Originally posted by fretlessdavis I wonder if older cameras could be modified, too.
Not feasible due to the issues with coupling the shutter cycle with the digital capture. There is not a good way to signal end of exposure and shutter cock to the sensor.
Originally posted by gaweidert Quite frankly when I use manual focus lenses on my K5/K5Is and rely on "focus confirmation" I wind up with more failures than successes.
Yep, that is expected. The AF system is not very precise and often fails when coupled with manual focus lenses in the same way that it fails with AF glass.
Originally posted by lister6520 It does bring some drawbacks - AF-C with focus tracking gets somewhat messed up (only on the K-3 though) and exposure metering can be affected - with spot metering becoming almost useless.
This is new to me. It was my understanding that the focus tracking technology was in the mirror box and independent of the viewfinder screen. Do you have a reference?*
Steve
* Honestly...I have been considering a K-3 purchase in the near future, based in part on its focus tracking performance, but if a split-image screen kills that feature, it would be a deal-breaker for me.
---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 10:29 AM ----------
Originally posted by BrianR The problem seems essentially the same to me- the demand will likely be so low that they may have a hard time paying for the overhead of a whole new production line. Who knows though, this is really just speculation on my part
Your speculation is spot on. That is why the cost of new film cameras is so high and continues to climb.
Steve
---------- Post added 02-24-14 at 10:31 AM ----------
Originally posted by lister6520 I don't quite understand how a microprism screen could be a replacement for CiF, unless it is something entirely different from what I understand it to be (namely what is described in the manual).
How is the microprism screen going to trigger the camera to shoot at the opportune moment?
I have never really understood the practicality of CIF. Basically you are asking the camera to determine both the point of focus and the time of capture. Never mind that CIF uses the AF system with all its failings and there is a real nice time lag between focus acquisition and shutter release.
Steve