[Mike.P®]

At what aperture does it black out?

I bought one a few months ago and it was useless from f8 downwards.

[LifeSpy]

Does this mean that you know which AF selector is being used?

[wildlifephotog]

The AF red points show as usual.

[newarts]

At what aperture does it black out?

I bought one a few months ago and it was useless from f8 downwards.

The top half of my split prism blacks out at f5.6-f8 and the balance of the screen stays bright but focus feedback continues to work (depending on the target.)

It doesn't seem any more limited than the original screen. I seldom use small apertures so doubt there will be a problem for me in any case.

Dave

[quarc]

Is the original focusing screen in k100d also plastic one or glass it is?
Can that affect viewfinder image quality?
How come the same auction goes for k10d and k100d, can you specify camera model, when ordering or i can put any focusing screen thats availible for k10d in my k100d/s?

All the Pentax cameras (at least back to the *ist DS, probably even before that) has the same focusing screen format. I am not sure why pentax sell them for the different cameras separately, maybe some minor difference, but not anything noticeble. Many reports of people puttin DS screens in K20 without any issues with exposure or AF.

[Jewelltrail]

LifeSpy What about AF?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I take it that this cheap focus screen does not work with AF!
Which is the main difference with the expensive Kateye version

Not entirely a problem for me though ...just curious

The main difference I saw was $135. Also, AF is not affected whatsoever by a focus screen.

Mike.P® At what aperture does it black out?

I bought one a few months ago and it was useless from f8 downwards.

The screen can still be used. You want to focus wide open first, then stop down to your desired aperture. I easily focus a 47-year old Takumar @ f16 using my Chinese split prism with this method.

[kacansas03]

All the Pentax cameras (at least back to the *ist DS, probably even before that) has the same focusing screen format. I am not sure why pentax sell them for the different cameras separately, maybe some minor difference, but not anything noticeble. Many reports of people puttin DS screens in K20 without any issues with exposure or AF.

I am no expert at focusing screens. I have changed the one in my Canon T-90 mostly because they sent a real tool with it that made removal and installation much easier with a very slim chance of damaging anything in the camera. I do find it a little difficult to believe that the older ist DS or other model might have the same screen but I am no expert! It was not that way with Canon however all the 1DS models all use the same sets of screens and I believe that is true of the 10 through 50D models. What REALLY scares my with this $29 screen is the installation method. I am not sure I am steady enough for that job. Second I feel that the viewfinder is Bright without having to change screens. I would ALSO really like to know how easy it was to change the screen.
Thanks in advance on your replies.
Alan

[wildlifephotog]

Changing the screen is easy. I've done several with just tweezers and latex gloves.

I just bought mine. Thanks for the heads up on this.

[SOldBear]

All the Pentax cameras (at least back to the *ist DS, probably even before that) has the same focusing screen format. I am not sure why pentax sell them for the different cameras separately, maybe some minor difference, but not anything noticeble. Many reports of people puttin DS screens in K20 without any issues with exposure or AF.

There is at least one difference between the *istD focusing screen (e.g. LL-60) and the K10D focusing screen (e.g. LL-80).

If you use lenses of pre-PKa mount, (PK, M42, or even T-mount), you'll notice that the exposure set by the camera, via the green button or in Av mode, is inconsistent. There is a tendency to overexposure. The amount of error varies from lens to lens. In general, the smaller the aperture, the more pronounced the error. I did some experiment and found that the exposure error was between -0.5 to +2.5 stops. That's unacceptable.

I also tried a focusing screen with split image. The problem of exposure error remains the same as with the stock screen. And spot metering becomes unusable. AF works fine, however. I went back to the stock screen and didn't use my old lenses that much.

Until I bought an LL-60 focusing screen. It was designed for the *istD series.

The LL-60 fits perfectly in the K10D. And metering with old lenses becomes more accurate. The range is -0.5 to +1 stops. The K10D in general tends to underexposure, so now it is just prefect. I don't notice any chance in metering for lenses with PKa mount and later.

I'm now using my old lenses more and more.

The LL-60 cost me $30. It's the best accessory I've ever bought for the K10D.

Note: I read that similar to the K10D, the K20D has the same exposure problem with old lenses.

[edl]

I am no expert at focusing screens.
Alan

Neither am I, but my first time changing it only took about 5 minutes. And I'm the super-paranoid double-checking type.

I just ordered one of these $29 screens, I'm going to throw it in the K10D and see how it compares to my $150 Katzeye Optibright in the K20D. I'm sure it'll win on performance/value, but I'd like to know if it's similar in terms of performance.

I bet it's going to be pretty close.

[LifeSpy]

Thanks for the heads up on this i have ordered one and its on its way

[kacansas03]

The more people that give their feedback on the issue the more I think this might be worth a try. After all $29.00 is not much these days.

[pixel r0n1n]

I have one of the chinese make in my K10D and can't go back to the stock focus screen.
and install was easy, from someone who is accident prone.
Using old lenses are more fun, and checking AF vs what i can do with the split prism reveals AF is not always so accurate.

[unkabin]

I'll add my testimony. I just got mine today. I ordered it before this thread came up. It took a few weeks to arrive (which they warn of on their site). I had been deliberating between this one and the diagonal split prism from jinfinance. Somewhere--I think on one of the jinfinance ads--I read that theirs is cut from a k1000 screen, others from a Minolta. As a Minolta convert, I can say that the latter is probably true. Side by side, they sure look the same.

I bought this primarily for primes, and as it looks to me, I feel fine at 5.6 or wider, so it will even work with just about any cheap 4-5.6-ish zoom, if that's a concern (assuming you're focusing wide open, which is the only way I know how to focus, since the aperture only closes for the instant that the shutter fires, or when you engage DOF, of course). By 5.6, if my eye is far enough off center, half the circle will black out, but I can easily have it not black out. By about 4, the collared prism doesn't quite disappear, and the mat may be a bit dimmer than the original around 4 as well, since the mat is more pronounced (which I think is good for manual focusing).

As far as accuracy, mine is bang on. As far as satisfaction, I am extremely satisfied. I look through there, and I feel like I've come home again. For anyone who's shot much back in the day, its behavior is just what you'll expect.

The only difference from a film camera, I suppose, is the slight metering inaccuracy with my 50 1.4 M lens (my only M lens--so far). My initial impression was that the new split screen metered better than the K10D's original screen, however. In fact, I chose this screen (same as the OP's) over the jinfinance in part because I heard it had a more matted (darker) surface, and that was what gave the LL-60 screen its metering advantage with M lenses. So, I took it upon myself to run a pseudo-scientific test. I took shots at all apertures with the split screen, pressing the green button between each f-stop shot. Then I swapped back to the original screen, shot the same shots and posted the results, so that you can see for yourselves (maybe dismissing the f1.4 split-screen shot, as it looks like a slight anomaly, and I may have done something wrong with that one shot). These photos are only meant to test the metering. They were shot through an old, slightly wavy-glass window, so lack of sharpness is not a product of missing focus with the new screen:

Split screen: MobileMe Gallery

Original screen: MobileMe Gallery

This is about as scientific as I get. The new split screen definitely appears slightly more consistent to me, though.

I also found a good Youtube video tutorial for changing the screen--credit to codiac2600. It's a very quick process.

video: YouTube - K10D Changing your focusing screen.

I hope this helps. This site has helped me a lot in my transition to Pentax.