haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

Is anyone using a different focusing screen on their Canon 1Dx? I am considering the Ec-A (microprism) or the Ec-B (split image) for manual focus. I have used both styles in the past on film cameras. Any preferences?
Thanks.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Harold, I've shot pretty extensively with a 1Dx as well as most of the current semi-pro Canons. But I've never even considered trying a different screen.
Why in the world would you put a diff screen on a 1dx? Not saying it's a bad idea but the 1dx is all about Auto Focus. It's designed from the ground up as a focus monster!! Split and Ground screens indicate to me your gonna put that machine on a tripod and manual focus it. For a 1Dx that's pure blasphemy!!! Plus, that camera doesn't have enough pixels for ANYTHING that involves a tripod.
Forget the screen and use Live View, that's what it's for, to focus precisely at magnification.
In the old days, ground/micro was faster but Split was not accurate, depending to the dof.
Anyway Harold, that's just my two cents and opinion. Probably didn't help at all?!
SS

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

Harold, I have used a few of the EC prisms and found they are not what I thought they would be. I used a split-prism on an ancient Minolta and loved it, but today's cameras do not operate the same way. I had an EC-B in the camera when I visited the Canon shop at Indy last May. When they cleaned it they replaced the prism with the std. screen. All there tech guys agreed these screens are not what they used to be and the newer screens are better for the AF system. SS is correct in his statement concerning the 1 Dx's ability to AF, but it does struggle with non-AF lenses. My non-AF lenses offer great images but do require substantially more work to achieve those images. As Marty McFly might say "Advance to the past!"

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

Thanks for your opinions about the focus screens.

I use several manual focus lens such as Zeiss and various Soviet made lens. These lens just happen to produce a look that I find appealing in portraits. I also do macro photography using a focus rail. The 1Dx does have a fairly bright viewfinder even compared to the 5D MK III. I tend to be stubborn- I have never liked Live-View and prefer using the viewfinder.

For me the 1Dx is a nice general purpose camera. It is great for action and wildlife photography with its snappy AF system. I also find it good at night photography and portrait photography.

I rarely do landscape photography and 18 megapixels is plenty for what I do. I do not use a monopod but very often I use a tripod.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

First, I don't have a 1DX. But I have used various focus screens.

For long telephoto work (135mm and up), microdiaprism such as the Ec-A is what's normally wanted.

For shorter lenses, under 135mm, a split image finder such as the Ec-B can be used and often works better than the microdiaprism. This type often won't work well with longer telephotos.... the split image finder "blacks out", at worse... or is just very hard to use.

A lot of older, manual focus cameras came with a focus screen with three different focus assist features: a split-image "dot" at the center, a microdiaprism "donut" surrounding it, and an overall matte screen for general purpose.

I do not know if it's the case with the 1DX, but on many other Canon cameras, using either microdiaprism or split image type, manual focus assist screens will significantly skew the camera's Spot Metering, for all practical purposes making it unusable. Perhaps the 1DX has a means of correcting for this (such as a Custom Function setting). You should check into this, just to be sure.

Canon also has offered the Ec-S focus screen, to help with manual focusing. That's a finer grade, brighter screen all over, without any microdiaprisms or split image rangefinder. It's sort of like the matte area of old manual focus cameras. This type is usable in most Canon cameras without any problem, with no skewing of the Spot Metering function.

You might find more info here:

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2013/eos1dx_interchangeable_focus_screens.shtml

I use the "D" or "grid type" focus screens in several Canon models. This doesn't help with focus, but does provide a "rule of thirds" grid that I think helps me keep horizons level, walls vertical and just makes for better compositions.