Need input from manual focus lens users.

Hello folks,

I'd appreciate input on a couple of points from people who use manual focus old glass often on their K series digitals.

1) Focus screens/mods and any special tips concerning focus screens for long glass, 400mm plus, and astrophotography.

2) Eyepiece magnifiers, low magnification (around 1.2x) and higher mag (between 2x-3x).

Input on all points or just one appreciated.

Thanks

Lars

I use a split-prism screen on my K10 that i bought on ebay from China. Fitted easily and works well with lenses up to and including 300mm f4 without blackout. Cannot help you with longer focal length.

I did use the Pentax magnifying eyepiece for a while on my DS , but didnt find for general photography it gained me much. Split prism screen much more effective.

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Peter



My Flickr page

If you find yourself photographing an object in the night sky which isn't at infinity, we all have bigger problems than a few out of focus photos.

If the infinity stop on your old lens isn't accurate, focus on something a long way away before it gets dark and hold the focus in position with something like masking tape. I am lucky in that the lens I use for astro has an adjustable click stop on its focus. If you have to focus at night, find the brightest star you can and focus on that on the ground glass screen.

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you don't have to be mad to post here



but it does help

I use manual focus all the time when working in macro and have found the normal screen on my K10D fine, particularly when used with the Pentax 1.2x magnifier.

In the past, all SLR cameras seemed to come with split image and surrounding fresnel screen and, for most uses, and particularly with macro or long lenses, they were hopeless. I used to change them for plain ground glass screens and the subject seemed to snap into focus much better. The standard screen in the K10D is not much different in this respect.

Obviously peoples' eyesight varies and some may find split screens better because they cannot use the ground glass.

John

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Pentax K7, Pentax DFA 100 macro, Sigma 17-70 macro, Tamron 70-200 Di LD zoom macro, Vivitar 28 f2.8 CF, Tamron 500 mirror lens, Pentax 360FGZ flash, Panasonic FZ28

Hi Lars,

I don't use any 400mm+ lenses, but I have ebay diagonal split prism screens on both my K100Ds and my K20D for use with various manual focus lenses in the 50-200mm range. I also use a pentax 1.2x magnifying eyepiece. The split prism definitely makes the biggest difference for most focussing tasks, although the eyepiece is still useful when you're using the microprism collar to focus.

I have heard that the higher magnification viewfinders (above 1.2x) will make it so you will have to move your eye in order to see the digital readout at the bottom of the viewfinder, so that might be an issue to consider.

However, I've never done any astrophotography but I'm not sure how much the split prism or the collar are going to help ... for the split prism you would normally need a straight(ish) line of some kind to align. Will that be possible in photos of the sky?

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Tim
AF - Pentax K5, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6, Tamron 17-50/2.8, Sigma 30/1.4, Sigma 70-200/2.8, Tamron 70-300/4-5.6
MF - Vivitar CF 28/2.8, Tamron AD2 90/2.5, MTO 1000/11
Stuff - Metz 58 AF1, Cactus v4, Nikon SB24, Raynox 150, Sigma 1.4x TC, Sigma 2x TC, Kenko 2x macro TC, Redsnapper 283 tripod, iMac 27”, Macbook Pro 17”, iPad, iPhone 3G
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I use the following manual lenses on the K10D:

SMC A 50mm 1.7
SMC A 100mm F4 macro
SMC A 400mm F5.6

The viewfinder focus confirmation is the only aid I use.

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Pentax K-3, DA18-135, DA35 F2.4, DA17-70, DA55-300, FA28-200, A50 F1.7, A100 F4 Macro, A400 F5.6, Sigma 10-20 EXDC, 50-500 F4.5-6.3 APO DG OS Samsung flash SEF-54PZF(x2)
.

Heres link to Katzeye Focussing Screens, They Claim that their horizontal Split overcomes the shortcomings of a diagonal split, Though i doubt if it would help in Astrophotography it would almost certaily be of help with a long lens. I`m certainly considering one. link

Regards - Pete

Thanks for the input.

Mongoose, Very funny. That's my feeling though, I don't trust the set infinity on any lens and my mirror lens is designed to go past it. I would just like to see the correct focus with my own eyes.

Brownargus, I have the fresnal screen in my old Yashica SLR and think it's great for lenses up to 135-200mm, then annoying after that. I agree the standard screen covers a wider range.

Thoughton and Brownargus, what's your feeling on the 1.2x magnifier, is it something you can leave on or do you use it for specific shoots. I was thinking of getting a higher magnification flip up type so as to nail the focus in the center area when necessary.

Chris, I like the focus confirmation (It gives me confidence)but it doesn't work in low light and sometimes it gives me focus slightly in front of my aim point.

Pete, I'm aware of Katzeye and have spoken with them recently. I think it would be great up to about 300mm. My experiences with split screens and long lenses tell me they do not mix. I machined an older Yashica fresnal screen to fit my K200d and it's great up to 135mm. I just don't want to keep switching screens all the time, dust and whatnot... a good excuse for a second body?

Thanks guys.

This cross-links with another thread... the MX/LX had a wide variety of screens for different purposes/lenses etc. That is one thing that could be done!

There are always good excuses for a second body....

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Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.
My website

I bought a cheap split image with microprism collar from China via ebay and it works very well. At 200mm you have to have your eye very precisely centred.

It is worth remembering that when Pentax fitted these screens to cameras we were warned about their usability. I have forgotten the exact parameters but I'm certain that for very long lenses or very wide or specialist lenses you had to use the ground glass. For example, with the 28mm shift the microprism/split image turned to solid black circle as soon as you started to shift. The solution there was to swap the screen with a plain one with grid.

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Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -

I make my own split screens from ME Super and Yashica FX3 screens. I use the O-ME53 for close work. I use a DK21M 2X eyepiece for astro work.
And this is with both my DS and K200D.

I was just using a split screen last night with my 1200mm scope. As long as my eye was centered, the split did not black out.

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http://swainphotography.smugmug.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greyhoundman/

I use the 1.2x all the time. I have the flip up type but have no real use for it. However, it may be of advantage with astrophotography!

John

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Pentax K7, Pentax DFA 100 macro, Sigma 17-70 macro, Tamron 70-200 Di LD zoom macro, Vivitar 28 f2.8 CF, Tamron 500 mirror lens, Pentax 360FGZ flash, Panasonic FZ28

I love my Katz eye...

I originally bought it for a K10d. When I upgraded to a K20d, I moved the Katz eye screen over. I noticed that the manual focus point did not quite match the auto focus point. I had calibrated the auto focus point using a simple target available from:

http://pentaxdslrs.blogspot.com/2008/06/part-1-autofocus-adjustment-for-pentax.h...

Further testing revealed that I indeed had front focus problems with
manual focusing using the Katz Eye. Rachel at Katz Eye informed me that they had noticed that with the K20d, and there are a number of shims available from Pentax to adjust for the focus screen adjustment. I picked up three sizes to play with. Now the manual focus point matches exactly with the auto focus point.

Hope this helps...

Dick

Any exposure problems using these screens? Does it meter the same as the pentax screen?

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.........all the gear, no idea!
Me super, MX, LX, K5,DA 18-55WR, DA 17-70, DA 55-300, DA40 Ltd, FA50 1.4, Samsung D-Xenon 12-24,Samsung 100mm macro M50 1.7(x3), M28 3.5, M35 2.8, M100macro f4, M135 3.5(+others)

With any newer lens A;F;FA and onwards, the metering is fine. With the older lenses M and K it suffers from the same problems as the K10/K20.

However spot metering is affected with all lenses.

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Peter



My Flickr page