I plan to replace the standard focusing screen of my F3HP with an "architectural screen"; I'm inclined towards the R screen rather than the E screen, which do you recommend? Thanks in advance.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), February 13, 2000

Answers

I have had experience with both screens, as well as the P screen. The R looks like an E with a split-image rangefinder in the center. My E screen is brighter than the R screen I had, enough of a difference that the E is considerably easier to focus. The R's split-image went dark with my 300/4, as I recall. If it's the split-image rangefinder you want, you might consider the P screen, which has a crosshair grid (four segments) and a central 45-degree split-image rangefinder with a circle of coarse gradation around it. It's lesser known than the other screens, but I think it's a better grid + rangefinder compromise than the R.

-- John Kuraoka (kuraoka@home.com), February 13, 2000.

Thank you, John, for your quick response and good suggestion! I was inclined towards the R screen because Moose Peterson's Nkon System Handbook says that the split-image rangefinder doesn't go dark even with slower lenses. So this is not true! I use mostly wideangle lenses and my slowest lens is the AF 24-50mm f3.3-4.5. I also wonder if it's better (in terms of brightness) to get the gridded screen for the F4 rather than that for the F3, since the F4 screen will fit nicely into a F3 body.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), February 13, 2000.

Update: the P-screen is such a rare item that it's practically unavailable, and surprisingly, so are the E-screens for both the F3 and F4. Finally, I ordered a F4's E-screen, as I figured that if it didn't work satisfactorily on my F3, I could still use it on my F4. As it turned out, I found it difficult to manual-focus without the split-image focusing aid, so the screen now sits happily in my F4.

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), March 22, 2000.

Hi Hoyin, I use my 24-50mm f3,3-4,5 with the P screen (F3). I wondering about the dark split-image at the R screen. Never had it with that lens. Will try to find out with different background light. I mounted the E screen in my FM-2n and I'm still happy with it. All F3 screens are not rare in Germany, but the price is double to the USA. Good luck, Ralf.

-- Ralf Grambrock (101.51955@germanynet.de), April 09, 2000.