Focusing Screen

[Quasimodo]

After a restless night today was much better. I accidently got the focusscreen out of my Canon 5D mark II, and I was under the impression that I had destroyed my camera. I went to the photostore as they opened this morning, and they replaced it for me after I bought a new one and now my camera works perfect again. They did not have the standard that is delivered with the camera, but I got a type called EG - D, which has a grid design, and I love it (being into architecture and other motives where its helpful with the lines and cross).

As I was getting the focus screen on the shelf in the store, I saw that they had a type for manual shooting with split screen. This appealed to me, since I also have a 17mm TS lens, and I am seriously thinking about getting the MP-E65.

Finally a question arises: Would a split screen focus screen be ideal? Would it not be the best of two worlds, or would the split screen focus screen interfere somehow/distort regular AF shots?

 

[gbchriste]

I swapped out the factory screen in my 40D with the comparable gridded screen for that camera so I know exactly what you are talking about. It wasn't a difficult operation at all. I wasn't aware there was a split screen type available for any Canon camera. I'm mighty tempted to give that a try in my 5DMkII if such a thing exists. Thirty years ago I was manually focusing a Canon AE-1 and A-1 (still have the A-1) with the a split focus screen and never missed focus. I made fairly large prints from 35mm negatives and they were always sharp. As a portrait shooter, having a lightening fast AF is nice but not crucial. I'd gladly swap speed for accuracy.

 

[Loswr]

The split screen would work fine. There is a simple split-screen available for the 5DII from focusingscreen.com; if you want the familiar (to film SLR shooters, that is), split prism with a microprism collar around it, for the 5DII you need to go to brightscreen.com (they take much longer and charge much more).

These screens work with AF, although you need to set the custom function to Eg-S to get proper metering.

 

[Quasimodo]

Thank you both for your input

Do I need to go into functions now that I got the Grid instead of the regular? or is it the same, just with lines on it?

 

[Loswr]

Do I need to go into functions now that I got the Grid instead of the regular? or is it the same, just with lines on it?

Yes, you should set C. Fn IV-5 to Eg-D.

 

[Quasimodo]

thanks again. I just looked. Maybe the guy at the service did it for me (without me seeing it) because it is in the correct place now

 

[te4o]

What is the magnitude of the chance that the next 5D will have an interchangeable focusing screens too?
The 1Dx has it, the 60D not, I presume the 70D won't have it ...
The 5D3 might have and the 5DX will have it ...? Did I answer my own question?
I rely heavily on these. Do brightscreen put a prism into a screen non-interchangeable camera?

 

[lynx0069]

i've god a 20D converted to IR that i picked up used and it has a split prism focus screen, and i love it.......i use back button focus with a 50mmf/1.8 mkI. the auto fucus still works great because lifepixel calibrates their conversions to the 50mm lens, and i use back button focus to make it easier to manually adjust fucus when i have to, and the split prism is outstanding for that. i dont notice if the viewfinder is darker or not with the split prism, because it was already installed when i got the camera. i do believe the split prism is made by katseye and i like it so much, i'll prob buy one when i upgrade from my XSi later this year.

 

[Loswr]

Any focusing screen can be changed. The question you're really asking is, will the next 5-series body have a focusing screen that can be changed by the user. I'm pretty sure the answer will be yes. But if not, even a complex set up like the 7D, with a transmissive LCD right next to the focusing screen, can have the screen changed, and third-party vendors make focusing screens for 7D, just as they do for bodies in the xxD and xxxD lines.

 

[wickidwombat]

what brand is the split screen? becasue canon dont do one they just have the EG-S which is the precision matte screen i have it in my 5D2 basically it looks exactly like the default one but is easier to see if things are in focus manually however the down side is that the veiwfinder is quite dark with f4 or slower lenses.

although the Fd 600 f4.5 lens i have does not appear as dark as the 24-105 does which is wierd but all the fast lenses are great with the EG-S screen

 

[april]

talking about focusing screens, I'd like to change the focusing screen of my 50D as as well . Does anyone know which one will be good? I had been having problems with focusing when i do it manually it's sharp on the view finder but as i took the picture, the photo taken is not in focus. On low light situations where I cant trust the AF or it just dont work, manual focusing is a pain since all shots taken were off but on the viewfinder it's crisp clear.

thanks guys......

 

[wickidwombat]

talking about focusing screens, I'd like to change the focusing screen of my 50D as as well . Does anyone know which one will be good? I had been having problems with focusing when i do it manually it's sharp on the view finder but as i took the picture, the photo taken is not in focus. On low light situations where I cant trust the AF or it just dont work, manual focusing is a pain since all shots taken were off but on the viewfinder it's crisp clear.

thanks guys......

people have said good things about these
http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/
but they dont do them for 5D mk2

 

[Loswr]

For the 5DII, try focusingscreen.com - $80 and less than a week, at least here in the US.

 

[wickidwombat]

For the 5DII, try focusingscreen.com - $80 and less than a week, at least here in the US.

cool thanks do you use these?
which would you recomend?
I like the look of the EG-B grid version

 

[Loswr]

I'd probably get just the basic prism, no grid lines. But personally, I'd probably spend a little more and wait a little longer, and order from brightscreen.com. They have a version like the old film focusing screen - split prism with microprism collar. Focusingscreen.com has them too, for other cameras such as the 7D and Nikon bodies, but not for the 5DII.

As it is, I use neither, just the Eg-S from Canon.

 

[wickidwombat]

yeah I might look at getting one if i decide to keep a 5D mk2 once the new 5D's come out no point drpping 200 bucks on a screen for camera that might get sold soon

 

[TW]

Does anyone here have experience using the type-s focusing screen with the MP-E 65mm f2.8 Macrophoto lens? I ask because although the lens is nominally an f2.8, the actual f-stop becomes much smaller as you increase the magnification. Is this a good combination, or does the viewfinder become unusably dark as one moves to higher magnifications? Thanks for any input.

 

[Loswr]

Does anyone here have experience using the type-s focusing screen with the MP-E 65mm f2.8 Macrophoto lens? I ask because although the lens is nominally an f2.8, the actual f-stop becomes much smaller as you increase the magnification. Is this a good combination, or does the viewfinder become unusably dark as one moves to higher magnifications? Thanks for any input.

I've never tried it. I recall someone in another thread mentioning that they found the Eg-S helpful with the MP-E 65mm. Honestly, >95% of the time I shoot with the MP-E 65mm, I use Live View anyway...

 

[wickidwombat]

Does anyone here have experience using the type-s focusing screen with the MP-E 65mm f2.8 Macrophoto lens? I ask because although the lens is nominally an f2.8, the actual f-stop becomes much smaller as you increase the magnification. Is this a good combination, or does the viewfinder become unusably dark as one moves to higher magnifications? Thanks for any input.

I havent used it with the 65 macro
but with the 600f4.5 FD the veiw finder darkens as you stop down with the aperture ring
and same withthe lensbaby sweet 35
so I would guess it might do the same with that lens
i think unusably dark depends on each persons eye sight and tollerance also the amount ambient light would vary what is useable and what isnt as far as aperture goes.

 

[Quasimodo]

I looked at the focusing screen at brightscreen.com, and they look brilliant. Like another in here, I am waiting for the new 5D, and given its price, I think I will wait until the new one comes along

I was wrong in my initial post, it was the EG-S and it does not have a split screen, I just thought so. I might have confused it with another article on the big shelf, and that it was not for the 5D mkII.