Split focusing screens?

El KiwiEl Kiwi Registered Users Posts: 154 Major grins
edited December 17, 2006 in Technique
After my less than successful thread hijack over in the back focusing thread, I thought I'd start my own instead...
Shay Stephens wrote:
I wish they would bring back those split screens like they used to have on the old film cameras.

Which leads me nicely on to a question I was planning to post here anyway... I saw one of these for the first time recently, on my stepdad's old film camera. I looked around a bit, and there are a couple of companies that sell them for DSLRs:

Katz Eye

Haoda Fu

Does anyone here have any experience with these? I'd like to try one. I guess using these screens that you can only focus on something in the centre of the frame, correct? So you have to use focus-recompose if the point you want to focus on is off to the side. I'd appreciate any feedback... is it distracting having such a full viewfinder?
Constructive criticism always welcome!
"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

Comments

  • erich6erich6 Registered Users Posts: 1,638 Major grins
    edited December 2, 2006
    El Kiwi wrote:
    After my less than successful thread hijack over in the back focusing thread, I thought I'd start my own instead...



    Which leads me nicely on to a question I was planning to post here anyway... I saw one of these for the first time recently, on my stepdad's old film camera. I looked around a bit, and there are a couple of companies that sell them for DSLRs:

    Katz Eye

    Haoda Fu

    Does anyone here have any experience with these? I'd like to try one. I guess using these screens that you can only focus on something in the centre of the frame, correct? So you have to use focus-recompose if the point you want to focus on is off to the side. I'd appreciate any feedback... is it distracting having such a full viewfinder?

    Those Katz Eye screens look pretty good! I also would like to know if anyone else has any experience with these.

    Erich
  • claudermilkclaudermilk Registered Users Posts: 2,756 Major grins
    edited December 2, 2006
    I have the Kats Eye in my 20D and it's great. Really helps with manual focus & is a 2nd check that the AF worked. With the 20D metering is basically unaffected. The screen is well-made & looks OEM.
    thumb.gif
    Chris
    http://www.chrislaudermilkphoto.com/
  • erich6erich6 Registered Users Posts: 1,638 Major grins
    edited December 2, 2006
    Found this thread with additional info:

    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=34784&highlight=katz

    I like that Katz Eye offers etched lines to help in composition. I'm torn between the Rule-of-thirds and the panoramic lines....

    I've got a 20D...I think I'm going to get one of these.

    Did you install it yourself? Was it difficult?

    Erich
  • Shay StephensShay Stephens Registered Users Posts: 3,165 Major grins
    edited December 2, 2006
    Am I happy or what?!?!
    Oh sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    bowdown.gifbowbowdown.gifbowbowdown.gifbowbowdown.gifbowbowdown.gifbow

    Thank you thank you thank you

    clap.gifclapclap.gifclapclap.gifclapclap.gifclapclap.gifclapclap.gif

    I just ordered one with 8x10 etching marks. As soon as I get it, I will provide a full review!
    Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest
    "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie
  • El KiwiEl Kiwi Registered Users Posts: 154 Major grins
    edited December 2, 2006
    Brilliant! I'm looking forward to the review. Specifically, my questions are:

    1) is it a PITA having the viewfinder really busy?

    2) does it help focusing on off-centre subjects?

    3) I see Haoda now offers a diagonal focusing ring, the idea being that if your scene contains only horizontal lines it'll help. Thoughts about whether this is useful?

    New toys - just when I'd told myself I have enough to learn all I need to :-)
    Constructive criticism always welcome!
    "Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius
  • erich6erich6 Registered Users Posts: 1,638 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2006
    Shay Stephens wrote:
    Oh sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    bowdown.gifbowbowdown.gifbowbowdown.gifbowbowdown.gifbowbowdown.gifbow

    Thank you thank you thank you

    clap.gifclapclap.gifclapclap.gifclapclap.gifclapclap.gifclapclap.gif

    I just ordered one with 8x10 etching marks. As soon as I get it, I will provide a full review!

    I'm sure the 8x10 lines will come in handy with your wedding portraits! thumb.gif
  • Shay StephensShay Stephens Registered Users Posts: 3,165 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2006
    erich6 wrote:
    I'm sure the 8x10 lines will come in handy with your wedding portraits! thumb.gif

    That crop is the most restrictive, so knowing where the limits are at a glance is a real life saver for me :D

    I got an order confirmation, and the lady who responded sounded like she was as excited about this product as I was hehehe. It may take two weeks or so before I get it...and I can't wait wings.gif
    Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest
    "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie
  • claudermilkclaudermilk Registered Users Posts: 2,756 Major grins
    edited December 4, 2006
    Installation is not all that hard, just takes some care & patience.


    THe viewfinder isn't "busy"...at least to those of use who grew up on manual SLRs and are accustomed to having the prism. I actually missed it in the digital cameras, now things look normal to me. Really the only difference is around the central focus point with a couple of smaller concentric circles within the standard one found on the 20D. When you're focussed, there's almost no difference.
    Chris
    http://www.chrislaudermilkphoto.com/
  • Shay StephensShay Stephens Registered Users Posts: 3,165 Major grins
    edited December 13, 2006
    I made a review of it here:
    http://www.digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?p=441104
    Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest
    "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie
  • erich6erich6 Registered Users Posts: 1,638 Major grins
    edited December 13, 2006
    Shay Stephens wrote:
    I made a review of it here:
    http://www.digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?p=441104

    Awesome review Shay! Did you notice any difference in the viewfinder brightness? How about any blackout at small apertures?

    Erich
  • Shay StephensShay Stephens Registered Users Posts: 3,165 Major grins
    edited December 13, 2006
    erich6 wrote:
    Awesome review Shay! Did you notice any difference in the viewfinder brightness? How about any blackout at small apertures?

    Erich
    I didn't notice any apparent darkening of the viewfinder. If there is any, I can't tell. And at least with the 20D, the viewfinder operates at the widest aperture of the lens regardless of what your aperture setting is.

    The only way I could get the screen dark with small apertures was to use the preview button. Instead of being uniformly dark, I noticed the central area with the prism was nearly as bright as at wide aperture. Interesting, but I don't think it will be of much use to me as I mainly shoot at full wide most of the time anyway.
    Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest
    "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie
  • El KiwiEl Kiwi Registered Users Posts: 154 Major grins
    edited December 14, 2006
    Looks fantastic! I'll be picking one of those up when I'm back in the States.

    BTW Shay - I've not used one of these screens before, are they useful for focusing on off-centre subjects? Obviously the split prism is in the centre of the frame, but in a lot of cases where manual focus is going to be most useful you don't want to be recomposing (i.e. with a fine DOF).
    Constructive criticism always welcome!
    "Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius
  • Shay StephensShay Stephens Registered Users Posts: 3,165 Major grins
    edited December 14, 2006
    El Kiwi wrote:
    Looks fantastic! I'll be picking one of those up when I'm back in the States.

    BTW Shay - I've not used one of these screens before, are they useful for focusing on off-centre subjects? Obviously the split prism is in the centre of the frame, but in a lot of cases where manual focus is going to be most useful you don't want to be recomposing (i.e. with a fine DOF).

    The micro-prism ring extends out a ways beyond the split prism area, it can be helpful in off center focusing.
    Creator of Dgrin's "Last Photographer Standing" contest
    "Failure is feedback. And feedback is the breakfast of champions." - fortune cookie
  • TOF guyTOF guy Registered Users Posts: 74 Big grins
    edited December 17, 2006
    El Kiwi wrote:
    Does anyone here have any experience with these? I'd like to try one. I guess using these screens that you can only focus on something in the centre of the frame, correct? So you have to use focus-recompose if the point you want to focus on is off to the side. I'd appreciate any feedback... is it distracting having such a full viewfinder?

    I've been using one (KatzEyes) for several months.

    You can focus off-center since it has a laser-matte polish. But this requires a bit more practice compared to the microprism collar and center split prism. A fast lens helps to use it that way.

    Is it distracting? Some people hate it and remove it very quickly. This is not an issue for many others (incl. me). So I suppose the answer is that it depends on whom you ask. Be aware that if you use it on a camera with good AF (mine is a Nikon D200). all you're going to see is that AF focuses very accurately and the screen is useless as such. The rationale to have it on the D200 is 1) it allows to focus with manual lenses, and 2) the improved snap (better evaluation of DOF).

    Thierry
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