Looking for an old school split ring focusing screen: I have a Nikon D7500 DLSR camera. My eyes are getting old and I sometimes would rather manually focus instead of using AF. I have...

Dbrow411 Loc: South Daytona, FL

I have a Nikon D7500 DLSR camera. My eyes are getting old and I sometimes would rather manually focus instead of using AF. I have been looking for the split ring focusing screen that used to come with about every camera made but am having a hard time finding one. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would be so happy.

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Dbrow411 wrote:

I have a Nikon D7500 DLSR camera. My eyes are getting old and I sometimes would rather manually focus instead of using AF. I have been looking for the split ring focusing screen that used to come with about every camera made but am having a hard time finding one. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would be so happy.

Thaz a dead end with modern cameras.
What about the green dot as a MF aid ?

modern cameras may be dead ended about focus screens but current cameras do offer MF that is what we all dreamed of back when screens were interchangeable. Unfortunateqly youll need a new body (example Z50) and an adapter for your lenses (example FTZ2).

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

eBay lists various ones for Nikon cameras

BebuLamar

The focusing screen on most DSLR's is not interchangeable. I know people did change them but it's risky.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If you want to waste your time with manual focusing, you're wasting your time wishing for things that don't work well with DSLRs. Instead, get a digital mirrorless camera and use the MF-enabling technologies of these type cameras.

MJPerini

To answer your question, your camera has a mirror so it also has a focusing screen, I do not know if your particular model accepts interchangeable focusing screens, check the manual, and if it does you should be able to source the screen you want IF Nikon Made the one you want.
But Frankly, if you have vision issues , you are better off trusting Nikon AF. Most cameras offer focus confirmation.

If EVERYTHING is blurry look into corrective diopter lenses for your camera, if your vision can be corrected, usually the camera can too. If your vision can't be corrected with lenses (for example if you have cataracts) then you are much better off with Nikon AF & focus confirmation.
Good luck

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Shellback wrote:

eBay lists various ones for Nikon cameras

Not happening :-(

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

I think you are out of luck with this quest. I have a Mamiya M645. A film medium format camera that had a variety of interchangeable focusing screens. That is just one of the things that I loved about that camera before I went digital!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Dbrow411 wrote:

I have a Nikon D7500 DLSR camera. My eyes are getting old and I sometimes would rather manually focus instead of using AF. I have been looking for the split ring focusing screen that used to come with about every camera made but am having a hard time finding one. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would be so happy.

I looked for that a while back. The company that was making retrofit kits no longer exists. You might be able to find a used screen on eBay or Amazon.

Failing that try camera repair stores they might have some SLR screens or old SLRs that could be salvaged for parts.

Bill_de Loc: US

Supposedly done on D700

https://thedigitalstory.com/2020/01/adding-a-split-image-focusing-screen-to-my-Nikon-DSLR.html

If that's true, maybe there is something for the D7500.

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Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Bill_de wrote:

Supposedly done on D700

https://thedigitalstory.com/2020/01/adding-a-split-image-focusing-screen-to-my-Nikon-DSLR.html

If that's true, maybe there is something for the D7500.

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What a great response!! I'm saving this post for future reference. Thank you very much for this!!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Retired CPO wrote:

What a great response!! I'm saving this post for future reference. Thank you very much for this!!

What chief said!

Basil_O Loc: Minneapolis, MN

I used one for a while on my old Sony A850. It worked OK, but I was never thrilled with the results. I swapped it back for the original and then just practiced more. Newer bodies with focus peaking made it a moot point. You may find one for your camera, but it just may not be worth the effort.

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JD750 wrote:

I looked for that a while back. The company that was making retrofit kits no longer exists. You might be able to find a used screen on eBay or Amazon.

Failing that try camera repair stores they might have some SLR screens or old SLRs that could be salvaged for parts.

You cant really do that. Theres just no industry standards at all.

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Bill_de wrote:

Supposedly done on D700

https://thedigitalstory.com/2020/01/adding-a-split-image-focusing-screen-to-my-Nikon-DSLR.html

If that's true, maybe there is something for the D7500.

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Thaz history.