Nikon F2 "blackout" with slower lenses

Jerevan

Jerevan

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When I use my Nikon F2 (the standard screen) with lenses with an aperture of f:2.8 or less, the split prism is very prone to "blackouts".

Is there a screen variation (preferably with split prism or microprisms) to remedy this? I am thinking of getting a cheap 135/3.5 but I need to sort this issue if possible.
 
The standard A screen works to about 5.6. In a nutshell, the prism angles are changed to accomodate faster or slower lenses, but when it is made for slow glass, accuracy is lost for fast lenses. Non work worth beans for wide lenses. Some depend on on whether the lens is wide or tele in addition to speed. The final problem is where to find them in decent condition.

http://www.mir.com.my/michaeliu/cameras/shared/ff2screens.htm

The micro prism works well in my Nikormat. I also use B and H2 screens in the F2.

I have a chart somewhere, so if I knew the exact lens, I could look. All that said, the A is universal.
 
The standard screen for the early F2 was the "A" screen, the later F2 switched to the "K" screen. I use mine with a 135/3.5 without a problem, but sometimes you need to move your eye around to prevent blackout.

The "J" screen is microprism only.

The "R" screen uses a different slope for the prism and works better with slow lenses.
 
What you might need is a B or E screen. These have matte surfaces fit for general purpose shooting; the E screen is the same as the B, except with grid lines.

Or you can also use special-purpose G and H screens (G1 through G4, H1 through H4). Each G or H screen is designed for a specific range of focal lengths.
 
There is not really a "slow lens" screen, except for the matte and crosshair screens. The G screens have special prism spots, but these are tuned towards the opposite, namely wide or ultra-fast lenses. And while the H screens do exist in variants for long and slow lenses, this is only a consequence of them being first of all full area microprism screens - better for fast news and sports photography than for anything where you'd spend much effort on details of background composition.

The 135/3.5 works nicely with the standard screen, by the way - indeed anything up to the 200/4 does.
 
L. M. Tu said:
What you might need is a B or E screen. These have matte surfaces fit for general purpose shooting; the E screen is the same as the B, except with grid lines.

Or you can also use special-purpose G and H screens (G1 through G4, H1 through H4). Each G or H screen is designed for a specific range of focal lengths.
Click to expand...

+1. The B screen is a permanent fixture on my F2. Never blackouts. If you cannot find the F2 interchangeable screen, you can also use the F3 B screen, and file down the little ledge. It works.
 
I had good luck using the Beattie Intascreen - they were really bright and smooth. A Nikon version of that screen was made and first used in the F4 (but I don't thnk F4 screens will work in an F2).
 
I just tried out my Nikkor 135/3.5 AIS lens on the F2a with a K-screen, standard split image, micro-prism ring surrounding the split image center. Worked quite well. If you have your eyes too-far off-center, you can make it black out.

Get the lens, try it out. Worked for me. I have most of the screens for the Nikon F and F2. Trying to remember which of the Twenty F's and F2's have which screen- that can be a problem. I have an "R" screen somewhere. It has a split-image center that is specifically designed for slower lenses.

If you do not have a Nikon Manual which shows the lenses, good description here:

http://www.mir.com.my/michaeliu/cameras/shared/ff2screens.htm

Although his description of the "F" screen misses that it has problems with TTL finders in the Nikon F, F2, and F3. The J-Screen is preferred. The microprism patch of the F screen is larger than the J screen. I keep an "F" Screen in a Nikon F Photomic "Bullseye". It is a great screen, re-introduced with the Nikon F4.
 
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I've replaced those annoying standard split screens with either the blank or grid screens in every Nikon SLR camera I've ever used, including having my repair person do a modification on one and replace the user-non-interchangeable split screen with a blank one in an FM I recently acquired.
The split screens in addition to suffering from the black-out with slow lenses in low light also have a tendency to draw the photographers eye to the very center of the frame, so there is less emphasis or attention paid to the perimeter of the composition. Matte or matte/grid screens eliminate both problems.
 
Whether you personally like them or not, use them or not, the split-image screen does allow more precise focus than the flat matte screen such as the B or E screen. The split image screens have the matte outside of the center image, and allows some choice. If you are used to an RF, then precision focus using the split image and recomposing is not an issue.

The OP stated a preference for a split-image, and Nikon has a screen that fits the requirement- the "R" screen. In most use, the "P" screen is also worth a look, as the split image is at a 45degree angle. It tends not to black out when your eye is off-center. The P screen also has horizontal and vertical lines for quadrants.
 
Actual aperture diameter

Actual aperture diameter

The split- or microprism features are, in fact, little tiny rangefinder splitiimages. Their "base" is the dimension (millimeters) of the diaphragm. Below a certain diameter, you get one or the other "split" blacked out, especially if your eye is off dead-center. The H-screens are H1-H4 and designed with appropriate prism-slopes for a given hole-diameter.

The way around this is to sacrifice the "convenience" of the split-image focusing. The B, D, and E screens are all matte ground glass. Focused=sharp, unfocused=blurry. The J-microprism is a compromise, and was standard on the early Nikkormats.

I do more macro work than telephoto, and the BDE options are best-not only do they not black out, but you do have a better shot at gauging depth of field.

Like the Camptown Races, sometimes it's best to bet on the 'Bay. Given a bit of patience & the holiday-season collection-clearing that goes on, you can get good-to-mint F/F2 screens for reasonable prices.
 
Just one note on buying used: the screens were packed in boxes that had foam rubber inserts for the screen. The foam has disintegrated and out-gassed over time. Originally, the screens were in plastic envelopes. If buying used, on Ebay or on-line, look for pictures that show the screen is in good condition. Most of my many screens were bought in camera shops and shows.
 
Thank you very much for all your replies! Very helpful. 🙂 I will get another screen, luckily I have a local source for most of the variations mentioned here.

Using glasses, it is quite easy to get off-center and having blackouts of the split prism but I guess that is the tradeoff if one wants the accuracy of the split prism.
 
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Split screens may be made for wide lenses and it may be the best you can do, but it still does not work well.

Here is what happens starting with 24 or 28 mm and wider. You don`t get black out, but you do turn the focus ring considerably to get very small movement in the split thus making it difficult to achieve accuracy. It is difficult to get the same spot twice. Slow at best.

With longer lenses, the split moves in relation to the focus mount and the image is larger and you regain accuracy. Microprism screens also are workable as are plain glass screens. Cross hairs are absolutely the best. but you must be on a tripod because you move your eye and the subject can not move in relation to the hair. If it does, you are out of focus. But it is perfect for tripod use.

Decades back, there was always discussion on this and some technical disscusion as to the merits of RF and reflex focusing and the base of the RF. Leicas RF base is very wide and it facilitates wide angle focus. Split image "base" is effectively the width of the lens mount and that limits it accuracy. The general concenus is they equalize somewhere around 90mm and after that the reflex system takes over.

I can focus wides with the F2, but I don`t like it much. There is no answer.

I put a Katz Eye Split into DX digi cams and it is certainy better for manual focus compared to the stock, the fact that the smaller sensor uses shorter focals makes them harder to to use than FX full size sensor. Katz Eye screens are cut for 5.6 lenses max just like the A Nikon screen.

Optics have not changed over the 6 decades I have been doing this. Anybody who tells you he has the solution with a special screen is wrong. They are screens that are simply less bad, not good.

If you send me a PM, I have the Nikon chart that comes with screens and it lists lenses and the recommended screens. But I have to know the exact lens, or at least focal and speed. They list the optimum and acceptable screens. Unfortunately, the print is so tiny I need a magnifier to read it so I can not copy and post.
 
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