Focusing screens: Has anyone used one of these replacement focusing screens? What are your opinions on them? http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/page--Custom-Focusing-Screens--store.html...

Greg Loc: Maryland

Has anyone used one of these replacement focusing screens? What are your opinions on them?

http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/page--Custom-Focusing-Screens--store.html

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

Mentioned here previously by ones that have failing eyesight and sould like the 'old' no pun intended, method of bringing a split screen together.

Read the info and how to and seems easy enough to do without performing major surgery. Price is right also for the benefit it could give some.

Sarge

robert-photos Loc: Chicago

Greg wrote:

Has anyone used one of these replacement focusing screens? What are your opinions on them?

http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/page--Custom-Focusing-Screens--store.html

There was a thread on UHH a while back that you can probably search for above. My take on them was that they look great at first glance but a deeper review indicates that one would distort my camera metering. It would require me to remember different exposure compensations for different f-stops. Being an event photographer shooting normally in manual mode I didn't think I could add that extra parameter. In run and gun you don't get much time to think :?

English_Wolf Loc: Near Pensacola, FL

I have one now, installed it a month ago. It makes a world of difference. Now if you are going for it too, chosen the 'bright option', it helps even more.

Now not all cameras are compatible, check for yours. Also the 'self mount kit' is rather primitive and I selected to have it mounted at the same time as I had a 'professional' cleaning made.

As to the camera metering 'distortion': Nope does not happen.

robert-photos Loc: Chicago

English_Wolf wrote:

I have one now, installed it a month ago. It makes a world of difference. Now if you are going for it too, chosen the 'bright option', it helps even more.

Now not all cameras are compatible, check for yours. Also the 'self mount kit' is rather primitive and I selected to have it mounted at the same time as I had a 'professional' cleaning made.

As to the camera metering 'distortion': Nope does not happen.

Hmmm....

From their web site info on the Canon 7D:

"Metering Information
Because of the presence of the prisms, the KatzEye focusing screen for the Canon 7D has a small but manageable effect on the cameras light metering function. We recommend use of the Evaluative or Center Weighted Average metering modes, with our OptiBrite treated screen, for the most accurate results. Suggested exposure compensation values for each of the metering modes are as follows:"

(What followed was a table of exposure compensation values based on f-stop for both the standard and OptiBrite screens)

I stand by my previous post.
:roll:

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I just bought one with the Optibrite option....I can't wait until I get it!

PS: On the camera metering issue? There is some effect, it's something you have to check, it's different in all cases.

I don't meter in camera at all, I use a hand held light meter so it doesn't bother me...the in-camera meter is way too easy to be fooled and way to much mental work to second guess. :)

Greg Loc: Maryland

rpavich wrote:

I just bought one with the Optibrite option....I can't wait until I get it!

PS: On the camera metering issue? There is some effect, it's something you have to check, it's different in all cases.

I don't meter in camera at all, I use a hand held light meter so it doesn't bother me...the in-camera meter is way too easy to be fooled and way to much mental work to second guess. :)

From looking at the specs on the various screens, it seems to have more impact on some camera's than others. Where some you really would have to remember too much, others there is minimal impact, likely unless you were really off in your exposure anyway could always be corrected in post. Let me know how it works for you.