Which one...?!

[Moonlightsg]

Ok, i have dropped them an email.. .Let's see whether they can cut down the Canon EE-S focusing screen down to Pentax K-r's size. Haha!
If they do, then i think i will order..

If they can't, then i will just settle for the K3... ;/

Anyone interested to try also? The Canon EE-S focusing screen that is.

who you email to?
if have then buy one of each type and we try together...
then let you choose which one you perfer and i will take the other one... on bor?

 

[Moonlightsg]

You mean for Pentax K-r fitting or K5?
Haha! If for K5 then no point for me..

I asking focusingscreen.com for a Kr fitting. And yea... Noted of the updates regarding the out of stock issues. Haha!
Lemme just bug them for atleast a tentative date. Having so much fun using manual...

me K-x... so should be same as k-r right?

 

[Ahren]

This thread reminded me that I should have a old cheap focussing screen that I bought off ebay - with dual diagonal split for KX. Used it for while and went back to stock. Sold off my KX and all manual lense. I have to check where it is ....if anyone want it I can give it to him.

 

[Moonlightsg]

This thread reminded me that I should have a old cheap focussing screen that I bought off ebay - with dual diagonal split for KX. Used it for while and went back to stock. Sold off my KX and all manual lense. I have to check where it is ....if anyone want it I can give it to him.

Thank Ahren! we try will try it out if it is free! haha

 

[SyncGuy]

who you email to?
if have then buy one of each type and we try together...
then let you choose which one you perfer and i will take the other one... on bor?

Ok ON! Well, i emailed the "Contact Us" lo... Haha! And yea... I'm divided between the K3 and EE-S.. :/ Seems like the EE-S is somewhat like the stock one, but more definition.. But i don't mind the "deal".. But you know how to fix or not? Sekalio break/scratch, uh-oh! HAHAHAHA!!

This thread reminded me that I should have a old cheap focussing screen that I bought off ebay - with dual diagonal split for KX. Used it for while and went back to stock. Sold off my KX and all manual lense. I have to check where it is ....if anyone want it I can give it to him.

Only have 1 ah?

 

[Moonlightsg]

if you said to mod it from canon to pentax, i cannot...

but i have try to exchange the focus screen of the 2 k-x and also take out for cleaning before...with very basic tool in my room... i believe can do it in 15 min even at mac...

 

[SyncGuy]

if you said to mod it from canon to pentax, i cannot...

but i have try to exchange the focus screen of the 2 k-x and also take out for cleaning before...with very basic tool in my room... i believe can do it in 15 min even at mac...

Haha! Good enough! No la...! I also no guts to purchase the Canon's for mod..

Ok la~ We shall see whether they reply or not..

 

[Ahren]

Finally found it....it is Travor branded screen..some minor scatches but probably good enough for anyone to try split screen. Lost the plastic pincers that came with it but you use other tools for it. Planning to pass it to anyone who want to try during the next Pentax outing.

 

[Ahren]

Only have 1 ah?

Not point buying more then 1 rite....:dunno:

 

[SyncGuy]

Finally found it....it is Travor branded screen..some minor scatches but probably good enough for anyone to try split screen. Lost the plastic pincers that came with it but you use other tools for it. Planning to pass it to anyone who want to try during the next Pentax outing.

Haha!! Just trying my luck! Ooh well... Fee is good!

Actually, i just want to have a feel of how it looks like. And how effective is it.. So yea.. I hope i can join the next outing to atleast try!

Right now, its kinda hard to focus accurately with anything bigger than f2.. Haha!!

 

[SyncGuy]

LoL! They really cut down for Kr... Hehee!!

And now so fast almost OOS. Last checked left 1 piece. But i cannot buy..

My budget's out the window for another manual zoom lens.. LoL!!

Oh well~ Atleast the screen is selling out fast. Think ima try buy Canon EE-S screen and DIY cut it myself.. Hee!!

 

[creampuff]

...Think ima try buy Canon EE-S screen and DIY cut it myself.. Hee!!

Sure you can DIY and cut the focusing screen but can you be 100% confident that your cutting is so precise that the central focusing aids are exactly in the middle when you install it? Trust me, it may look easy on youtube or on blogs but I'm pretty sure the people who post don't get absolutely centered screens. Good luck!
As someone who once had the Nikon K3 screen from focusingscreen.com, it is a good screen but you got to make sure you got the right shim to compensate for the different screen thickness, if not your focus will be off, no matter how easy it is to use the focusing aids. Gone back to using the stock screen because I'm not into MF anymore and because I occasionally use spot metering, which unfortunately gives a wrong exposure reading if the screen has any central focusing aids.

 

[fengwei]

Sure you can DIY and cut the focusing screen but can you be 100% confident that your cutting is so precise that the central focusing aids are exactly in the middle when you install it? Trust me, it may look easy on youtube or on blogs but I'm pretty sure the people who post don't get absolutely centered screens. Good luck!
As someone who once had the Nikon K3 screen from focusingscreen.com, it is a good screen but you got to make sure you got the right shim to compensate for the different screen thickness, if not your focus will be off, no matter how easy it is to use the focusing aids. Gone back to using the stock screen because I'm not into MF anymore and because I occasionally use spot metering, which unfortunately gives a wrong exposure reading if the screen has any central focusing aids.

I agree w/ what Denis said here. It looks easy to DIY a screen, but actually it is NOT. I've spoiled an LX screen before while I tried to trim it down to our dSLR screen size, and I'm not gonna do it again.

To be honest, it's probably easier just to either use liveview or practise w/ the stock screen. You can get pretty good results after some practise, just make sure you don't simply rely on the focusing confirmation (the 'beep' sound) alone. Sometimes you can try to take a few shots by turning the lens back and forth just a bit so you might at least get one 'spot on' shot. A lot pros do the same thing especially when they shoot fast moving subjects or birds.

 

[pchmj]

I bought the ee-S from focusingscreen.com after reading the thread in 'pentaxforum'. I've no prior experience in film/MF cameras and I know nuts about focusing screen, but I got to say ee-S is the best 'mod' to my K5. The plane in focus does 'pop' as mentioned in the thread and it makes MF very accurate, huge difference to stock screen. Spot metering will work for this screen.

The only downside is the darker view. I'm not sure if smaller aperture is brighter than stock screen, what I can confirm is darker at F2.8.

 

[SyncGuy]

Hmm... true that... Hee!

Actually, i'm pretty decent with MF already i think.

How i do it quickly:

1) "Reset" lens to infinity always
2) Bring VF to eye and give a quick twist to the lens to close in the lens according to the distance scale
3) Depress shutter button once said targeted image 'pops' in the composed pic

So i would definitely think that this EE-S focusing screen would make the image 'pop' more obvious.
Seems like i will just have to buy it from the site then..
I can kinda roughly visualize the DoF at a given aperture. My Kr definitely is taking a beating.. Now 13k shutter count... LoL! Less than 6 months, i think..

 

[detritus]

Hmm... true that... Hee!

Actually, i'm pretty decent with MF already i think.

How i do it quickly:

1) "Reset" lens to infinity always
2) Bring VF to eye and give a quick twist to the lens to close in the lens according to the distance scale
3) Depress shutter button once said targeted image 'pops' in the composed pic

So i would definitely think that this EE-S focusing screen would make the image 'pop' more obvious.
Seems like i will just have to buy it from the site then..
I can kinda roughly visualize the DoF at a given aperture. My Kr definitely is taking a beating.. Now 13k shutter count... LoL! Less than 6 months, i think..

your method works well with lens that have a short focus throw because focusing from infinity to the correct distance may only be 1/2 a turn on the focusing ring.

its not so effective for macro lenses or when focusing close - the focus throw could be close to 2 full turns for some older lenses (old vivitar macro lenses are famous for this) and there's usually some tension to allow the user to fine-adjust the focus. so having to turn the focusing ring and judge focus from infinity to close-up can make u very tired and dizzy its also slower.

an alternative way (not just for macro lenses) is to understand the distance scales on the lens itself and know roughly how far to turn to change focusing distance. different lens models behave differently. that way, u set the lens to an appropriate distance as the "default" position, and focus either forward, or backward, depending on what u're shooting.

its the same principle as how focus limiters work on some macro lens models - u reduce the focus throw to speed up AF so that the lens doesn't hunt back and forth. just that in this case, your hands is the one doing the focusing.