See KatzEye Optics - Custom Focusing Screens

Going Out of Business
Final Production Run!
[...] As of May 9, 2016, we have a very limited amount of remaining material and are preparing to produce our final batch of screens, before closure of the business. What this means is that we will take orders until the final batch is sold out, and then begin to produce the screens to fill those orders. Until the batch is sold out, your order will be held in queue, to be processed in sequence, once production begins. [...]

It would be nice to have most of the last ones going to Pentaxers, and not to all the "riff-raff".

[GodsPetMonkey]

EDIT: Oh, I know what was happening during the "Arrived USA -> Departed USA" part -- the package had to be manually turned upside-down to be ready to ship to Australia.

Makes perfect sense! I wouldn't want the package falling to the roof of the airplane when it crosses the equator

More seriously, I once ordered an item from Russia and was warned that Russian post can take a while to depart the country. Moved between Russian customs and the Russian Post facility 5 times over 3 weeks before it finally left. Apparently this is normal (and some extra rubles can speed it up), but I suspect in this case it is just down to USPS building in some incompetence to its tracking system. It all happened in one day so I guess the system doesn't properly show it going to USPS to customs, back to USPS, into the airport, then onto a plane.

[niceshot]

Makes perfect sense! I wouldn't want the package falling to the roof of the airplane when it crosses the equator

More seriously, I once ordered an item from Russia and was warned that Russian post can take a while to depart the country. Moved between Russian customs and the Russian Post facility 5 times over 3 weeks before it finally left. Apparently this is normal (and some extra rubles can speed it up), but I suspect in this case it is just down to USPS building in some incompetence to its tracking system. It all happened in one day so I guess the system doesn't properly show it going to USPS to customs, back to USPS, into the airport, then onto a plane.

Wasnt aware ups was in RUSSIA

[p38arover]

Tracking shows mine has gone from Greenfield. MA. to ISC NY. to Jamaica, NY, to ISC NY..

Maybe Jamaica NY is the next stop.....

Arrived NY
Departed NY
Departed Dubai

Hopefully from Dubai to Australia not Austria like a previous parcel.

I would have thought it would go NY-LAX then direct to Sydney.

[Topsy]

I doubt NY to Austria would actually fly via Dubai.

[monochrome]

Arrived NY
Departed NY
Departed Dubai

Hopefully from Dubai to Australia not Austria like a previous parcel.

I would have thought it would go NY-LAX then direct to Sydney.

FWIW the packaging is astonishingly good.

The actual screen is 'secure' in a tiny zip-closing envelope, inside a small plastic clip box, inside a bubble bag, inside a fitted cardboard folding box the size of a medium paperback book, inside a bubble mailer.

[TomTom]

FWIW the packaging is astonishingly good.

The actual screen is 'secure' in a tiny zip-closing envelope, inside a small plastic clip box, inside a bubble bag, inside a fitted cardboard folding box the size of a medium paperback book, inside a bubble mailer.

I second that sentiment. It arrived Saturday but I only opened it this morning...with the gf home all weekend I was afraid to open the package. I have to maintain the appearance of being thrifty for a while longer.

[Kerrowdown]

I was looking forward to getting a Katzeye for the K-1

I thought the same, but so far the screen is big and bright enough that I'm not having any problems at all.

[p38arover]

I doubt NY to Austria would actually fly via Dubai.

So would I but....

I live in Sydney. The tracking shows it left Sydney 2 days ago. To where?

[GodsPetMonkey]

I live in Sydney. The tracking shows it left Sydney 2 days ago. To where?

Stuck in traffic on the M4?

[p38arover]

Stuck in traffic on the M4?

Very likely.

The latest (as at about 1pm) is that it has been "processed through facility".

[UncleVanya]

Well my bargain Katzeye is dirty. It's got a tiny smudge mark also maybe two but these are on the outside edge and not distracting. But the dirt is. I may try the cleaning process listed here:
Focus Screen and Lens Cleaning Tips, Any Comments - Photo.net Pentax Forum

What I see is trash not scratches and not oil. Just specs of dust collected in the split prism area along the lines etc. Sigh.

But not for a while. I am shooting the K-3 with an 8mm fisheye and frankly I can't even tell if a line is bisected and broken even with a split prism the thing has so much depth of field.

I tried it with the FA77 and I'm totally unclear if I need to reshim or not - it's just so hard for me to see critical focus. I am not sure this screen is for me. The screen is fine, but my own vision is pretty lousy so AF may be my best bet.

[UncleVanya]

I did find this pair of tweezers to be fantastic for this work. They are metal not plastic but carefully handling things worked fine. The key is the built in LED light.

[GodsPetMonkey]

Very likely.

The latest (as at about 1pm) is that it has been "processed through facility".

Well mine has finally arrived, so I hope yours has made it out to the western suburbs.

Very well packed, and a very nice focus screen. I can see why they were popular, and that only makes it sadder that KatzEye has has shut up shop.

[reeftool]

It's sad to see them go. The Katz Eye is a quality, American made product. After wasting money on that Asian crap they sell on Ebay, I bought a Katz Eye and became a happy customer. IMO it's the best aftermarket screen out there. If I'm reading this right, the only remaining stock is for Nikon D700 screens so us Pentax users are out of luck.

[p38arover]

Mine arrived yesterday. Extremely well packed, too.

My wife was surprised by the size of the contents cf. the packaging.