[systemA]

Another quick question Waldo,

What are your experiences with the "black out" on the prisms for the various focus screens? The one I have from JinFinance starts darkening at around f/4 I was wondering if the focusingscreens K3 screen was better in that regard.

Thanks!

[denpapp]

Thanks for the info and photos Waldo - it's great to have a site like this and members like yourself to share their experiences

- here's some current info - I just attempted to order their EC B for my K20 - and they are out of stock and won't be producing them for few weeks yet according to their home page - The K3 sounds like a fine screen as well, but the larger size of it has me hesitating, just my preference for sure.

[StevenVH]

FWIW & FYI focusingscreen.com is located in Taiwan. I ordered on the 15th and the screen was shipped on the 19th. Estimated delivery was 4-5 days. Shipping cost was @$13 and I was charged some NC tax (3.5% ?) which brought the total cost to @$86.
I'll post again with some feedback on how it does with my K200D.

cheers

[WheresWaldo]

Another quick question Waldo,

What are your experiences with the "black out" on the prisms for the various focus screens? The one I have from JinFinance starts darkening at around f/4 I was wondering if the focusingscreens K3 screen was better in that regard.

Thanks!

I was using the screens extensively this weekend, as I was using both my K20D's. I did not recall experiencing any blackouts on either screen and I was using the 55-300 most of the day under some overcast skies under a canopy of trees. I was shooting mostly at the 300mm end so the aperture was 5.6 - 5.8 without darkening.

Thanks for the info and photos Waldo - it's great to have a site like this and members like yourself to share their experiences

- here's some current info - I just attempted to order their EC B for my K20 - and they are out of stock and won't be producing them for few weeks yet according to their home page - The K3 sounds like a fine screen as well, but the larger size of it has me hesitating, just my preference for sure.

I saw that the Ec-B was out of stock the day after I ordered mine, I was happy to see the shipping confirmation email. I think I got it in just over a week, shipped from Taiwan to NC. Just a note about screen brightness, I believe the Ec-B is slightly brighter than the K3 screen. I also like the fact that the reference circles are smaller on the Ec-B.

FWIW & FYI focusingscreen.com is located in Taiwan. I ordered on the 15th and the screen was shipped on the 19th. Estimated delivery was 4-5 days. Shipping cost was @$13 and I was charged some NC tax (3.5% ?) which brought the total cost to @$86.
I'll post again with some feedback on how it does with my K200D.

cheers

I was also charged TAX, I highly doubt they are submitting that TAX to NC. My experience with shipping is the same, order on day one, ships day 3 or 4, arrives day 8 or 9. Stll if you want the grid lines it is a much better deal than Katz-Eye, not so much if you want a plain screen.

[jheu02]

Thanks for posting this information WheresWaldo. I've followed the focusing screen threads and have been curious about your impression of the ones you have. It will be very interesting to know how you feel about the two different focusingscreen.com screens.

I'll be following it too, as all but 1 of my lenses are mf. Though it's not TOO difficult with the stock screen, I'd like to make it a QUICKER process, which I think these will provide. I'm surprised by the jinfinance problems, as a lot of others seem to think they're about the best of the Chinese options. I've always preferred the diagonal split vs horizontal as it's useful with vertical as well as horizontal lines in the image.

You didn't mention anything about shims. Are they required with any of these? I understand the jinfinance does NOT require their use.

I think it would also be an aid if anyone else had photos like those in this thread to post them so we could get a broader base of QC issues. Anybody?

[StevenVH]

I wanted to update this very helpful thread.

I received my K3 screen from focusingscreen.com very quickly and installed it myself. FYI, the Nikon screen came with a dedicated set of plastic tweasers and a set of metal electronics tweasers and rubber finger cots were also included as was a shim. The Nikon screen comes in it's original, hard plastic case as well.
The screen is plastic and scratches/smudges very easily. I scratched the edge of mine during installation when the shim and frame fell out of place. Also, releasing the retaining spring lock was very difficult on my K200D, which may have been due to the fit of the installed jinfinance screen ??
Anyway, aside from bungling the first attempt and having to apply what seemed like excessive force to the lock, installation was fairly simple.
I didn't use the new shim because there was already a shim installed in my cam.
A quick test on a cloudy morning shows improved brightness, much nicer, bigger microprism collar and split image area, accurate AF and merering and easier MF. I'm very happy so far.
The scratch is at the top edge only shows on a dark background, so not much of a distraction or problem.

cheers

[WheresWaldo]

After much more use I am liking the Canon Ec-B screen more and more. I have never been a big fan of the microprism collar and so the Canon is a bit more attactive to me than the Nikon K-3 screen. It also is a smidge brighter. I have not tested spot metering but will in a few days. I am not sure it is as big an issue as many make it seem. I will attempt the tests sometime this weekend.

[StevenVH]

Hey WW, thanks for the info. I should mention also that I tested with center and spot metering and center AF Point too. No problems at all so far.

[ovim]

Thanks for this thread, it's nice to actually see how the different versions look through the viewfinder.

I've had two jinfinance screens, the other one I bought about a year ago for my K100D and about a month ago I got another one for K200D. The older one doesn't have that weird curved line one the diagonal split but the microprism collar seems better on the new one (might be also the magnifying eyepiece which I got). The newer screen was also a bit more rough around the edges and a tighter fit.

Just last night I finished making a diy screen for the K200D. I took apart an old Praktica MTL5B and filed/sanded the screen down to correct size. It' a very nice and clear diagonal double split with a microprism collar. So far it seems a bit brighter than the jinfinance screens as it doesn't black out as easily with a 8/500mm mirror lens. I had to adjust the screen with a couple of thin strips of clear tape on the frosted side to act as a shim and now it's more accurate than the infocus indicator on the body .

Now I'm also trying to come up with a way to get a rule of thirds grid on it.

[WheresWaldo]

... The newer screen was also a bit more rough around the edges and a tighter fit.

Just last night I finished making a diy screen for the K200D. I took apart an old Praktica MTL5B and filed/sanded the screen down to correct size. It' a very nice and clear diagonal double split with a microprism collar. So far it seems a bit brighter than the jinfinance screens as it doesn't black out as easily with a 8/500mm mirror lens...

This is where I believe these screens are better than the JinFinance, the matte is better designed and as a result brighter, the microprism is cut more precisely and so the split image. as a result they do not darken as fast as the cheaper Chinese screens.

[Overhard]

It would be interesting to see some slightly out of focus examples. Where you can see how it looks when you are close to focus. Very informative reading.

[thirdofthree]

Just want to say I appreciate WheresWaldo and the other posters in the thread. This thread helped me decide on the focusingscreen K3 option after comparing prices, images posted here, and features. Thanks to all, and especiall WheresWaldo!

[dimebag]

Ok guys, so after some use what is the verdict? It seems that it is a shoot-out between the K3 and the Ec-B screen. Pros and cons? Is the larger circle on the K3 TOO large? Which is easiest to focus? Just wondered what you thought after a couple of weeks of using these screens.... I'm kinda torn and not sure which one to go for for exclusive manual-focus work. Thanks people!

[WheresWaldo]

Ok guys, so after some use what is the verdict? It seems that it is a shoot-out between the K3 and the Ec-B screen. Pros and cons? Is the larger circle on the K3 TOO large? Which is easiest to focus? Just wondered what you thought after a couple of weeks of using these screens.... I'm kinda torn and not sure which one to go for for exclusive manual-focus work. Thanks people!

I am not a real big fan of micro-prism focusing. In my experience micro-prisms tend to darken too soon, much sooner than the split image area. I like the Ec-B much better. The lack of the big reference circle also makes the screen appear less busy than the K-3 screen. I have used both extensively and would recommend the Ec-B screen to anyone that asks. The actual split image area is the same size on both screens, since these are full frame focusing screens cut down for crop cameras the focusing aids are larger in proportion than when used in a FF (D)SLR, I actually like this unintended feature and find the Ec-B screen even easier to focus than the standard screen in my Pentax MX.

[kveldalf]

I received a double split with a microprism for a K100D from Jinfinance on eBay. The tools are not included, but he does sell them. The screen works great, though I have to admit that I do not notice any "darkening" that others have mentioned in other post.

Thanks for the review