Focusing 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

"Armando" wrote in message
...
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...

"Armando" wrote

focusing screen of my Nikon FE ... astro-photos.

"D" is the usual choice for astrophotography.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation
http://www.nolindan.com/da/index.htm
n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com

In article , Armando wrote:
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.


--
That 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

"Philip Homburg" wrote

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.

--
Nicholas 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:
"Armando" wrote

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

Armando wrote:
Nicholas O. Lindan ha scritto:

"Armando" wrote


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

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

Armando wrote:
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.