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Photo Forum / Film Photography / 35 mm / October 2006Focusing screen for Nikon FE
Hi @all! I'd like to change the standard (type K) focusing screen of my Nikon FE. I have sometimes difficulties to focus when I make astro-photos. I prefer to buy the best focusing screen for astro-photography ( bright, with no grigs, no split image, ...) What do You think about Beattie Intenscreen focusing screens? I hope a Nikon type B focusing screen could be good enough. But I'm not able to find it. Could I mount a B2 focusing screen? And what about a B3 one? Is B3 better than B2? I can ignore the exposure compensation problem, since I use exposure times of 10-20 minutes according to seeing on 400 ISO films... And for daylight photos I could always set the appropriate exposure compensation... Thank You and Best Regards Armando > Hi @all! > > I'd like to change the standard (type K) focusing screen of my Nikon FE. > I have sometimes difficulties to focus when I make astro-photos. > I prefer to buy the best focusing screen for astro-photography ( bright, > with no grigs, no split image, ...) Perhaps I'm missing something, but wouldn't you just use infinity for all astro photos? - I mean, you could focus on a distant hill during the daylight hours, and then just not change anything until you take your nighttime pictures.... William Graham ha scritto: > Perhaps I'm missing something, but wouldn't you just use infinity for all > astro photos? - I mean, you could focus on a distant hill during the > daylight hours, and then just not change anything until you take your > nighttime pictures.... Hi William, I use the camera on a telescope. And accurate focusing is required. Focusing is critical for astro-photos and with standard focusing screen I've no problem only when the Moon is visible, thanks to split image. For deep-sky photos (when the Moon is not visible) I'm never sure to have properly focused... >I use the camera on a telescope. And accurate focusing is required. >Focusing is critical for astro-photos and with standard focusing screen >I've no problem only when the Moon is visible, thanks to split image. >For deep-sky photos (when the Moon is not visible) I'm never sure to >have properly focused... Nikon made the type C screen for astrophotography. This screen is designed for parallax focusing. Unfortunately, there is no C screen for the FE. I don't know if there is another company that makes those types of screen for the FE. Otherwise, it would be best to get such a screen and an F or F2. I think that the ground glass part of the B and E screens is that same as on the K screen. If you have trouble focussing using the ground glass part of the K screen then I doubt that a B, B2, or B3 is going to be much of an improvement.  SignatureThat was it. Done. The faulty Monk was turned out into the desert where it could believe what it liked, including the idea that it had been hard done by. It was allowed to keep its horse, since horses were so cheap to make. -- Douglas Adams in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency > Nikon made the type C screen for astrophotography. This screen is designed > for parallax focusing. The C-Screen works great for photomicrography but I haven't had luck with astrophotography. The problem with the C screen [clear focusing spot with cross-hairs] is I can't see the cross-hairs unless I am looking at the moon or large [in the finder] planet. I use an E screen and swing the scope to a bright star to focus on and then return to the object to photograph. For focusing dim images with a view camera a pencil line is drawn on the GG at the part of the image where the camera is to be focused and then a drop of oil is applied to the GG. The oil film smoothes out the GG enough that parallax focusing can be done with the pencil line. I don't know if a drop of light oil on an E screen would work, but it might. SignatureNicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Darkroom Automation http://www.nolindan.com/da/index.htm n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com > focusing screen of my Nikon FE ... astro-photos. "D" is the usual choice for astrophotography. SignatureNicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Darkroom Automation http://www.nolindan.com/da/index.htm n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com Nicholas O. Lindan ha scritto: >> focusing screen of my Nikon FE ... astro-photos. > > "D" is the usual choice for astrophotography. Since no compensation is required by using a B3 in place of B2 focusing screen, and 1/3 stop compensation is required by using a B2 in place of B focusing screen, I simply need 1/3 stop compensation to use a B3 on my Nikon FE. But can a B3 focusing screen be mounted on a Nikon FE? Thank You again! Armando > Nicholas O. Lindan ha scritto: > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Thank You again! > Armando Absolutely. I didn't see any difference between the B2 and B3 in use. If you are doing critical focus, you might consider adding the DG-2 eyepiece magnifier. That provides a 2x magnification, though only in the centre of the screen. Ciao! Gordon Moat A G Studio <http://www.allgstudio.com> Gordon Moat ha scritto: > Absolutely. I didn't see any difference between the B2 and B3 in use. If > you are doing critical focus, you might consider adding the DG-2 > eyepiece magnifier. That provides a 2x magnification, though only in the > centre of the screen. > > Ciao! Thank You Gordon! What about a Beattie Intenscreen or Maxwell or Brightscreen? Armando > What about a Beattie Intenscreen or Maxwell or Brightscreen? This is NOT from personal experience but people in several Nikon forums I frequent all say Maxwell's best. Your mileage may vary. Henry Posner B&H Photo-Video, Inc. > Gordon Moat ha scritto: > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Armando It could be argued that one of those is better than the Nikon screens. However, I am fairly happy using Nikon screens, and they are easy to find used at very low prices. Buying a new third party screen is an option, though at much greater expense. I was unimpressed by the one Beattie I tried out, and have not tried the other two. Ciao! Gordon Moat A G Studio <http://www.allgstudio.com> > It could be argued that one of those is better than the Nikon screens. > However, I am fairly happy using Nikon screens, and they are easy to [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > A G Studio > <http://www.allgstudio.com> Ok, I think I'll buy a new Nikon B3 focus screen. Thank You All and Best Regards from Italy! Armando > Hi @all! > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Thank You and Best Regards > Armando Moose Peterson's book lists the B, the K, and the E as the screens that Nikon released for the FE. Any such screens which fit the FE are long gone. The B2 and B3 screens were released for much later cameras. I don't know if either can be mounted in an FE, but it does seem a bit unlikely. Your best bet for finding any screen for the FE is ebay. Jim "Armando" <a.b@c.d> wrote in message > I'd like to change the standard (type K) focusing screen of my Nikon FE. The FE accepts screens for the FM2, FE2 and FM3: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfeseries/fefmshared /html/screens.htm seems to explain all. SignatureNicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Darkroom Automation: F-Stop Timers, Enlarging Meters http://www.nolindan.com/da/index.htm n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com Nicholas O. Lindan ha scritto: > The FE accepts screens for the FM2, FE2 and FM3: > > http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfeseries/fefmshared /html/screens.htm > > seems to explain all. Even if I'm sure it's possible to use a B3 screen on a Nikon FE (in place of a B screen), the site that You indicated (and that I already knew) doesn't exclude the impossibility to use a B3 screen in place of a B one. Armando > Nicholas O. Lindan ha scritto: > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Armando The B2 and B3 screens fit later cameras. Exactly what is the difference amoung them is unclear to me. In any case, I would not expect much difference when they are used in an FE. Jim >>Nicholas O. Lindan ha scritto: >> [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > difference when they are used in an FE. > Jim Supposedly the newer screens are brighter, which in theory would make allow more light to fall upon the metering cells. However, in practice they are not much different. If you want to increase exposure slightly using the exposure compensation dial on the FE, that is one thing to try out. Definitely test this trying out similar shots; the actual in practice difference might be so little that you find using no exposure compensation works fine. Ciao! Gordon Moat A G Studio <http://www.allgstudio.com> > Supposedly the newer screens are brighter, which in theory would make > allow more light to fall upon the metering cells. However, in practice [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Gordon Moat Hi Gordon, I just bought a Nikon E3 focusing screen. I'll let You know the differences in exposure times ASAP. Ciao! Armando > Supposedly the newer screens are brighter, which in theory would make > allow more light to fall upon the metering cells. However, in practice [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > practice difference might be so little that you find using no exposure > compensation works fine. Hi Gordon, I just received my E3 focusing screen: it's brighter. I preferred the E3 because of the grid. I made two tests: 1. on the same Nikon FE with two different screens (K, the old one, and E3) to have the same exposure time 2. on two different cameras (a Nikon FM3A with its K3 screen and a Nikon FE with the upgraded E3 focusing screen) to have the same exposure times. I can confirm +1/2 EV is required to use E3 (and I think all new focusing screens) on a Nikon FE. I'm happy because the screen is good as expected, it's brighter and my old Nikon FE exposure measurements are good since the exposure compensation is exactly as expected! I'll never change my Nikon FE! It's simply perfect! :-) > Ciao! Ciao! Armando >>Supposedly the newer screens are brighter, which in theory would make >>allow more light to fall upon the metering cells. However, in practice [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > Ciao! > Armando Hello Armando, Sounds like you have the best combination. Indeed, an FE is a very compelling camera to use. Even Antonin Kratochvil (somewhat famous photojournalist) still has one and uses it occaissionally. I don't have any 3 series screens, only original or 2 series, though on the grid E2 I use +1/2 compensation. Seems to be the situation that the very simple meter mechanism in the FE either works or doesn't, and I have yet to read anything about any adjustments that can be made to them. Ciao! Gordon Moat A G Studio <http://www.allgstudio.com> |
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