Pentax AF Focusing Screen
- Thread starter GTRen
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Actually, I have a similar query too. Does anyone know where we can get these screens in Singapore?
#38571 LF-60 AF Frame Matte
#38572 LL-60 AF Divided Matte
#38573 LI-60 AF Scale Matte
Whenever I look at the viewfinder of my Pentax MX, I feel like crying... the difference between the DSLR viewfinders and the film SLR viewfinders are like night and day (literally). One thing I would LOVE to have, is to at least have a better focusing screen to help in manual focusing (since most of my lenses are MF).
Anyone has any idea where to get these?
Cheers!
#38571 LF-60 AF Frame Matte
#38572 LL-60 AF Divided Matte
#38573 LI-60 AF Scale Matte
Whenever I look at the viewfinder of my Pentax MX, I feel like crying... the difference between the DSLR viewfinders and the film SLR viewfinders are like night and day (literally). One thing I would LOVE to have, is to at least have a better focusing screen to help in manual focusing (since most of my lenses are MF).
Anyone has any idea where to get these?
Cheers!
Heretix said:
You might try to get some spoiled camera body and swap the good focus screen with it
Just need to find the right one.
I have a spoiled SF1, don't konw if its focus screen is compatable with yours though. It seems in great condition.
Good luck!
Heretix said:
These manufacturers will probably think it's a waste of time to design a big, bright viewfinder with good focusing screens (read: expensive!) for its DSLRs where 99% of its users will never use manual focus. In fact I'm surprised the *ist DS comes with interchangable screens. But interestingly, Pentax doesn't offer a split-image/microprism screen for the *ist DS...
I don't think any of the old Pentax camera's screen will fit in the new DSLRs. Even if you cut it down to size, it may not be correctly calibrated for accurate focusing, and it will most likely screw up your metering due to the difference in brightness (exposure sensors are located within the viewfinder).
Sidetracking - my autofocus MZ-3 is fitted with a split-image with microprism collar focusing screen taken from a manual focus MZ-M. It fits perfectly because the 2 essentially have the same size viewfinder and takes the same size screens. I don't even have to do exposure compensation. Pentax designed such a screen because the MZ-M is a pure manual focus camera despite the electronics. Lucky me!
kelvinang said:
Yep, and from what i've read from other forums where users have emailed or asked Pentax staff in real life, the reply they've got is that the old split-image focusing screens that we know and love from the film SLRs cannot be implemented on the *istD/S/L as it interferes with the AE. :/
kelvinang said:
Yep, that's true too... though i've *heard* rumors of some German guy on the Internet who's selling a modification that does this...
Heretix said:
Hmm, come to think of it, I have no idea how these 3 look like in the viewfinder either... anyone has any idea? Does it look barely like the split-image one that I have in the MX?
Heretix said:
That was what I found out too when I was researching on fitting the MZ-M screen onto my MZ-3 (so I can use the split-image screen for better manual focusing). Apparently, spot metering may be affected. I decided to give it a try and ordered the MZ-M focusing screen as a replacement part. At most I would lose $20...
From my own non-scientific tests, everything appears to be fine! Comparing the meter readings with the same lens on different bodies, the retrofitted MZ-3 performs accurately in spot metering and centre-weighted metering. Multi-segment metering differs slightly in some conditions but I attribute that to the different logic in use by different cameras.
And I'm not a spot metering person, so even if my MZ-3 does spot meters slightly off, it doesn't really affect me much.
GTRen said:
Oh man, that's expensive
Glad you got your Ds working again. And thanks for sharing the info.
Cheers!
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