Focus screen with or without grid?

[Heldur]

Quick question, I have a really nice yashica mat with a very scratched focus screen. I can pickup old new stock focusing screen cheap but they both have grid patterns. How useful are they? I thought the gridlines would be distracting?

 

[Armoured]

On a TLR, not too distracting, and actually somewhat useful given the difficulty of getting things straight.

 

[eddie1960]

i find them useful on my bronica particularly when using the waist level finder
don't know if i'd want them on an slr though

 

[Heldur]

Okay, thanks for the answers. Small grid pattern or large best?By the way they are for sale on Ebay new old stock for $25, doesnt say if they are original yashica or not though.

 

[furcafe]

I ditto others who recommend a grid, unless you're already good @ handling a TLR. As far as small v. large pattern, I think that depends on your personal preference.

I shoot mostly people & like a larger pattern as I find it less distracting. If I did more architectural shooting, however, I might opt for a smaller pattern.

Okay, thanks for the answers. Small grid pattern or large best?By the way they are for sale on Ebay new old stock for $25, doesnt say if they are original yashica or not though.

 

[ZeissFan]

I think that you'll find you use the grid more than you might expect.

 

[barnwulf]

I like the grid screens, they help me get horizons and buildings a little straighter especially with TLRs. - jim

 

[notraces]

I love plain matte screens - no focusing aids at all. I find them very distracting. I use to have split prism and/or grid - I switched and wouldn't go back.

 

[newspaperguy]

Count me in the grid screen camp - even on my 35's.

 

[Armoured]

If you're going to get a screen, get it from Rick Oleson. Very helpful, instructions, and you can choose your pattern. Screens are not expensive.

http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-175.html

(No connection, just a satisfied customer)

 

[nikon_sam]

If I were to replace the one on my Yashica Mat 124 it would be with a Grid Screen...the screen on it now is the original one and is in great shape so I can't justify replacing it but then having said that I did replace the screens on two of my SLR's with Grid screens...After a while you even forget that they are there...
I would rate it as a positive move...

 

[Mablo]

Grids help me enormously when I try to keep things straight. I'm using Rick Oleson's screens.

 

[PMCC]

+1 for Rick's screens. Rick's a helpful and nice guy too. He can cut screens to fit your camera, so long as his blanks are big enough. He doesn't fit Rolleiflex models with removable hoods because he can no longer source big enough blanks (check out his site for current details).