Self inflicted heart attack, stroke & shock!!

Well, I've been hanging my nose over a split screen focussing screen on my K200D, and a while back I ordered one from eBay. It arrived in fairly good order, but with no instructions, a while ago and I've been nerving myself to fit it since then.

A trip to the zoo today convinced me that focussing was not as good as it should be (human error?), so I took the plunge.

Various web guides all seemed to be a little unclear, and for quite a while I was dithering and fiddling, until I pulled the right bit in the right direction, and it all fell to bits! Not exactly, but for a split second that's how it felt (hence the title of the post!). I knew this was going to be expensive if I cocked it up.

Well, the new one is in, and it seems to be OK. I have a few reservations until I've done some daylight images on a tripod. First impressions though are it's a bit darker that the standard one, but I seem to be picking up the focus a little better than when I was using manual on the old screen. Autofocus seems unaffected. It's on centre spot at present, and I'm still getting the small red indicator to let me know it's on OK.

I'll report further when I've had a tablet and a lie down (and done some daylight images on a tripod)

Try it past f8 and see if it blacks out.
Mine did, hence the reason it is the drawer now.

The split image section blacks out when the eye is not totally central to it and also with slow telephoto lenses. This has always been the case and is inevitable. AF cameras don't need a split image screen to work accurately and fortunately for me my eyes don't need one either to manually focus. I've always used the general area even with all my film cameras.

These are all precision areas of a camera's function and it might have a negative effect on accurate focus.

I use a Nikon split screen, custom made for the K10/20. I got it when I had the K10 and put it straight into the K20 when I got it.

I do a fair bit of manual focus work and swear by this screen, I wouldn't go back to the standard screen.

I have heard good things about the Katzeye screens but having never used one I can't really comment. The Nikon screen is not cheap but still not as expensive as the Katzeye.

I can't remember the name of the mob who made mine but if anyone is interested I will dig it out for them. Cheers

I have seen a few bad reviews about the cheap screens you see on E-bay so I would avoid those if I were you.

Would be interested to know who supplied it Clarky.

I have been looking at a Australian camera dealer online called Teds camera store, they have the Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 in Pentax mount and with the Australian exchange rate as it is the lens works out at under £400 stirling.
Pity they dont ship to Spain

They are an American company called Focusing screen.com

The screen I got from them is called the Nikon F6 but it doesn't seem to be listed on thier site anymore. Maybe you can e-mail them and ask if its still available.

Heres a link

I have never shopped at Teds camera store before as there isn't one close by.
Don't forget to include Vat with that lens. If you ever need something picked up and shipped over to you just ask and I will see what I can do.

Thanks for the link, will take a look.
So this needs tax added or is it included?

If its included I may well take you up on the offer thanks .. depending what the postage costs would be

You will have to pay tax on it when it gets to your end i would suspect.

The price quoted from Teds is with GST (Vat in your speak) included. But you will still have to pay vat at your end.

I have a Sigma 17-70 and 50mm EX DG macro coming from AUstralia through the USA Pentax forum so will see if I get stung for import duty on those.
If I do then its not worthwhile but if not then I think it would be worth a punt.

You can always put it on your K20D body to make sure everything is ok before sending, that way it can be shipped as used photographic equipment

No worries, let me know how you get on.

Well, I dragged off to my usual test site for a bit of a session. The testing was fairly 'quick and dirty' without checking many aperture settings.

First impressions are that it's going to stay in for a while at least.

Autofocus was unaffected and worked fine. If anything, it was a shade better than manual focus. Manual focus was fairly good on my 2 mirror lens (300mm f5.6, 500mm f8 ). The split screen would black out one half on these lens unless you got your eye exactly square. Auto exposure seemed unaffected too. Having said that, it was useable, and did seem to work accurately.

The split screen and speckly bit (can't remember the name) seem disproportionally large, and I suspect that they are patterned from a full frame 35mm.

In all, I would say that unless you use manual focus lens at least fairly often, I wouldn't bother, but if you do, then it seems worth considering.

The speckly bit is probably a microprism collar round the dplit image.

That's it. Microprism. I hate getting older!!! (On second thoughts, considering the only known alternative, I'll try and put up with it.)

One thing to remember if buying abroad - for example Teds in Australia. The dealer can sell it to you at the tax free price, provided he ships it direct. That way you only pay tax when UK customs levy it.