[Knock]

I'm finally ready to get a replacement focusing screen. From what I've heard, katz eye and focusingscreen.com are the best options. Katz eye is a little more expense (especially with the add ons). My question is, is katz eye worth the extra $$?

[Eyewanders]

My favorite I've tried to-date is the S type screen from Focusingscreen.com ... I had the Katzeye and just sold it a day or two ago. Both are good - I prefer the S screen (which matte only - there is no prism for focus indication, you rely solely on your eyesight but the screen shows a difference between focus points with a larger aperture than the Katzeye in my experience). Some prefer the Katzeye. It's really up to *your* eye.

[Lowell Goudge]

I use screens from jinfinance. They work just fine.

For me, most MF is done with fast primes, so bright coatings and split image performance at f5.6 and smaller is not an issue

[maxxxx]

I have an S-type screen and am very happy with it.

[stevebrot]

Give me a week and I will be able to give you a comparison. I currently have a KatzEye with Optibrite installed in my K10D. A S-type screen for my K-3 from focusingscreen.com is on its way from the Far East as I type. My only complaint regarding the KatzEye has been the amount of real estate the focusing aides consume. For macro and close-up work they can be distracting. OTOH, I have my doubts about using the S-type vs. the split-image. There is a reason why most cameras in the days before auto focus shipped with focus aides.


Steve

[Eyewanders]

I use screens from jinfinance. They work just fine.

For me, most MF is done with fast primes, so bright coatings and split image performance at f5.6 and smaller is not an issue

That's been true for me as well, but only to a point. For most fast glass the majority of screens I've used or read about simply do not show a discernible difference between focus point once your aperture becomes very large, say 2.0 and wider perhaps. This can be the difference between actually seeing and nailing focus (when DoF is razor thin) and missing it by a centimeter even though it *looked* correctly focused through the viewfinder.

[elliott]

I have the S type from focusingscreen.com in my K-5, I like it a lot more than the cheap split prism I have in my K100D.

[Lowell Goudge]

That's been true for me as well, but only to a point. For most fast glass the majority of screens I've used or read about simply do not show a discernible difference between focus point once your aperture becomes very large, say 2.0 and wider perhaps. This can be the difference between actually seeing and nailing focus (when DoF is razor thin) and missing it by a centimeter even though it *looked* correctly focused through the viewfinder.

But the split image is not the same as a mat focusing screen. It has alignment at the point of perfect focus

[reeftool]

The first split screen I ordered for my K10D a few years ago was a cheap one from jinfinance on Ebay. The quality was very bad and at least for me, it was unusable. I bought a Katz Eye and while it's expensive, the quality was first class, it worked exactly as I expected and probably most important, the folks at Katz Eye support their product if you do have a problem. Others have had success with the cheaper overseas screens. The quality seems to be hit or miss.

[mikeSF]

i did the jinfinance screen on my K20 and made a mental note I would never use them again.
For my K5 I went with the Katz Eye and like it much better, including the support and quick email response. highly recommended.

[clackers]

I've had a Katz Eye on my K-30 for a couple of months now - loving it.

[Eyewanders]

But the split image is not the same as a mat focusing screen. It has alignment at the point of perfect focus

Agreed, my personal experience though is that with a very well made matte screen like the S type, I get MANY less missed MF shots than with the Katzeye. The success rate difference between the S and the Katzeye was as dramatic a difference as when I began using the Katzeye over the stock screen. Prism alignment I find difficult to see well in quite a few conditions, but the matte screen is always the same without distraction. Just personal preference.

[stevebrot]

Prism alignment I find difficult to see well in quite a few conditions, but the matte screen is always the same without distraction. Just personal preference.

And there is the key. It depends on choice of subject, the lens used and operator preference.


Steve

[Spodeworld]

I have a focusingscreen.com K-3 in one K20D and a Katz eye in another. They are both quite good and I can't tell much difference between the two.

[stevebrot]

Give me a week and I will be able to give you a comparison.

Ok. I took delivery of the Type-S screen from focusingscreen.com and now have it in the K-3 and the KatzEye in the K10D. Here are my early impressions:

Canon Type-S

• Very nice, even matte screen
• Images snap into focus
• Able to easily evaluate focus across the frame
• Very bright with fast lenses and usable down to f/4
• Very dim at f/5.6 which translates to possible issues with many zooms
• Sometimes uncertain when attempting fine focus

KatzEye w/OptiBrite

• Circular matte field is slightly better than the S screen matte
• With an appropriate subject, the focus aides on the KatzEye provide better precision than the S screen
• The focus aides dominate the viewfinder, are intrusive for many subjects, and often require a "focus and recompose" approach
• Very bright with fast lenses and does not dim appreciably down to f/5.6 and usable to f/11. Split image usable to f/8.

My opinion so far is that the KatzEye is the better choice over the S screen where critical focus essential. The critical test will be for close focus and macro work when I get the time.


Steve