[wildlifephotog]

I have 4-K1000's with split screens. They are all straight across. These are all factory screens.

[stevebrot]

steve

when I look at the diagram and the words from the seller, they do not match.

The wording says diagonal split screen, yet the image shows a horizontal or 180 degree split image.

What did you actually get?

To my knowledge, the only diagonal split image was Ricoh.

My understanding is that later (Chinese) K1000s had a diagonal split screen.

Edit:

I tried to find confirmation for the diagonal screens, but was unable to.

End edit:

Steve

[stevebrot]

__________________

Just to be certain we are speaking about the same thing here, please look at the attached pic. The area where I have put two, ugly red Xs is that to which am referring. Is this what you mean when you write:

" The Katz Eye has that strange engraved circle around the ground glass donut."

I mean the dark black line (image from this thread)



Steve

[Ratmagiclady]

There is one practical issue that I have not seen addressed regarding the Katz Eye vs. the Chinese screens. That being:

The Katz Eye has that strange engraved circle around the ground glass donut.

While it is not immediately obvious, this circle is very, very handy. In the absence of focus marks, grids or other engravings, it provides something for the eye to focus on when adjusting the viewfinder diopter. Maybe not worth the extra bucks, but still...

Steve

Oh, you get that free, eh? You may have just saved me some money, if I go with a Katz-eye. (I like the black AF bracket lines on the stock screen for just that purpose.)

Anyone have a consensus on what's the best screen for fast lenses and hopefully the fewest metering issues? Optibrite or not? (The slowest lens I have or am likely to get is the kit lens. With older stuff, I tend to consider 3.5 my upper limit of comfort, unless I'm shooting in the bright with a long lens, (a rarer occasion to begin with, but there these things are less of a problem, anyway.)

I'm really concerned with what'll perform best with stuff between 1.4 and 2.8, and the rest is really a tertiary concern. If Optibrite doesn't hurt anything, I'd consider it worth the money for what it does, though.

For now, I'm holding off on screen purchases until I find out if Pentax is going to keep the next model's screens compatible: if they do, maybe there's a chance they'll come out with something just right. (And they can use my Ratzeye idea as long as I get a prototype. Really. )

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Last edited by Ratmagiclady; 02-27-2009 at 04:07 PM.

[Jewelltrail]

So, where is China getting these K1000 diagonal split image screens (non-existant, at least in the USA market) to cut down to fit the K10D and K20D?

I can not answer that question. But I can tell you I have a nice, diagonal split prism I purchased from the seller whose Ebay auction is posted earlier in this thread. And I am happy with the Split Prism.

Steve, my Chinese Prism looks much like the one in the focusingscreen,.com pic I posted earlier today, except that mine has a diagonal split--Absolutely diagonal, as mysterious as that seems to be to many.

It does not have the circle which you have been asking about. I am debating whether or not to setup and do a test with the Chinese prism, much like the one posted in this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/46978-my-k20d-katz...-pictures.html

[IS050]

I can not answer that question. But I can tell you I have a nice, diagonal split prism I purchased from the seller whose Ebay auction is posted earlier in this thread. And I am happy with the Split Prism.

Steve, my Chinese Prism looks much like the one in the focusingscreen,.com pic I posted earlier today, except that mine has a diagonal split--Absolutely diagonal, as mysterious as that seems to be to many.

It does not have the circle which you have been asking about. I am debating whether or not to setup and do a test with the Chinese prism, much like the one posted in this thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/46978-my-k20d-katz...-pictures.html

Jewelltrail, If you don't mind. I would like to see how the diagonal split prism in action! I have no clue of how it would help to focused upon vertical lines.

Thanks
Dave

[Jewelltrail]

ISO50: Jewelltrail, If you don't mind. I would like to see how the diagonal split prism in action! I have no clue of how it would help to focused upon vertical lines.

Thanks
Dave

Dave:

Have you ever used a split prism before at all? It works just like a vertical or horizontal split, except the diagonal split enables you to check focus on vertical as well as horizontal lines. There is a decent demonstration at the link below of how the various screens obtain focus. Let me know if you have any questions--best!


Focusing Screen

[unkabin]

Just by way of expressing a different taste, I'll add that I chose the horizontal split because I like it better. It may be in part what I'm most used to, but I have used both, and putting together a line on a 45 degree angle, just never felt as sure-footed to me as a perpendicular alignment. For me, it's worth seeking out a vertical edge when I'm in landscape mode and horizontal one when I'm in portrait, or briefly tilting the camera for those times when I can't find an edge that suits my orientation.

[code4code5]

I have a quite functional K1000 SE that I'm really fighting off the urge to cannibalize. Could someone stop me, please?? I'm picturing myself dremmeling the crap out of it as we speak.

[IS050]

Dave:

Have you ever used a split prism before at all? It works just like a vertical or horizontal split, except the diagonal split enables you to check focus on vertical as well as horizontal lines. There is a decent demonstration at the link below of how the various screens obtain focus. Let me know if you have any questions--best!


Focusing Screen

Jewelltrail, I have always been using the horizontal split microprism with my old camera, but not the diagonal split. Thanks for the link, I can see what the different are.

Thanks,
Dave

[Jewelltrail]

unkabin
Just by way of expressing a different taste, I'll add that I chose the horizontal split because I like it better. It may be in part what I'm most used to, but I have used both, and putting together a line on a 45 degree angle, just never felt as sure-footed to me as a perpendicular alignment. For me, it's worth seeking out a vertical edge when I'm in landscape mode and horizontal one when I'm in portrait, or briefly tilting the camera for those times when I can't find an edge that suits my orientation.

Unkabin: I agree, personal tastes play a key role here. Although I prefer the diagonal split, it surely does not mean others will too. Like some many other things photographic, it is up to the user--this is why we have so many choices.

[virgilr]

code4-

Fight the urge! Go take an old 8 track console home stereo apart and do some malicious things things to it with a dremel! Or a shotgun, if you prefer..

[unkabin]

Amen. Don't tear apart that camera!

[code4code5]

I have thought better of it after googling directions for removing the screen from the K1000... way too much damage to facilitate that. If it were easier to remove the screen, it would already be in the K20.

[MidnightCommando]

To my knowledge, the only diagonal split image was Ricoh.

You're gonna hate me for this, but the only diagonal splits I've seen are in the Praktica MTL5B and the Nikon FM2/n.

I've _never_ seen a pentax k-mount camera that has a diagonal split, and only the prakticas in M42.