Katz Eye Optics

[Mr Darcy]

I am looking at a new camera, and will replace the standard viewing screen with a KatzEye focussing screen. I have used one one my D200 & found it excellent. The one I got for that was with their Optibrite treatment. This is a USD55 option, so not cheap. I am wondering if the standard screen will do me just as well.
Has anyone got experience with the standard KatzEye screen they might like to share?

I use mostly f2.8 zooms, but do have a few primes and one f5.6 wide zoom. I also have and occasionally use a 2x teleconverter.

[Wink]

What is this product exactly? Is it a replacement viewfinder with some advantage?

[gstark]

What is this product exactly? Is it a replacement viewfinder with some advantage?

It's a replacement focusing screen. If I recall correctly, it offers the traditional focusing aids that we're used to from our classic film SLRs, like the FE/FM or A1/AE1.

In the '70s and '80s you could purchase replacement screens for those cameras from the manufacturer, so you could choose different focusing aids based upon the glass you were using and the photography you were doing. I used to have some for the FE/FM etc ...

Sorry, Greg, can't help you with this one.

[aim54x]

You are the only person that I know of that has one of these screens, so unfortunately I am no help to you at the moment. Have you decided to get a D7000?

[Steffen]

"Back in the day" they had a claim to fame for making focussing more easy, but they had a reputation for throwing off the exposure metre somewhat. Also, some people didn't like the viewfinder image they got, for spurious reasons. That was apparently enough to keep the Katzeye screens from ever becoming a big hit.

I had no idea they were still around. Then again, which current DSLR has interchangeable screens??

Cheers
Steffen.

[photohiker]

Then again, which current DSLR has interchangeable screens??

I swapped the screen in my 5D, and I believe the 5DII has the same capability. There is a choice of several screens from Canon...

I also had the understanding that the bright screens altered the metering, but have never tried one...

Michael

[Steffen]

Then again, which current DSLR has interchangeable screens??

I swapped the screen in my 5D, and I believe the 5DII has the same capability. There is a choice of several screens from Canon...

Makes we wish I still had my D2H to check this, but I could swear it didn't have (user-)interchangeable screens. I believe the last Nikon cameras I owned that had this capability were my FE and FE2.

Cheers
Steffen.

[Mr Darcy]

Some questions. No answers. Ah well maybe soon.

Some answers for you.
Yes Cam I have decided to go the D7000 route. I need two cameras again next Feb, so need to get one now so I am mostly over the learning curve by the time I actually NEED it. I have a friend who has been covetous of the D200, so I will give it to him when I get back. He has done me more than a few favours in the past so...

As Gary says, the Katz Eye is a replacement viewscreen for the camera. It has the traditional microprism and split prism in the centre to aid with manual focus. This was something I really missed when I moved to digital (and AF) While I mostly just AF, there are times I MF, and it is a great boon then. I find they do not get in the way at other times, but then I grew up with this technology. If you didn't you may find otherwise. Wink, if you ever get up to Sydney you are welcome to have a play. Or just walk into a store that has second hand film cameras & play with one

As for the metering shift, if it is there, I have never noticed. While sometimes the exposure seems a little wacky, it is nothing I haven't been able to explain by scene weighting. And certainly nothing that can't be corrected on a NEF in Post.I borrowed Cam's D300 for several months earlier in the year & used both cameras side by side. I have not detected any trend in exposure shift. They both exposed neutral scenes correctly, overexposed dark scenes and underexposed light scenes as you would expect.

I am not aware of any modern camera that has "official" interchangeable view screens. There may be some, but almost certainly only top end models. My F3 had this, but not my FM2 nor my SP-F. Still it was a very simple process to change over my D200.It took about 2 minutes, including summoning up the nerve to dive in where I am not supposed to.

Now back to the original question. Does anyone know if the optibrite treatment is worth the money given my mix of lenses?

[TonyT]

Canon 5d and the Mark 2 are able to change the focus screen but when you do you need to change a menu setting looks like.
I had mine replaced I accidently open the door when I was blowing out the senor with the screen falling on the floor the night before we went to Fiji but I sent it to Canon and there also gave it a good clean inside which was brillant I was so happy.

http://www.focusingscreen.com/work/5d2en.htm

[Mr Darcy]

Thanks Tony.
The link you added looks like another 3rd party viewscreen maker. KatzEye are dearer, but add the original markings that this mob seem to leave out. The process is very similar, but I have to say it is a very cool tool. I used a pair of tweezers.
Here is the KatzEye screen:

It looks like it is the K3 from focussingscreen.com, but with the extra etched lines from the original screen.
And the one from your site (Same camera)

[aim54x]

Dammit....why hasnt a D800 surfaced yet....if it did I would ask to organise a group buy