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Normally i cringe at anything Kenrockwell but in this scenario he's on the spot about UWA lenses.

How to Use Ultra-Wide Lenses

I have a Nikon D3100(no focus motor) and a 50mm F1.8.
In decent light, I can shoot portraits and the subjects have to be still. No kids, sports or panning shots possible.
In low light, Its frustrating to focus even still subjects.

I'm seriously considering replacing the 50mm 1.8 with a 35mm 1.8 or replacing the d3100 body with a auto focusing body like the D90 or the D90's replacement.

OT: I used to think my car would be my only personal money pit. Looks like the car's got competition. lol:

In film slr's there used to be a small focussing point at the centre of the lens. It was very helpful for sharp manual focussing. Is this available in the new dslr's? It's not available on the canon 1000d. It requires a lot of patience for manual focussing without this ring in the centre unless ofcourse one is an expert.

You need to replace the focusing screen of your DSLR , This is 5 min DIY job. You will gain split prism mechanism but will loose the 9 illuminated points which glows red when focus is achived. There is no impact on AF and still you will hear beep and see a green dot at the bottom corner.

You can buy one from here

Focusing Screen

For cheaper ones search on e-bay focusing screen from HK sellers costs about 20-30$.

Not sure about canon but d3 has projection focusing screen which means using split-prism focusing screen is still fine AF points and illumination.

Also I don't usually suggest diy focusing screen change as a tiny slip will scratch it or worse crack it.

Also if changing for split-prism, make sure to get proper canon/nikon/pentax one or better yet katzeye one.

He has 1000d that is entry level DSLR I do not see why a feature of d3 should be expected.canon sells focussing screens for 1d and 5d series, focussingscreen.com does laser cutting of canon /nikon screens to fit entry level bodies and sell them. Opt check videos on youtube for procedure to change screen.

which lens you want to try manual focus with? If it is manual focus lens like takumar, you can try focus-confirm chips.

Looks like the procedure will affect the warranty. Do we get lens with some in-built focusing rings?

What is a focus-confirm chip?

No it will not it is a user replaceable part , Focussing ring is there on every lens but what it does is to set focus , What you are asking is an aid which can tell to your eye when focus is hit.

Your question kind of indicates that you do not need any MF because you do not seem to know what it is .Don't get me wrong but first specify what is the problem which prompted you to think in this direction and then a solution can be suggested.
If you are trying to use an old manual focus lens that does not have CPU on a DSLR then for AF to work there has to be a way by which your camera body knows that focus is hit so an external chip is pasted on mount adapter. But forget about this for time being and let us know the problem statement first.

Sorry, my mistake in calling it a focusing ring. I actually meant to ask if the focusing point (not sure what exactly it is called) that you mentioned in the earlier post, comes in-built in any lens.

Ok, here comes the question in detail:

AF does not work when it is dark, so one has to opt for the MF option. Very often you come across a situation where you can see objects quite clearly through the viewfinder but the light is not enough for the AF to work. When I go for the MF, the pic looks quite sharp in the LCD but is out of focus when viewed on a larger screen. For such instances, I felt maybe if we have a focus assist the problem could be sorted out.

The main aim is to properly focus in the dark. I don't like to use the flash-firing assist since this usually scares away the subject.

His question was "Is this available in the new dslr's?", AFAIK D3 is a DSLR. And to be frank, I don't think information provided hurt anyone.


No lens comes with in-built focusing screen.

It doesn't affect warranty if you are using canon/nikon genuine focusing screen which frankly is quite expensive. If you damage your DSLR during focusing screen change, its not covered under warranty.


As I understand, if one damages the Focusing screen during replacement or worse, damages the penta-prism/penta-mirror, its not convered under warranty.

Guys, how are Tiffen filters, GND and ND? Any user experiences?

What size UV filter do i need to get for a 18-55 lens?? And can it be used with other lenses as well, say 55-250?

Thanks in advance.

I agree. This is a risky step. I went thru the instructions at Katzeye optics who are one of the better focussing screen mfrs. It is a very delicate operation, a slip could cost your your camera's reflex mirror, a far more expensive and delicate part than a focusing screen, or worse.

While an experienced owner may attempt this change, this is NOT a DIY operation unless the camera owners manual specifies this as a user replaceable part. It is best to leave this to the experts. IF it must be changed take the replacement screen to the service centre.

Regards,

I am not sure of the make of your lenses.

Turn your lens cap over and you will find the size of the cap imprinted on the inside. Buy the same size UV/ND/PL filter. Most lenses differ in their filter sizes. That said you get step up adapters from one size to another (say for e.g. 58mm to 77mm) that will help you from reinvesting in too many filters of various sizes.

Regards,