KatzEye™ focusing screen

[terrytootall]

Hello

Found this on the internet: KatzEye™ focusing screen:

The KatzEye™ focusing screen for the Pentax cameras is a laser matte with a horizontal split prism circle and a microprism collar, very similar to the one you would find in many classic SLRs. The split prism with microprism ring is a great combination for focusing in a variety of situations. The screen will have NO effect on the functioning of the autofocus sensors of the camera and it is a direct replacement for the original.

http://www.katzeyeoptics....ax-DSLRs--cat_pentax.html

With options, can cost up to $200. Is this worth it? Does anyone here have this option?

TTT

[blackcloudbrew]

If you use or intend to use manual focus lenses (say for example an M42 mount lens or a f1.4 manual focus lens), you have to have some help as you can't reliably or quickly get good focus with out split image view screen. I have a katzeye on my k10d which I use for my older manual focus lenses. It is indispensable for this use. It's also a help in low light situations. I believe I got mine for about $120 or so as I had the split image and the 'rule of thirds + 8x10 crop lines' etching. It's really, really helpful. I have read that there are cheaper split image screen available from China with dubious quality, IMHO.

Is it worth it? Yes, definitely for the uses I've described above. If all you are going to do is use AF lenses it isn't all that necessary. YMMV

[tcom]

If you do have wide aperture manual focusing lenses, the DOF at full aperture can be so short that you are not able to focus on what you want with the normal viewfinder. The splitscreen of the KatzEye does give great help here. I find it a great help when doing macros with a Zeiss 100/2 lens.

But, while the splitscreen has no impact on AF, in can impact on the metering, especially with not so wide lenses. With lenses brighter than f/4 there is no problem, you might have to compensate a bit when using spot metering. But with f/5.6 lenses, the split screen gets dark and you will have to compensate quite a bit, especially with spot metering.

[Ron Kruger]

I use MF most of the time, and have debated about getting a KatzEye. Based upon the two posts so far, I'm still debating.
Tcom: Please elaborate upon the metering effect. Generally the longer the lens the more I use spot metering. All of my lenses are 2.8 or faster, except my 15mm. I presume you mean a 5.6 lens, not a lens at 5.6? I also presume the EV compensation needs to be +?

[tcom]

The camera does meter with the lens at full open aperture.

A lens with full open aperture of f/2.8 will not impact anything on the metering.

A lens with full open aperture of f/5.6 will produce the split screen to darken quite a bit, and this is exactly the part the spot metering is going to use, you will have to compensate the metering by +2 or even +3 EV to compensate for it.

[blackcloudbrew]

Actually, that was almost always the case on my old Minolta film cameras. The darkening has been around long time.