OM focusing screen on K20D?

johnny9fingers · 01-31-2011, 08:05 PM

Will a focusing screen from an Olympus OM fit a K20D?

excanonfd · 01-31-2011, 08:53 PM

Not without modifications, it won't. You'll have to cut the OM focus screen to K20D screen's dimensions and shim to match the thickness if the P20D screen happens to be thicker than the OM screen. I am in the process of doing what I have described above with a Canon AE-1p focus screen because it was considered as one of the brightest screen Canon manufactured for their FD mount camera lineup.

ovim · 01-31-2011, 11:22 PM

I'm using a screen from a an old Pratktica SLR in my K-r. Here's what I did: after removing the screen from the old SLR I covered it with tape from both sides to prevent scratches. Then I drew the outline of the pentax screen on the tape and filed carefully until the screen was the right size. After installing the screen I noticed I needed some shims because the focus was a bit of. I used thin strips of clear tape on the edges of the screen to act as a shim.

"Calibration" took some time. Here's how I did that:

After adding tape strips ->install screen to take a shot of a test chart-> take the screen out to add a few more tape strips-> install screen and take a new test shot...

I repeated this until the focus was spot on and now I trust it more than the focus confirmation of the body.

joakimfors · 02-01-2011, 04:35 AM

How much does metering get affected when using a brighter screen? Is it a big problem or do you just not care?

excanonfd · 02-01-2011, 09:20 PM

Originally posted by joakimfors

How much does metering get affected when using a brighter screen? Is it a big problem or do you just not care?

I don't think metering is affected by brighter screen and Rachel Katz of KatzEye seem to concur. I was interested in purchasing a plain matte screen with Optibrite treatment to replace my standard screen on the K20D, but the $160.00 price tag quickly scuttled that idea and instead I have bought a used KatzEye screen (no Optibrite) with split prism in the centre, which is a big nuisance for me. What does affect the metering is the center split prism, which renders spot metering useless. I found an AE1-p screen for 10 bucks and if it turns out to be brighter than the KatzEye screen, it could only help in focusing manual lenses while stopped down.

Thanks,

01-31-2011, 08:05 PM	#1
johnny9fingers Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NW Wisconsin Photos: Albums Posts: 169	OM focusing screen on K20D? Will a focusing screen from an Olympus OM fit a K20D?

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01-31-2011, 08:53 PM	#2
excanonfd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,421	Not without modifications, it won't. You'll have to cut the OM focus screen to K20D screen's dimensions and shim to match the thickness if the P20D screen happens to be thicker than the OM screen. I am in the process of doing what I have described above with a Canon AE-1p focus screen because it was considered as one of the brightest screen Canon manufactured for their FD mount camera lineup.

01-31-2011, 11:22 PM	#3
ovim Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Tre, Finland Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,229	I'm using a screen from a an old Pratktica SLR in my K-r. Here's what I did: after removing the screen from the old SLR I covered it with tape from both sides to prevent scratches. Then I drew the outline of the pentax screen on the tape and filed carefully until the screen was the right size. After installing the screen I noticed I needed some shims because the focus was a bit of. I used thin strips of clear tape on the edges of the screen to act as a shim. "Calibration" took some time. Here's how I did that: After adding tape strips ->install screen to take a shot of a test chart-> take the screen out to add a few more tape strips-> install screen and take a new test shot... I repeated this until the focus was spot on and now I trust it more than the focus confirmation of the body.

02-01-2011, 04:35 AM	#4
joakimfors Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lund, Sweden Posts: 237	How much does metering get affected when using a brighter screen? Is it a big problem or do you just not care?

02-01-2011, 09:20 PM	#5
excanonfd Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,421	Originally posted by joakimfors How much does metering get affected when using a brighter screen? Is it a big problem or do you just not care? I don't think metering is affected by brighter screen and Rachel Katz of KatzEye seem to concur. I was interested in purchasing a plain matte screen with Optibrite treatment to replace my standard screen on the K20D, but the $160.00 price tag quickly scuttled that idea and instead I have bought a used KatzEye screen (no Optibrite) with split prism in the centre, which is a big nuisance for me. What does affect the metering is the center split prism, which renders spot metering useless. I found an AE1-p screen for 10 bucks and if it turns out to be brighter than the KatzEye screen, it could only help in focusing manual lenses while stopped down. Thanks,

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