F/F2 focusing screen

It is largely personal preference, but the lens in use has a large influence on which screen you prefer. If one screen was the best for everyone always then there would be only one made.

Most people will find the K screens the best compromise for general use. Others find that they prefer a large split image rangefinder screen (e.g. A screen) or a pure matte screen like the B or E.

There are/were 3rd party screens that were brighter than the Nikon screens, but in my opinion they don't improve focusing, only viewing, and some actually make focusing harder.

My favorite were modified F3 "red dot" screens where the rear tab has been milled off. Sometimes you scan swap the optics between an F3 screen and an F/F2 screen, but not always. I always preferred to remove the optics from an F3 screen, mill/file off the rear tab, and then reinstall the optics.
 
Are you looking for the best screen for focusing of the center part of the screen, or for focusing off the center of it? ? :)
 
Are you looking for the best screen for focusing of the center part of the screen, or for focusing off the center of it? ? :)
 
Due to my age I wanted the best one I could get. Not finding definitive, objective results from tests on the internet as to which is easiest to focus I decided that a split image screen might be best in the long run for general picture taking. Of course it works only in the center.

I had Bill Maxwell enhance an adapted F3 red dot A screen. Sometimes it seems that micro prism ring is the easiest to focus.
 
I tend to switch between the J (microprisms) and the K (horizontal split) screens for everyday use.
 
A lot depends on the lens you are using. The screens with a split image don't work as well with slower lenses like the 300 f4.5 - one side of the split image will go dark. For shorter lenses, the K and A screens seem to work best. For longer lenses, 180 and up, the matte screens like B and E work well for me. My vision isn't great any more, but if I choose the right screen, the F and F2 work for me. In the F3s, I also use an R screen, which is better for slower lenses. I don't know if they made this screen for the F or F2.
 
As you can see, opinion varies as to which a particular individual prefers.

It should be noted that many of the screens are very similar with only minor variations, some that don't affect focusing:

B & E: identical except the E has grid lines for framing.
A & K & J: same but different. A=horiz spit, J=microprism, K=combo with the A's split wrapped with a donut area of J's microprism.

Personally, I like the grid lines so I ignored the B and used the E as my primary screen in both my F3 and F2, but generally used a older A in my F, usually ignoring the split and using the matte area beside it. In all cases, I frequently framed first and focused the subject wherever it was placed, often off center and thus ignoring any central focusing prisms. My F was usually my fast film / low light body so occasionally things were too dark to use the matte area and I resorted to the center split prism.
 
They do make an R screen for the F / F2. I use one because the 200mm f/4 causes one side of the regular A screen split image to black out.
 
For just the usual shooting the K screen works for me but when using long teles and doing closeup I prefer the D screen..
 
You can use an F3 screen in an F2 by simply orienting the lip on the screen frame toward the front of the camera. I have had no difficulty in installing or removing the screen used this way, and it has not affected either focus or metering. I like both the E and K screens.
 
I had two of the H screens 1 and 2 I think it was (because the internet had told me so haha) but I discovered that the E screen was much better as I had more consistent hits with it. Then I asked Brian about it one time and he said E screen so that validated my experience for me. The F2 I have nowadays has an E.

Thing about the H screens is there are 4 and they are made for specific focal ranges...who wants to be constantly changing screens along with lenses???

https://www.cameraquest.com/nfscreen.htm
 
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