Just noticed that they have produced a focusing screen for the D7100.
I think one of these would be great for macro work.
Nikon D7100 Focusing Screen
I think one of these would be great for macro work.
Nikon D7100 Focusing Screen
Katzeye focusing screen now available for D7100
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RockyNH_RIP
Senior Member
Looks nice... I have 2 lens that do not AF on my D5100 so it would be ideal for that one too...
Pat in NH
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
Looking very hard at one of these. The price is definitely reasonable and I love the composition aids they can add. It also highlights one of my ongoing irritations with Nikon: Why don't they include something like this *in-camera*? None of my Nikon DSLR's have projected compositional aids in the viewfinder and, while my D7100 can project a grid (or not), the grid itself is useless for composition. Why ISN'T the grid a compositional standard (e.g. Rule of Two-Thirds)? This seems like such a no-brainer to me...
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
The KatzEye gives your camera what is called a split-focus screen. When you look through the viewfinder with a split-focus retical you see something like this (image shown out of focus here):
Now see, on the left side of the innermost circle, how the plant leaves and stems look "split" and how everything looks fuzzy? When focus is achieved everything appears in sharp focus and everything in the viewfinder "lines up" perfectly. In short, the whole screen now gives you numerous, concrete, visual indicators that clearly tell you what is in focus.
......
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
It helps you make very accurate manual-focus and it makes manual focus much easier and much faster generally speaking.
My first Minolta was the XG-M; and was quite a step up from my Pentax K1000.My Minolta XG-1 did that IIRC
And yeah, both of those cameras had split screens... That was norm' back then since there was no auto-focus.
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donaldjledet
Senior Member
8 track what about vinyl 45's or L.P.'s
Now thats going back a few years.
Now thats going back a few years.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
No offense taken but, 1. NEWSFLASH! 35mm and Medium Format film photography is still huge, and 2. The advent of auto-focus is why they don't make split screens anymore, that and cost savings. Now, if you want to rely on auto-focus 100% of the time, great; go forth and enjoy, but for those of use who mastered the Dark Art of manual focus, split screens rock. Sort of like I know how to make fire without a Bic lighter because I'm a hiker. I've not need that skill very often but I'm glad I wasn't dependent on a Bic lighter the few times I have needed to make fire.
But as you point out... To each their own.
The reason cameras no longer include this device is because people are not very interested in manual focusing. It has nothing to do with being obsolete or no longer worthwhile. I would love one on my D800 for times I'm doing macro photography. My eyes are nearly what they used to be and this would help immensely.
donaldjledet
Senior Member
I second that my eyes are not even close to what they were
when i was a lot younger. But thats life.
Must move on. i like the split screen.
Probably add it to my D7100.
Will help in manual focusing.
when i was a lot younger. But thats life.
Must move on. i like the split screen.
Probably add it to my D7100.
Will help in manual focusing.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
What's that?
*looks up over reading glasses*
I really wasn't planning on bringing up the whole age thing...
....
Sorry, but even your newsflash is old. If you think 35mm is huge you need to get out more often or move away from the third world. Huge? No way! Advent of autofocus? Autofocus has been around for decades! I've got to ask 2 things. 1) do you wear shoes when you hike? And 2) Does you refrigerator have an ice maker in it? Think about it!
I don't have an icemaker in my freezer nor do I wear shoes when I'm hiking. Fact of the matter is I wear boots and I use plastic ice cube trays.
Horoscope Fish
Senior Member
I'm the department manager of a very large Visual Arts department at a college in southern California with an entire photography department at my disposal. I have roughly 15-25 professional photographers on my payroll at any given moment and see thousands of student photographers of all ages every year, as I have for last 13 years. For every digital class we offer, we fill three film-based classes. I'm sorry, but you simply don't know what you're talking about. Film is still a hugely respected and supported medium. You see, digital has brought more people to photography, but that hasn't diminished the number of people who shoot film.
*facepalm*
Okay, I see reading comprehension is not your strong suit so I'll explain... When did split-screen viewfinders stop becoming available as standard equipment? When auto-focus started becoming available. See, I didn't say AF was new, I said when AF came out it spelled the end of the split-screen viewfinder. Caspiche?
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Say no more that says it all!
Again no offence, but your alleged position has you seeing not past your nose. People that are in one position for a long time are OFTEN behind the times. Case in point your thinking 35mm is huge. You probably haven't noticed, but Kodak hasn't made a profit since 2007 and went bankrupt in 2012. If it wasn't for selling off their patents Kodak would have ceased to exist a lot earlier. "Hasn't diminished the number of people that shoot on film"?! WOW are you ever off there! I submit your alleged college is an anomaly. My son is going to FSU right now and it's the other way around. FSU can't fill their "conventional" classes and in fact were forced to change the curriculum. The students complained they couldn't buy film much less get it developed. That not only applies to students, but everybody! I can see I'm trying to drag somebody into the present that wants to stay in the past. That's ok it takes all kinds. Good luck renting a video for your VHS player!
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