K-5 spilt screen choice.

I have trouble manual focusing and have thought I didn't,t have this much trouble when I used my LX with split image. Any thoughts of which split screen currently available would be the best to use with my Pentax K-5 to help with manual focus? Joe

People are going to recommend Katseye and the cheaper jobs at jinfinance etc.
They will also mention metering issues
I personally cut down a diagonal split from an ME super for my K-7
Great for macro.
On the K-5 I have the Canon Ess screen and also magnifying eyepiece sometimes
That screen makes the actual focus much more obvious

Pete
--
K-5 some Len

http://www.focusingscreen.com/ is a good website, and good quality screen I use.

here is my review of K3 type screen. (best I guess, bright all the area)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RgB04bzzXg&feature=plcp

here is my review of cheap screen with split type (ok, but dark on out area)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckcuntofz30&feature=plcp

here is how to install
http://www.focusingscreen.com/work/k7en.htm

I also recommend focusingscreen.com's k3 split screen. I just installed it the other day and it works very well. Cost was 83$US plus shipping (cheap from Taiwan to Japan).

The actual screen was a Nikon product, fitted to work on the K5. It included all the necessary tools and shims, and instructions online were very good and detailed, covering all possible issues (front focus as well as back focus adjustment).

I now have no trouble focusing accurately using MF. You can use the green focus confirmation light in the OVF to get you close, and then fine adjust if you need to, using the split screen.

A couple of possible issues are focus shift, and loss of spot metering. For the former, make sure the lens you use to calibrate the screen does not undergo focus(focal) shift when stopping down the aperture from wide open. I have tested for the latter issue, and noticed no problems. Spot metering is still working perfectly.

I too have the Ess screen from focussingscreen on my K-5 with the Pentax magnifying eyepiece, huge change for the better, I'm very happy with it

regards, Paul

mrfocus said:

here is my review of K3 type screen. (best I guess, bright all the area)

Click to expand...

Thank's for the show.

Up to which aperture is the split area useful? (I am using a lot the DA*300/4 with 1,5x TC, with aperture equivalent 5,6; I am using a Canon A-type, but the microprism area is useful only up to f=4, and the S-type gets very dark above f=4).

Is spot metering affected?

Cheers - Klaus