Suggestion for Nikon

Started Mar 4, 2013 | Discussions thread
Senior MemberPosts: 1,965Gear list
Agree, better screens would be nice
In reply to Jay A, Mar 8, 2013

1 - Why don't you put good focusing screens with split image rangefinders in the middle of them back into your cameras?

2 - Put good ol manual focus rings back onto the lenses like they had before this stinkin auto focus crap came along.

That happened because after AF became popular. No manufacturer thought people would MF very often once AF was available, and just neglected the MF experience. Now, we seem to be expected to us magnified live view to manually focus. That does work very well, but obviously there are times when we want good MF through the viewfinder too (because LV just sucks battery power).

I would really like it if Nikon used focusing screens that gave a lot more 'snap', and accurately showed depth of field with lenses faster than f/2.8. Those lenses are pretty common, especially with cheap 50mm lenses that offer excellent image quality and fast apertures for a low light. I see quite a few 50/1.8 or 35/1.8 lenses on crop sensor DSLRs, and I bet fast fixed lenses are even more common with full frame cameras (to really take that shallow DOF edge even farther).

I bet you won't get anywhere near as many complaints as you get nowadays.

That seems to be a problem with optical finders - showing the shallow DOF of fast apertures and giving better 'snap' makes the finder image dim with slow zooms. Putting a split screen rangefinder in the middle might be distracting, and only assists focusing in the center. EVFs and live view implementations solve the accurate focus problem, but drain battery power, don't work well in bright daylight, and can't match the speed and responsiveness offered by optical finders. IMO, it'd be best if Nikon had coarser grained focusing screens as standard or optional accessories.

Speaking of that, does anyone know if there are interchangeable screens available for the D600? A look at the focusing screen inside the lens mount makes it seem like it's removable (there's a little tab that I assume releases the screen), but Nikon's website doesn't list screens for the D600 (or the D700/800). Would screens designed for other full frame DSLRs or film cameras fit?

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