Does anyone miss split-circle focusing?

[RyanLilly]

Somebody posted a reply that they have been using the retrofit solution, and they are happy with it. I am curious whether they specifically checked the metering accuracy with spot metering and / or a slow lens? Also, if you have found a good workaround, I'd appreciate hearing about that too (and I might then whip out my credit card and buy me a new camera, lol).


Thanks again to all for your input!:thumbup:

-Elf

When I looked into some I think that you had to adjust your meter via exposure compensation, and then just leave it there all the time, I think that most were about a half stop adjustment, so its not too bad considering most cameras do +/- 2 stops.

 

[NightElfWarrior]

When I looked into some I think that you had to adjust your meter via exposure compensation, and then just leave it there all the time, I think that most were about a half stop adjustment, so its not too bad considering most cameras do +/- 2 stops.

Ryan, thanks for that tip! But does setting the exposure this way on a permanent basis cause problems in situations that didn't need the compensation? I guess that is the opposite side of the problem...

 

[Ls3D]

Yes, on my Mother's Minolta... I was probably 13.

-Shea

 

[ksmattfish]

I heard the same (about changes in metering). I tested my meters before installing the screens and after. No difference in any metering mode. My screens are not the extra bright versions though.

As your Google research has shown you, Canon users have been asking for this for years. I began looking for them in 2004. Enough people want them that several businesses have sprung up to take care of the demand. Yet, Canon remains silent.... Possibly Nikon, Pentax, etc... are more accommodating?

Canon DSLRs that support interchangeable view screens do have a custom function where the meter can be calibrated to a variety of official Canon brand screens, such as their extra bright screen. I checked this out with my 5D, but in the end decided the regular setting was the best one. The Rebels, and even many of their #D series cameras do not support interchangeable focusing screens, and do not have this calibration option.

I feel your pain that a $600+ camera should offer options. Unfortunately they've bamboozled us, and overnight the entry level price tag jumped from $250 to $800ish. I think that $2000+ cameras should have serious weatherproofing, but you gotta fork over $4000+ to get that. Stick with your old cameras; you and you wallet will be happier.

 

[Battou]

Does anyone miss split-circle focusing?

I don't.....because I still use it

 

[NightElfWarrior]

ksmattfish, thanks for your reply! Your experience notwithstanding, i am still a little nervous about using the aftermarket solutions, as the fact remains that there are people who've complained about the metering accuracy. In the end, I feel I have no choice but to follow your final advice, which is to stick with my old cameras and hang onto my money. As a practical matter though, this just means I've put my hobby on ice for the time being, as it is a pain in the kiester to wait for my film to be developed before I see results.

The way the camera market has been evolving really bugs me. It seems that unnecessary and bothersome "features" have been creeping in, with the attendant rise in prices as you have noted. Now there are D-SLR's that take HD video, and have smart face recognition. I just want a simple, no-nonsense DSLR that gives me the freedom and control to experiment with the basic parameters of photography. Back when I bought my Canon Elan IIe, there was a lot of hoopla over "eye tracking", wherin, the camera detects where your eyeball is looking in the viewfinder and sets that location as the focus & metering point. This "feature" has obviously died off, since we don't hear about it anymore. I have this gut feeling that "face recognition" will meet a similar fate, but only time will tell. What if you actually want a certain face to be blurry in your composition? And what if you're trying to take a silhouette shot in the sunset, and a head that is supposed to be a silhouette is in the frame? For a camera, I think there is such a thing as "too smart for its own good". Instead of piling on all these features of questionable utility, I'd prefer that the camera companies work on bringing down the price of a full-frame sensor, improved signal-to-noise ratio, and faster frame-to-frame image capture speed. As far as user controls, all I really need is "manual", "aperture priority", and "shutter speed priority". It probably wouldn't be to expensive to make a basic camera like that, including split-circle manual focusing. With competition the way it is, I am really surprised that none of the DSLR camera companies have addressed this segment of the market.

-Elf

 

[NightElfWarrior]

here is something I should have included in my original post: email contacts for the various camera manufacturers to request the "split-circle" manual focus feature. I really tried, but could not locate an address for Nikon. I hope everyone reading this will contact these manufacturers!

Pentax: pentaxinfo@pentax.com
Olympus: website@olympus.com
Canon: carecenter2@cits.canon.com

If anyone has the Nikon email, I'd appreciate getting that link too!

-Elf

 

[Battou]

The way the camera market has been evolving really bugs me. It seems that unnecessary and bothersome "features" have been creeping in, with the attendant rise in prices as you have noted. Now there are D-SLR's that take HD video, and have smart face recognition. I just want a simple, no-nonsense DSLR that gives me the freedom and control to experiment with the basic parameters of photography. Back when I bought my Canon Elan IIe, there was a lot of hoopla over "eye tracking", wherin, the camera detects where your eyeball is looking in the viewfinder and sets that location as the focus & metering point. This "feature" has obviously died off, since we don't hear about it anymore. I have this gut feeling that "face recognition" will meet a similar fate, but only time will tell. What if you actually want a certain face to be blurry in your composition? And what if you're trying to take a silhouette shot in the sunset, and a head that is supposed to be a silhouette is in the frame? For a camera, I think there is such a thing as "too smart for its own good". Instead of piling on all these features of questionable utility, I'd prefer that the camera companies work on bringing down the price of a full-frame sensor, improved signal-to-noise ratio, and faster frame-to-frame image capture speed. As far as user controls, all I really need is "manual", "aperture priority", and "shutter speed priority". It probably wouldn't be to expensive to make a basic camera like that, including split-circle manual focusing. With competition the way it is, I am really surprised that none of the DSLR camera companies have addressed this segment of the market.

-Elf

You are not alone in this, but every time I voice my oppinion on the subject I get flamed to on high over it....I gave up.

 

[monkeykoder]

There was a thread on almost exactly this topic not all that long ago... Although I was also being annoyed with the one wheel thing on my D50. I love my split screens and I use film as much as digital when I'm actually capturing something I think might turn out well. There are a significant number of people on this forum that have done these modifications and all of them have had great results I wouldn't dismiss it over a mere 1/2 stop metering thing use your exposure compensation and know you shouldnt really trust the meter to within even a stop anyway.

 

[monkeykoder]

I say we design a digital back for a 35mm slr.

 

[frXnz kafka]

There are ways to get around it and install a split circle viewer in some digital cameras like the D200, D300 and others, and it is not that expensive (like under $25).

The thing is, I'm not really missing it, even in dark situations. Maybe I am lucky, maybe I set the camera a little better, but I have yet to miss a pic due to focusing manually. The D200 has this small focus aid in the bottom left side of the view that tells me when it is in focus or not. The D700 goes 1 step further and tells me if I am too much one way or the other before being well focused... so I don't see the need for one.

In my case, for me, it would be nothing much more than a cool novelty.

By doing this you're relying on the same information your AF motor is using to focus. You might as well switch it autofocus and manually select your focus point.

 

[MikeBcos]

ksmattfish, thanks for your reply! Your experience notwithstanding, i am still a little nervous about using the aftermarket solutions, as the fact remains that there are people who've complained about the metering accuracy. In the end, I feel I have no choice but to follow your final advice, which is to stick with my old cameras and hang onto my money. As a practical matter though, this just means I've put my hobby on ice for the time being, as it is a pain in the kiester to wait for my film to be developed before I see results.

The way the camera market has been evolving really bugs me. It seems that unnecessary and bothersome "features" have been creeping in, with the attendant rise in prices as you have noted. Now there are D-SLR's that take HD video, and have smart face recognition. I just want a simple, no-nonsense DSLR that gives me the freedom and control to experiment with the basic parameters of photography. Back when I bought my Canon Elan IIe, there was a lot of hoopla over "eye tracking", wherin, the camera detects where your eyeball is looking in the viewfinder and sets that location as the focus & metering point. This "feature" has obviously died off, since we don't hear about it anymore. I have this gut feeling that "face recognition" will meet a similar fate, but only time will tell. What if you actually want a certain face to be blurry in your composition? And what if you're trying to take a silhouette shot in the sunset, and a head that is supposed to be a silhouette is in the frame? For a camera, I think there is such a thing as "too smart for its own good". Instead of piling on all these features of questionable utility, I'd prefer that the camera companies work on bringing down the price of a full-frame sensor, improved signal-to-noise ratio, and faster frame-to-frame image capture speed. As far as user controls, all I really need is "manual", "aperture priority", and "shutter speed priority". It probably wouldn't be to expensive to make a basic camera like that, including split-circle manual focusing. With competition the way it is, I am really surprised that none of the DSLR camera companies have addressed this segment of the market.

-Elf

I totally agree, my ideal camera would have P, A, S and M modes(if that was too much plain M would be fine), a wheel on the left to select ISO, a thumb wheel to select shutter speed, aperture ring on the lens, split focus screen and lights or a needle in the viewfinder to show exposure. 12MP full frame sensor would be perfect.

 

[monkeykoder]

I wonder if they could design a little film cartridge which would fit in the same slot as your film which would be a sensor+battery pack+storage media all in one and you could just take it out and plug it into a little usb cord to download images. THAT would be ideal I wouldn't even have to deal with the buying of a camera when an upgrade came out.

 

[usayit]

I wonder if they could design a little film cartridge which would fit in the same slot as your film which would be a sensor+battery pack+storage media all in one and you could just take it out and plug it into a little usb cord to download images. THAT would be ideal I wouldn't even have to deal with the buying of a camera when an upgrade came out.

A company called efilm tried but went under.... I'm still hoping for something similar to return and actually make it to market.

http://www.realvr.eu/efilm004.jpg

 

[JerryPH]

I heard the same (about changes in metering). I tested my meters before installing the screens and after. No difference in any metering mode.

Makes no difference for the Nikon models as well. At least on the D200 and up. The D200 and up models also permit you to change it at home, a 15-20 min procedure if you are slow and careful.

Possibly Nikon, Pentax, etc... are more accommodating?

No more than Canon. They are interchangeable, but Nikon offers no choice in the matter. They come as they come. At least the aftermarket offers people the choice.