-focus indicator, I've been doing reasonably well. If I'm on a tripod (or sometimes even not), the live-view works very well. The LensBaby especially is far more reliable to use with the LV than the viewfinder; it's just so difficult to gauge the off-center focus point otherwise.

[whojammyflip]

cheap solution is the screen from an old and broken film body: take out the screen, cover it with 3M scotch tape, trim it down with a fresh craft knife, pop it in. I'm using a ME Super screen in my ist DS, and it works perfectly, but makes the kit zoom a bit dark. Its a bit more work but costs very little.

[JHD]

Katzeye with Optibrite in my Kx. Didn't bother putting one in my K7 because the "X" is my low light go to camera; that's when I find focusing to be the most challenging.

[jeffshaddix]

The comparison at focusingscreen.com look great!

I'm thinking about getting the one here:
Focusing Screen

Does anyone know what the circles around the microprism center are for?

[eddie1960]

i cot the K3 Nikon screen from them with the gridlines for my K7 (probably would skip the gridlines next time). it's a great screen and dead easy to install comes with good tools
what camera are you buying it for (the link came up for Canon 5d)
the collar around the split prism is also a focusing aid (it is in fact the other part of the prism, it comes into focus just as the split image does)
My SV and MX only have the microprism circle and not the additional aid of the split image but work quite well for focusing (though the split image helps)

[JeffJS]

I've been doing fine with the stock screen in the K7/K5. Had a Katzeye on the K20d and unless I could really concentrate on that split, it didn't help me much. Decided to skip replacing the screen on the K5 (and the K7).

[eddie1960]

I've been doing fine with the stock screen in the K7/K5. Had a Katzeye on the K20d and unless I could really concentrate on that split, it didn't help me much. Decided to skip replacing the screen on the K5 (and the K7).

that's ok your old k7 now has one (though I did find the original screen very good)

[sewebster]

Anyone use just a "good" plain matte screen with no split prism etc.?

[jeffshaddix]

i cot the K3 Nikon screen from them with the gridlines for my K7 (probably would skip the gridlines next time). it's a great screen and dead easy to install comes with good tools
what camera are you buying it for (the link came up for Canon 5d)
the collar around the split prism is also a focusing aid (it is in fact the other part of the prism, it comes into focus just as the split image does)
My SV and MX only have the microprism circle and not the additional aid of the split image but work quite well for focusing (though the split image helps)

Hi Eddie, I think you might have looked at the "other customers bought" screen in my link. The one I was referring to was in the top right and was the EC-A variant that has a microprism in the middle and two rings around it. I don't see anything in the two rings around the prism. Perhaps it's higher quality glass?

On a side note, does a center microprism screw up the spot meter or the center AF point? If so I think I'd like most a screen just with a microprism collar and a normal bright matte spot in the middle, but I doubt they make that.