Split Image Focusing Screen for K10D

I've just noticed on ebay that split image focusing screens are available for the K10D

I used to love these on the ME Super but am unsure as to what would happen to the AF if fitted to the K10D.

Can anybody tell me if the AF will still work :

Of course the AF works. No problems.

Many thanks
I know it may have seemed a simple question but I have generally found that it's the simple things that can cause the biggest problems.

As it isn't one of their listed accessories I was concerned as to why!

Because spot metering can be irritated due to darkening of one of the prisms in dark situations.
Metering goes through this screen.

I use spot metering in generally light situations and centre weighted when using flash.

Will it have any affect in those situations?

As I said, spot metering can be affected. Difficult to predict.
But why do you use spot metering anyway?
Matrix metering works very good.

I use spot for wildlife and birds. Especially in Africa where backgrounds can be very strongly lit or birds against a bright sky.

In those situations I find spot very useful and far more acurate than other methods.

My new split image screen has turned up

Scary moments taking the old one out but the wife's padded craft tweesers did the job

Fiddly but i's now in place and working great - exposures are fine, auto focus is faster and manual focus is much easier and faster

Highly recommended and much better than I expected

mmm interesting, it shouldn't make any difference to AF speed since the AF sensors are in the body and not the Pentaprism housing.

if you don't mind my asking, how much did you pay for the screen?

As Mongoose says it shouldn't make any difference to focusing speed but it does! Someone somewhere will probably know why.

It cost £18 inc delivery from e-bay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Split-Image-Focus-Screen-Pentax-ist-D-DL-K10D_W0QQitem...

good heavens thats 1/4 of the price of a Catz Eye screen.

How hard was it to fit?

Absolute doddle to fit even for my clumsy hands
It looks just like the katz eye as well - but doesn't have the little tag at the bottom.

1. Take the lens off
2. At the top centre front under the penta prism there is a silver coloured latch - hold the camera upright and pull latch towards you with a small screwdriver (the screen mount will now drop downwards under its own weight)
3. With a pair of felt (or similar) padded tweasers lift the screen from the mount (ie don't touch the screen)
4. Put in the new screen with the matt side up
5. Push the mount back into place
6. Put the lens back on

Seems scary but very easy. Just mind you don't get dust on the pentaprism or touch the mirror with you fingers.

The following information appears on the katzeye website regarding it's effect on metering. Have you found any problems with this screen?

Because of the presence of the prisms, the Katz Eye™ focusing screen for the Pentax K10D will have some effect on the camera’s light metering. Test results for each of the three metering modes are as follows:

* Center Weighted Average (CWA) Metering Mode: Our testing showed CWA metering mode to be accurate for all AF lenses having a maximum aperture of f5.6 or larger (lower f number).
* Evaluative Metering Mode: Our testing showed evaluative metering mode to be accurate for all AF lenses having a maximum aperture of f5.6 or larger (lower f number).
* Spot Metering Mode: Our testing showed spot metering mode to be within factory tolerance for all AF lenses having a maximum aperture of f2.0 or larger (lower f number). Lenses having a maximum aperture smaller than f2.0 (lager f number) will show a significant shift toward increased exposure, with the shift increasing for lenses with smaller maximum apertures. Spot metering mode is NOT RECOMMENDED when using a split prism focusing screen with lenses slower than f2.0. However, if spot mode must be used, it is strongly advised to first take a test shot, check the histogram, and adjust exposure compensation as required.

Centre weighted and evaluative are both fine even on my f5.6 200-400mm

I just tried spot metering and it does over expose by about 1.3 - 1.5ev on all my lenses. Not a problem once you know about it.

I shoot in raw as well so if I forget then I can easily recover the shot with Silkypix.

mmm so tempted.

looking at it objectively, I use MF far more often than spot metering, so really it should be a net gain