Katzeye ceasing production :(
Despite pentax having some of the best aps-c viewfinders around in their class, I've still never been that successful with manual focus lenses through them. And evf with focus peaking and digital zoom in it really appeals to me.
I suspect that this is less as a result of competition from the far east and more as a result of the decline of the DSLR and the rise of good live-view with focus peaking.
Thinking of numbers, we know that DSLR sales outnumber sales of EVF cameras by many, many times. So I think this reason is unlikely. There are probably just very few photographers who now want to use old manual focus lenses and of those even fewer who think of changing the focusing screen. These numbers will probably get less and less as time goes by, and maybe the number has already fallen below a figure that makes the business sustainable.
Potential purchasers need to bear in mind that spot metering doesn't work if you install a split image focussing screen - very erratic and often two stops out Nowadays, I use spot metering all the time - so I would not consider buying a replacement screen for my K30.
Andrew
Potential purchasers need to bear in mind that spot metering doesn't work if you install a split image focussing screen - very erratic and often two stops out Nowadays, I use spot metering all the time - so I would not consider buying a replacement screen for my K30.
Andrew
Thank you very much for this post. That was exactly the scenario I was interested in and you've cleared that up for me.
http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/
Fan of DA limited and old manual lenses
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2218 posts
13 years
Madrid / Edinburgh
It seems Katzeye Optics have ceased making focussing screens. This is a great loss to the Pentax community in particular, with all those great old lenses around, which I and many others love to use.
I have a Katzeye in my K200D and I wouldn't have been able to use all those beautiful old manual lenses over the last 5 years had it not been for the screen. I probably would have bought one for my new K3 in the summer as I plan to be in the states.
I suspect that this is less as a result of competition from the far east and more as a result of the decline of the DSLR and the rise of good live-view with focus peaking. The K3 has a much better viewfinder than the K200D but with the Katzeye installed and shimmed to perfection I can reliably focus much better with the K200D. I'd have loved to get one for the K3 so I could enjoy the same experience.
A sad day
Fan of DA limited and old manual lenses