This is basically a branch off of the "Possible Focusing Screen Alternative" thread, but I figured it would be better to start a new one where everyone can post their results if they've tried the screen, or ask questions about it.

In addition to what was posted in the "Possible Focusing Screen Alternative" thread, I have here 9 seconds of completely uncompressed video (about 30~ MB, DV AVI format) of using the adapter with the Nikon D Screen (red dot version). Does anyone agree when I say it seems like I'm getting the same good results as Steev's?

View the footage here. (http://www.astronautradiomusic.com/uncompgarden.avi)

Still Image 1 Here. (http://www.astronautradiomusic.com/garden1.tif)

Still Image 2 Here. (http://www.astronautradiomusic.com/garden2.tif)


I know someone else ordered the D Screen as a result of my examples. Could someone post pictures from Optosigma GG and Microwax as comparison?

The video looks good but there are a lot of black spots on it. Is the focusing screen dirty?

Quyen

Yes, those are dirt marks, i haven't had time to mark the position of the screen in the tube so I can reinstall it later in the same spot. Calibration for that thing took forever. :)

So I feel I've officially finished my adapter. I'm using the Nikon type D as my focus screen and I couldn't be happier ($30 as opposed to the beattie's hundreds). Anyway, here's the finished adapter and my Konica 1.4 next to it (it's kinda blurry, sorry). https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/Lens.jpg

I use a 55mm filter based design so I had to mount the screen a little differently than Mr. Winter. I plan on making a plastic mount soon, but for now I bought a sheet of somewhat thick black project paper and cut out a 55mm filter sized circle out of it. It's easier to just show the picture probably. (Blurry again!) https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/GG.jpg
Here's the same filter ring mounted on the camera. https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/GG%20Mounted.jpg

I'm also using the magnet method to invert the LCD screen. https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/Fullcam.jpg

My footage is suprisingly good indoors and just what you'd expect outdoors. I'll post some footage soon. Thanks Ben for bringing the type D to my attention. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Ben,
You asked for a optosigma gg screen-grab. I'll try to post one, never posted a link to an image before...

Edit: Sorry link failed

Where do you guys post stuff for free?

Riley,

1) How did you work out the spacing for the Focal Length? Did you just keep buying spaces until it looked right?
2) Did you get the focusing screen at B&H? Not bad for $30 bucks!
3) Are you using an achromat and or condensers?

BTW Nice looking rig, good job!

Ben your links to your footage tif and avi are not working anymore.

Donnie, your link doesn't seem to work either. Needs a Yahoo sign in or something?

The clips are not working.

I am interested in trying out Nikon focusing screens for an adapter. In england though I cannot find anywhere that sells the plain D-screens. I can find the B-plain matte screens but they have tiny black markings on it but the site says "Note: Focus brackets and 8mm-dia center circle are not etched on the focusing screens".

I wonder if you could get these guide markings off the glass? Maybe with some kind of paint remover or picking them off?

Anyone tried?

yeh sorry guys, my website went down the pits after bandwidth got exceeded. I have a new site now however, www.frozenphoenixproductions.com, so i'll post up those things back on there soon.

By the way, at that site, "Jerry" as well as "Nigel's Garden" were filmed with the Nikon D Screen.

Walton, I wouldn't suggest going that route. You need to have a perfect ground glass surface because that's what your camera is focused on, and having it impeccable is even more important because this is a static, non-vibrating adapter. It's not worth the risk of ruining the surface with paint remover or picking it off, even if that was an easy task.

Doesn't B&H ship worldwide?

Edit: Here are the new links.

View Uncompressed test footage here. (http://www.frozenphoenixproductions.com/misc/uncompgarden.avi)

Screengrab 1 (http://www.frozenphoenixproductions.com/misc/garden1.bmp)

Screengrab 2 (http://www.frozenphoenixproductions.com/misc/garden2.bmp)

So I feel I've officially finished my adapter. I'm using the Nikon type D as my focus screen and I couldn't be happier ($30 as opposed to the beattie's hundreds). Anyway, here's the finished adapter and my Konica 1.4 next to it (it's kinda blurry, sorry). https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/Lens.jpg

I use a 55mm filter based design so I had to mount the screen a little differently than Mr. Winter. I plan on making a plastic mount soon, but for now I bought a sheet of somewhat thick black project paper and cut out a 55mm filter sized circle out of it. It's easier to just show the picture probably. (Blurry again!) https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/GG.jpg
Here's the same filter ring mounted on the camera. https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/GG%20Mounted.jpg

I'm also using the magnet method to invert the LCD screen. https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/Fullcam.jpg

My footage is suprisingly good indoors and just what you'd expect outdoors. I'll post some footage soon. Thanks Ben for bringing the type D to my attention. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.


Ya got the screen in backwards!

Riley,

1) How did you work out the spacing for the Focal Length? Did you just keep buying spaces until it looked right?
2) Did you get the focusing screen at B&H? Not bad for $30 bucks!
3) Are you using an achromat and or condensers?

BTW Nice looking rig, good job!

Ben your links to your footage tif and avi are not working anymore.

Donnie, your link doesn't seem to work either. Needs a Yahoo sign in or something?

Thanks Mandy. To answer your questions...

1) I remember you saying that you were using a Konica like mine. If so, the length that has worked for me is 5 filter rings and the step up ring. There are two types of filter rings I've found. One is your basic filter that uv filters usually come in, and then there's also a slightly larger ring. I have 3 normal ones and 2 larger ones. The distance I use now works good, but is ever so slightly off. I'll change it soon.

2) I did buy the screen from B&H and it works great.

3) I am not using a condensor right now, but that's not to say the screen couldn't benefit from one between it and the camera. I just have to zoom in on it a little more and use a +10 Hoya (expensive but such a good investment).

I have to say, it's been an interesting project working on this adapter and for a 19 year old, kinda pricey. I'm so glad I did it though because the image is great and it feels good to make it from scratch. I want to do a short with it as soon as possible and as soon as I do I'll post the link. Have a nice day.

Bill, I didn't know it made a significant difference. I'll try the other way.

3) I am not using a condensor right now

If you flip the screen around you will be. ;-)
Look closer :)

It actually yeilds the same results in my opinion, but you're right, the built in pcx lens works well.

This footage was taken with one standard 60w indoor light bulb directly overhead as the only light source. It's short and shakey but gives you and idea.

https://webspace.utexas.edu/rjs539/www/Low%20Light%20Test.mov

Anybody want to buy my Nikon D Screen adapter? $185 people...that's a steal...

Anybody want to buy my Nikon D Screen adapter? $185 people...that's a steal...

Are you going to stick with the letus?

Looks pretty damn good! What is the screen made with? Is it ground glass, or some sort of wax?

I'm at B&H later today...

For the adapter or for just the nikon screen?
$185 isn't a bad price, but what are you going to do instead?

Riley,

So when you say the focal length is not perfect, are you off by a hair? I wonder how some people get it perfect with their spacers! I didn't see any long shots at infinity to really tell, do you have any?
Interestingly enough, when I set about trying to emulate Quylen rig, I used Foam core (I am guessing like you used or something similar) to place the GG in when it vibrated. Unfortunately it doesn't work too well for vibrating, but will work well for what you are doing inside the tube - which is a great idea btw!
The low light test looks great, the focusing screen can really help. Yeah, I think we are using the same lens 57mm konica. I do like the lens but the focus ring is a bit loose (but what do I expect for $5.00 at a charity shop?). I am thinking seriously of moving to the static GG or the letus because of the colour abberation I am getting with some lights and certain situations with the plastic GG (which is corrected closing the iris on my camera.).

Yeh, I've enjoyed the results of the Letus35 enough to let go of this adapter. My only qualm about doing this is that I really won't be able to use the zoom lens as much, being that it's too heavy and the macro lens isn't screwed in so the whole assembly tends to sag a bit. Maybe if I tighten up the screw it won't do that.

I wonder how some people get [focal length] perfect with their spacers!

Either get a big variety of spacers/rings, or get creative. With my screen there was no way to get it "spacered" to where it wanted to be, since it would have been off by about half a spacer depth, so I found a way to get it mounted deeper into one ring.

I find the whole thorlabs tube setup to be a tremendous help here. It's standard 52mm threads on either end, and the way you mount them into the ring, it's a matter of simply screwing it up or down on the inside to move it as small an increment as needed. Through this method I was able to get the screen in the exact position 42mm from the lens mounting flange.

Ah, that is helpful Ben. The thorlabs does sound like a good idea - and since it is under $20 that is something that will replace alot of spacers and uv filters! Which size did you get?

I got this one:

http://www.thorlabs.com/ProductDetail.cfm?DID=6&ObjectGroup_ID=213&Product_ID=1481

The picture is inaccurate; it's shorter in length and much thinner. It comes with one retaining ring, by the way, so you don't need to buy extras (which are $10) to mount the screen. I think the thorlobs route is a really cheap and spacesaving way to go, without having to bother with UV filters.

Hey Ben,

Do you have an shot of what it looks like inside the tube? I realise you said that it has a thread running along the inside to screw in, but I then realised that you would need a screen holder that would also have the exact threaded ring as well, right?

Mandy, I glued the focusing screen into the retaining ring since it touched at the edges by a hair. A very easy process.

My Nikon D Screen came today and I have some test shots:

http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/1.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/3.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/4.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/5.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/6.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/7.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/8.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/9.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/10.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~sk8npirate/sept8th_35mm/11.jpg

I still have to clean the whole thing out. But so far its looking good. What do you think?

Thanks

Sincerely,
Jeff Tyler

Fantastic work. The D Screen gets the job done, doesn't it?

Could you try closing the aperture a lot and seeing what happens there? I was getting grain problems.

Ben I closed the aperture and I got an extreme case of grain. If I use this method I won't be able to close the aperture much. I don't plan on closing it much anyway. And thanks.

Lol, indeed, same here. It is a shame that the screen suffers from that, though. I think thats the only thing vibrating adapters have over static ones.

Lol, indeed, same here. It is a shame that the screen suffers from that, though. I think thats the only thing vibrating adapters have over static ones.

You can't classify all static screens as being like the Nikon D. I tried one, and the Nikon D is great for $30, but there are better static solutions, as we've seen from others around here.

Oh, I'm not saying there aren't, I'm just saying that in general, vibrating adapters will reduce grain at greater apertures more than static adapters will.

Ben I closed the aperture and I got an extreme case of grain. If I use this method I won't be able to close the aperture much. I don't plan on closing it much anyway. And thanks.

What would happen if you kept the iris BIG and used a further ND filter?

Just a thought . .Grazie

Graham,
I beleive this to work, but I think its best to keep the SLR aperture open, and adjusting the exposure of the image with the camcorders aperture.

Wayne.

I agree, it's best to do your "darkening" [i]after/i] the screen, i.e. with camcorder's internal ND filter or iris.

Actually I was referring to if someone wanted to deepen the DOF using aperture control. But, of course, we're all in this for shallow DOF, so why not...

Yup.

One reason to use these devices that is totally aside from depth of field is simply lens options. The DVX for example is quoted at being 4.5-45mm focal length, supposedly translating to 32.5-325mm in SLR equivalent. I don't have a 32.5mm SLR lens to try on my adapter but I do have a 28mm and it offers about the same angle of view as the DVX with no adapter. When I've used SLR lenses shorter than 28mm with my shallow-DOF adapter, it has given me the ability to capture wider angles of view than my camera could with its original lens.

You could always use an add-on wide angle adapter lens like the Raynox, Century Optics, etc., though I never have, so I don't know how the optics of a single element add-on lens compare to a nice wide angle SLR lens. I would assume the SLR is far better since the camera manufacturers have to use several elements to get a nice image. Still, from what I have seen, the add-ons seem to work.

Would it be possible to sandwhich the Nikon D focusing screen between two 52mm UV filters for protection from dust and easier installation? I was planning on just using some regular 2" tubing, not threaded like the ones listed. Also, what macro steppings would work? I currently have a +1, +2, and +4, would a stack or one of these work? Or will I have to get a much higher macro like +7-10? Basically, what's the minimum macro that works with this?

Basically, what's the minimum macro that works with this?

It completely depends on your camera and its ability to focus on things up close. A +4 macro that works for you on one adapter will probably work on another adapter provided the ground glass is the same distance away from the lens.

Yes, the ground glass can be sandwiched between UV filters.

If you need a +7 +10 macro, I have one for sale, let me know. Less glass is always better when you stack +1 +2 +4 you have three pieces where with +7 you have one, but that is something that you have to decide.

Oh good, sandwhiching the Nikon D screen should save me a TON of trouble, I was going to go with the wax route and that looked pretty iffy to me. I've got a GL1 and all the guides seem to be using different macros, some use just a +3, others use +7, and then most common is a +10 macro, I figure you'd need to zoom in anyway so why haul out for a big macro like that? BTW, I'm building my adapter with stepping rings so I can use it on my GL1 now and use it with a future 72mm camera when I upgrade to HD.

One thing about the sandwhiching thing, the Nikon D screen won't be jingling around between the two filters will it? I don't know how small the screen is.

Just a note: the more you zoom in, the higher power the macro you need.

You'll have to glue in the screen. It's a rectangular-sized thing that, if placed in the ring of a 52mm UV filter, will barely touch at the corners.

hi!

can any of you guys please tell me how do you manage to keep the focusing screen clean?
I keep cleaning it but i still get little dirt sitting on it!!

thanks in advance

Use compressed air to completely blast out all the tiny particles, then seal the deal and only open the ends sparingly.

thank you Ben.

Just a small remark on compressed air and cleaning lenses. When going ape, dust can be blown further into lenses instead of cleaning them. So be gentle.

ok...thank you!

I will be careful.