S3 2000 - improving the focus patch by installing a color filter

[jonmanjiro]

I recently discovered that the focus patch on an S3 2000/2002 can be improved a lot by installing a colour compensating filter under the viewfinder window. I'm of the opinion that the focus patch on these cameras is actually pretty good to start with, but the finder is so bright that the focus patch tends to get washed out somewhat. Installing a colour filter helps to reduce finder brightness so the focus patch is easier to see.

If anyone is interested, here's a quick outline on how to do the installation. It's easy enough to do if you have the tools, but as always with these things, proceed at your own risk!

1. Remove the four minus head screws that hold down the front plate and store them somewhere safe. Be very careful while loosening and removing the screws, as the screwdriver can very easily slip and leave a nice big scratch across your front plate.

2. Carefully remove the front plate.

3. Take extreme care when lifting the front plate over the focus wheel and infinity lock as you can easily bend it.

4. Loosen and remove the three cross head screws that hold down the viewfinder front glass and store them somewhere safe.

5. Carefully remove the viewfinder front glass.

6. Cut the colour compensating filter to the required size. I used a 16mm x 27mm rectangular piece with the bottom left corner slightly cropped to fit around the focus helicoid. Regarding the colour compensating filter, I found the blue B20 filter pictured below to give the best results. I found that lighter filters gave progressively less contrast as the they got brighter, and darker filters made the viewfinder darker but did not improve contrast any further. YMMV.

7. Place the 16mm x 27mm rectangular piece of colour compensating filter over the viewfinder window as below.

8. Carefully replace the viewfinder window and the three cross head screws.

9. Carefully replace the front plate and four minus head screws.

10. Check out the improvement. This photo doesn't really give an idea of the improvement, but it is a big difference especially in low light.

11. Go take some photos!

 

[Nikon Bob]

Thanks for posting this. I have a Topcon 35-L that might benefit from similar treatment. The blue RF patch on it seems to be good and it has a very bright finder. I was experiencing the same trouble as you were describing so we will give it a go.

Bob

 

[enochRoot]

i have this mod on the s3-2000 i'm currently using and it was night and day! now the viewfinder is brighter than my M6 in low light (since you keep both eyes open). i'd highly recommend this mod to any nikon rf shooters!!

 

[gilpen123]

Thanks Jon, I have to do this with my S3 2000 as I need a bit more contrast on the RF.

 

[JohnM]

This worked brilliantly. Highly recommended.

Thanks, Jon.

 

[Tom A]

Leica used to make a small orange filter that would fit over one of the rangefinder windows to up the contrast of the "patch". It does work with faded rangefinders. Unfortunately, they are scarce as well as round - but if you can get hold of a Lee Filter sample pack, you can cut your own and install. I did it with a SP with "diminished" capacity in the RF. Kind of works too.
Jon's idea is good - though in Vancouver, we rarely have that bright sunlight!

 

[marcr1230]

Jon - how did you take the picture of the viewfinder image after the mod ?

 

[jonmanjiro]

Jon - how did you take the picture of the viewfinder image after the mod ?

With a Lumix compact digital camera - amazing amount of DOF with that little camera.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Jon

I did a variation on your idea. At a friends suggestion I used automotive blue window tint on the Topcon 35-L. It greatly improved the the patch contrast making the camera more usable. In the right light you can see bubbles in the film but not when looking through the VF when using it. Hard to get a squeegee in there to take out bubbles. It is a quick and dirty solution that requires no disassembly. I am not recommending anyone try it only that it maybe another option.

Bob

 

[jonmanjiro]

Automotive blue window tint sounds like a great alternative, Bob. Glad you found an improvement in patch contrast and thanks for the idea!

Jon

 

[dreamsandart]

Although the 2000 S3 finder IS bright, the contrast between the finder view and the rangefinder patch was one of the reasons the camera just didn't work for me. Sometimes just hard to pick the images out of the 'white' brightness. The SP with its slight green look in contrast to the rangefinder patch was much better and the finder itself didn't flare at all (the other S3 problem I saw).

That blue filter makes me think of the slight blue tint of an M3. Do you prefer it to the SP tint?

 

[jonmanjiro]

> That blue filter makes me think of the slight blue tint of an M3. Do you prefer it to the SP tint?

I still prefer the tint of the SP 2005 finder, but the blue tint on the S3 finder is a big improvement to my eyes.

Like you, I've also found the SP 2005 finder to be flare free. Noticeably better than a vintage SP in that regard. Though I didn't really notice how big the difference was until recently when I shot a vintage SP and an SP 2005 side by side at the Tsukiji fish markets. The SP 2005 handled the bright indoor lights with ease. The benefit of modern multicoating, perhaps?

 

[Nikon Bob]

Automotive blue window tint sounds like a great alternative, Bob. Glad you found an improvement in patch contrast and thanks for the idea!

Jon

I'll thank my friend for you it was his idea. I don't know how great it will be in the long run but only time will tell.

Bob

 

[Jan Van Laethem]

Great tip, Jon, thanks for the very clear explanation and great pictures.

With a Lumix compact digital camera - amazing amount of DOF with that little camera.

Which particular Lumix model are you using? I'm looking for a small compact digital with close focusing ability.

 

[ray*j*gun]

Jon, where did you buy the filter material?

Thanks for the great tip and excellent directions and pics.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Which particular Lumix model are you using? I'm looking for a small compact digital with close focusing ability.

I'm using a Lumix DMC-FX35. At 25mm, the wide end of the zoom is nice and wide but image quality is just so-so.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Jon, where did you buy the filter material?

I bought the filter at the local Yodobashi Camera store. They've got a full range of filters with samples that you can play with to work out what you need. I spent about 20 minutes trying out different filters until I worked out that the B-20 filter gave me the best results. Any similar type of filter should do the trick though.

 

[enochRoot]

The SP with its slight green look in contrast to the rangefinder patch was much better and the finder itself didn't flare at all (the other S3 problem I saw).

out of curiosity, how did you get the S3 finder to flare? i have not run into that at all. one thing that i have run into is the rear viewfinder element reflecting light into my eye and washing everything out. not sure how albeda brightlines work, but i assume it's a function of that. it is very easy to correct, however. you just need to block the light source from behind w/ your head/eye. ie: if i move slightly, everything reappears.

of course i could just be rationalizing since i don't own an SP 2005 😀

 

[rbsinto]

You can also get the small Lee Filter sample books (usually free at camera stores), and play with the various blue filters until you find something you like.
That's what I used in one of my S3s to strengthen the patch contrast, and it works like a champ.

 

[dreamsandart]

out of curiosity, how did you get the S3 finder to flare? i have not run into that at all. one thing that i have run into is the rear viewfinder element reflecting light into my eye and washing everything out. not sure how albeda brightlines work, but i assume it's a function of that. it is very easy to correct, however. you just need to block the light source from behind w/ your head/eye. ie: if i move slightly, everything reappears.

of course i could just be rationalizing since i don't own an SP 2005 😀

Jon can probably give you a better assessment of the S3 finder comparison then me having owned one only briefly and awhile ago. I remember the S3 finder does flare with bright light. Its not a total wash out, but happened with strong light sources in the finder view. Its not bad, but especially comparing it to the new SP finder was there. The main problem with the S3 finder for me was picking out the double image rangefinder patch in some lighting situations with the whole finder being so bright, and Jon's fix seems to be an improvement with that.