[Clem Nichols]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

I just received my $27 split screen focus screen from Hong Kong today, and despite my usual fumble-fingeredness managed to install it without difficulty in probably no more than a minute. I purchased the little kit, which includes a couple of finger cots and two tweezers, one metal and one plastic, from ebay seller terence_camera. I placed the order on 12/10, and received it today, 12/26. I thought I would report my early impressions. First of all, the image in the viewfinder is not quite as bright as with the original Pentax screen, but it really isn't reduced enough to be a problem. Secondly, I've always kept my K10D set on center focus, and the red focus indicator shows up dead in the center of the ring unlike a report I read on this forum about one person's experience with the Katz eye. My slowest lens is my Bigma at 500mm which is f6.7, and there's no problem with the center prism area blacking out at this aperture. Interestingly, my camera's auto-focus seems to be dead-on with the focus screen. When the lens auto-focuses the two halves of the image seen in the prism are perfectly aligned. If there has been any significant change in the camera's auto-exposure, I've not yet detected it, although, as stated above, I just received it, and my experience so far is quite limited. I should point out that all my lenses are auto-focusing, so why, you ask, did I purchase this in the first place. My main reason was to be able to accurately focus the lens manually in conditions where there was not enough light for it to focus automatically. In this respect I may have wasted my money, because I can't improve manually on the camera's auto performance in low light. I plan on leaving the new screen in the camera at least for the time being, because I see no down-side to it. Am I unhappy with the purchase? No, not really, because it was the only way I could answer my question with certainty. Would I spend over $100 for Katz eye? No way, because I really find it difficult to believe that it would function significantly better than this Hong Kong special. Bottom line: for anyone using manually focusing lenses I think this is a definite improvement over the OEM Pentax screen and a perfectly acceptable, much less expensive alternative to the Katz eye. I hasten to point out that I have no experience whatsoever with the Katz eye, but really find it hard to believe that it would out-perform by any realistic degree this little cheapo.

Yours FWIW

CN

[séamuis]

Ive heard its kind of a chance with the HK screens. you may get lucky, you may not. but at that price its hardly a loss when compared to the price of the KatzEye. thanks for the short review. I have been on the edge of doing this for quite some time. I have even given the thought of having an extra split image screen from my MX ground down to use. now that I have taken to using my K-m a whole lot more than I ever used my K110D. I just may be purchasing one or I still may look into having my MX screen ground down. either way, thanks for the quick review, and im glad all is well. I am curious though how much did yoyu pay for it? I often see pretty much the same kit offered by different vendors, all from china but it sometimes very different prices. also which one did you buy? was it a k20/k10 or a k100? I dont think there would be any difference in size but I often see the two and wonder.

[Clem Nichols]

The one I purchased was for the K10D, and cost $26.90 postage included. See here:

45° Split image Focusing Screen for Pentax K20D K10D - eBay (item 370134861803 end time Jan-22-09 06:26:23 PST)

I am quite sure that there are some Katz eye owners who would argue vehemently that theirs is a better product, and indeed it may be, but I can't believe that it's 4 times better. My thinking when I ordered the screen was that at this price if I didn't like it I could throw it away and no big loss

CN

[Kerrowdown]

At the end of the day, as long as it works for you, that's all that matters.

[stevebrot]

...I am quite sure that there are some Katz eye owners who would argue vehemently that theirs is a better product...

No vehement arguments from me. I am happy with my new Katzeye, but not ecstatically so. I would have much preferred to have paid the $55-$75 that I think it is worth rather than the $105 (discounted) that I actually paid, but that is another discussion.

At this point my advice to a potential buyer is that the best value is probably with the modified K1000 screen similar to what you purchased or the K-3(Nikon)-based screen from FocusingScreen.com (equivalent to the Katzeye at $70). The exception might be if one is willing to shell out the additional $49 for the Katzeye Optibrite treatment.

Steve

[Ratmagiclady]

The one I purchased was for the K10D, and cost $26.90 postage included. See here:

45° Split image Focusing Screen for Pentax K20D K10D - eBay (item 370134861803 end time Jan-22-09 06:26:23 PST)

I am quite sure that there are some Katz eye owners who would argue vehemently that theirs is a better product, and indeed it may be, but I can't believe that it's 4 times better. My thinking when I ordered the screen was that at this price if I didn't like it I could throw it away and no big loss

CN

Well, I've yet to order anything, but generally, if you're trying to buy a better viewfinder, you aren't looking for four times better, you're looking for ten or twenty percent better. You couldn't *pay* me any amount of money to actually *dim* a screen for *any* focus aid. If I pay anything I want better.

[Clem Nichols]

Well, I've yet to order anything, but generally, if you're trying to buy a better viewfinder, you aren't looking for four times better, you're looking for ten or twenty percent better. You couldn't *pay* me any amount of money to actually *dim* a screen for *any* focus aid. If I pay anything I want better.

I should have pointed out that the only portion of the screen that is slightly dimmer than the Pentax is the portion outside of the prism and the ground glass circle. The prism and ground glass parts seem to be just as bright as the original. Perhaps this is to add slight contrast to aid in focusing. I don't know. I have experimented some more since dark, and find that I can now focus manually in slightly lower light than the camera can automatically. I honestly don't think I could have with the original screen. I've compared this new screen in my K10D with a split screen in an old manually focusing Minolta 35mm camera tucked away in my closet, and there's no question that the view through the Pentax is much better. I was fully prepared to toss the new screen if it didn't work correctly, but have been pleasantly surprised with its performance, and plan to leave it in my camera.

CN

[Ratmagiclady]

That's good, Clem. What's making me look at a Katzeye is the fact that though the stock screen is admirably-bright with the abominably-slow kit lenses of today, it's just not much better when you put a 1.4 on there, much to my general dismay. I'm pretty lukewarm on split prisms: slow, slow, slow, (split prisms generally make me stop and squint to see if things are actually lined up) and in the way at other times, besides, unless you hit the point where you just can't see better... and there I'd rather trust AF if I can. (New to AF, admittedly) But I need the brightness.

(And if you're wondering what I could want, it's called, 'Microprism for Fast Lenses.' Used to be able to get that with interchangeable screen systems.)