Patw28 Loc: PORT JERVIS, NY

Well, we had an animated discussion on favorite split screen focusing devices and where to get them.
However, no one explained their advantage over the on-focus indicator in the viewfinder. On the Nikon D700 and others the green dot in the viewfinder tells you when you are in focus and, in manual mode, in which direction to adjust to get in focus.

So, what is the advantage of the split-screen ($100) over what is already provided in the viewfinder?

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Simply put, more finite control for accurate manual focusing.
See link below for more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focusing_screen

Patw28 Loc: PORT JERVIS, NY

Terrific! Thanks. I'm on my way to KatzEye.

ggttc Loc: TN

Having been one who has shot a lot of manual film...the split screen is easy to focus once you get used to it...and allows you to focus on the actual point of interest...

grnzbra

When the people at KatzEye install their split screen thingie, do they make whatever adjustments are necessary to match up sharp focus as called by their range finder with actual sharp focus of the picture? What kind of experiences have people had with their work?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Good point. How does the green dot do when focusing with the KatzEye?

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

A main reason why so many liked rangefinder cameras.

grnzbra

My autofocus (d5100) and the green dot both seem to focus a bit behind where it claims to be focused. When I take a picture of the "face" of a flower focusing on very distinct lines in the petals (think of a pansie) the lines are slightly blurred but down in the center, about a quarter or half inch back, the polen is in focus. When I take a picture of my dog focusing on the juncture of the black and white parts of his face (he's an English springer spaniel) at a distance of about 10 feet, his face is somewhat "soft" and the grass a foot or so back is in sharp focus. If the green dot is controled by the same system that controls the auto-focus, and the auto-focus system isn't right, the manual focus using the dot will also not be right. Whether Mr. Magoo is controling the focus or telling you when the focus is right, you will still have a screwed up focus. Obviously, Nikon never checkeed this camera before it left the factory.

Will the KatzEye people at least make sure their system works correctly before sending it back to me?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

If it's still under warranty, send it back.

Lupine Loc: SF Bay Area

This sounds like it may be a back focusing issue and if so, it is the lens, not the camera causing the problem. Most modern DLSRs have the ability to input an offset or adjustment for lenses that have back or front focus issues.

In some DSLRs you only have one adjustment and it is applied to every lens. In others, such as the Pentax K-5, you can have 20 or more different focus corrections, each for a specific lens. When the body detects a lens change it automatically applies the correct focus compensation for the lens that has just been mounted, assuming you have entered it for that lens. If not, it will default back to no correction.