Improvement: Manual Focusing Screen

Well, after several images and trials, I have to admit ... the Manual Focusing screen seems to be quite useful compared to the naked-eye. No matter how I can recall it, this split screen has gotten me closer than any other method I have used on the digital SLR ... so I feel it has been a worthwhile investment.

I liken it to using bifocals ... if you don't need them and are using AF on your camera, most of the time, don't bother. But if you do manually focus ... it can be a heck of an assist.

Speaking of which, I have not really noticed much impact to the autofocus system ... it seems to work without any detrimental effect. YMMV.

I need to use it with the two MACRO lenses (90mm & 180mm) I have to get the overall feel for it, but without a doubt ... practical use of the manual lenses is, once again, back.

I do appreciate TAMRON ceasing their support of their own Adaptall2 prduct line on SONY, Canon, Nikon and Pentax camera bodies, by discontinuing the Adaptall2 adapter collar. "Appreciate" in the sense that these lenses simply cannot provide a sharp enough resolution without the aid of an addition MF focusing screen. I believe our eyes (perhaps just mine ... and I felt I was pretty good at that) just are not that great at picking up the visual cues better than the digital sensor can.

Even with the MF focusing screen, it is a still struggle. Also, the these older lenses do NOT have the coatings and treatments necessary to be competative with today's standards in lenses. Color aberration (CA) and purple fringe run amok with them and based on comparative shots that I have done ... well, let's just say that I have gone ahead and methodically replaced ALL of my Adaptall2 lenses (135, 200, 70-210, 200-500), in one way or another, with digital AF types ... basically all of them with TAMRON, except for the SONY CZ 135mm f/1.8.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...-new-135mm.jpg

I still keep these manual lenses for use on the film bodies, but when it comes to use on the digital ... overall, it's just been a bust. :( C'est la vie!

As far as the MF focusing screen goes, it has been an excellent tool, for use with AF glass, when I could not obtain focus "automagically", such as shooting through weeds, tree branches or other interference, like screens and windows. If you routinely find your self in manual focus, or using DMF, I highly recommend having it, but you need to be aware that it offers small challenges, too, when it gets darker. :cool:

I wonder if I could get the rule of thirds grid on my contacts LOL I had read about Katzeyes when researching my camera, just way to much other stuff to learn how to do and use before I start adding things I guess. And speaking of eyes and age yea it sucks! I have been wearing 'zoned' contacts for about 3 years now, pretty handy, but the dilema, I am left eye dominate, rather near sighted, have better far vision in left eye then right, slight to moderate astigmatizm in both eyes, more in the right. contacts are adjusted for close and midrange vision in right eye, midrange and far in the left. I have even thought about trying to learn to shoot with my left eye? Life is the adventure, but it's the getting old that blows!