Split focus screen

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spacester

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Alan
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I really kiss he split focus screen of my old MF Praktica. Manual focussing on my D5100 isn't an enjoyable experience, partly because of the kit lens not really having a focus ring, but also because the viewfinder is full and there is no split-focus when you look through the viewfinder. Well I happened upon an after market solution.... http://www.focusingscreen.com/privacy.php

Thoughts?
 
I shoot canon (ec-b in my 1ds mkii) so I'm not very up on how Nikon works, however the one thing with the split screen is its very dull with lenses slower than 2.8 So be aware of that!

Also if Nikon do their own for your camera then it will be 100% better than a third party IMHO

However I love the split screen also, superb for macro!!!
 
spacester said:
I really kiss he split focus screen of my old MF Praktica. Manual focussing on my D5100 isn't an enjoyable experience, partly because of the kit lens not really having a focus ring, but also because the viewfinder is full and there is no split-focus when you look through the viewfinder. Well I happened upon an after market solution.... http://www.focusingscreen.com/privacy.php

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Your Praktica was full frame, designed for manual focusing, and quite likely had a 50/1.8 or similar low f/number lens on it.

Your Nikon is not full frame, so the viewfinder is inherantly smaller, it's designed for AF so not much consideration is given to manual (either camera or lens) and f/3.5-5.6 is not f/1.8 or even 2.8.

A different focusing screen may help with split-image etc, but it may also be darker. Could make things better, but no guarantees.
 
When manually focusing on the D5100 (or any Nikon DSLR) you still get the green dot focus confirmation light in the viewfinder but if you use that you might as well AF anyway.

When I had a D40 I struggled to MF with any lens (including the nifty fifity) and bought a split screen from KatzEye. Although it made focussing easier the viewfinder was noticeably darker so I ended up removing it again.

Hope that helps :)
 
spacester said:
I really kiss he split focus screen of my old MF Praktica. Manual focussing on my D5100 isn't an enjoyable experience, partly because of the kit lens not really having a focus ring, but also because the viewfinder is full and there is no split-focus when you look through the viewfinder. Well I happened upon an after market solution.... http://www.focusingscreen.com/privacy.php

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I have one of their screens in my k7. love it. But then the brightness isn't an issue for me as I only shoot fast primes. It's a godsend when focusing manually at large apertures. Mine is a split prism surrounded by a microprism. Very accurate.
 
I still use my film cameras, and the F2 has interchangeable screens. The spilt image with the microprism collar is excellent, but I find the plain ground glass screen quite useful too.

It took me a long time to get used to the small/dim viewfinder of the 30D, compared with the big, bright, ones we took for granted - even in budget cameras - in the 35mm days and I'm still not really comfortable with it. Of course, the standard lenses in those days were usually fast primes instead of fairly slow short zooms, and we still have that option, but it doesn't fully compensate for the viewfinders IMO.

I don't need AF for most of my photography, and prefer the simple, direct, MF on the F2 and FM. Crop DSLRs aren't designed for this, and neither are most modern lenses which don't have the smooth, well damped, focus rings of the older gear. Luckily I can still get my old Nikons out, and see what things used to be like. I'm 59, and I'm allowed to say that now!
 
It's been mentioned, but I feel the need to add this. The viewfinder on your modern SLR (not just digital) is designed to be darker for you, as the AF system nicks some of your light for its own purposes. Add to that cheaper pentamirrors on low end Digital models and low magnification to keep cameras small and light. Thus making AF cameras unsuitable for manual focus by design.

After years of manual focus cameras (I went AF in 2001 - digital soon after in 2003) I decided the best thing to do with this technology was to learn how to use it effectively rather than to fight it. So I buy lenses that focus accurately and quickly, and I use the best techniques for the conditions, modern AF systems are very tweak able:thumbs:.

IMHO apart from some specialist applications MF on a modern DSLR is like retro fitting cable brakes onto a modern car because you don't trust those new fangled hydraulics.
 
I guess you are right - there is a reason the viewfinder is dark. I often shoot with the rather duff kit lens (18-55mm) or a fast prime (35mm 41.8) depending on my subject. I just *like* focussing manually, but the viewfinder just isn't as good as my old Eastern European lead brick of a camera :-)

Never noticed the lens being not well damped before, but you are right! I am going to invest in some decent optics (eg Nikor 24-70 f2.8) before upgrading the camera to a full frame. Does a full frame camera have a brighter viewfinder, or does it vary between cameras? I am struck on Nikon, I am afraid, as I just didn't get on with the Canon's I picked up and I am investing in glass.....
 
spacester said:
I guess you are right - there is a reason the viewfinder is dark. I often shoot with the rather duff kit lens (18-55mm) or a fast prime (35mm 41.8) depending on my subject. I just *like* focussing manually, but the viewfinder just isn't as good as my old Eastern European lead brick of a camera :-)

Never noticed the lens being not well damped before, but you are right! I am going to invest in some decent optics (eg Nikor 24-70 f2.8) before upgrading the camera to a full frame. Does a full frame camera have a brighter viewfinder, or does it vary between cameras? I am struck on Nikon, I am afraid, as I just didn't get on with the Canon's I picked up and I am investing in glass.....
Click to expand...

I'm not a Nikon expert, but the FF camera should have a larger and brighter viewfinder, it still won't rival an old manual focus film camera though.

You'll probably find you'll 'like' to manually focus less, the easier AF becomes for you. The camera that convinced me was the EOS 30 with eye control focus. Some people couldn't get on with it, but it worked a dream for me. I wish Canon would put it in the next 7d:love:
 
Agreed. The Nikon FF camera will have a bigger and brighter viewfinder than the D5100, but it will lose some light to the AF system, so it won't be quite as good as an older MF model. The later film SLRs, which had AF, are also effected by this.
 
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