Manual Focus Cameras: How to Use Split Prism and Microprism Focusing Screens

This was so helpful thank you!!

Thanks for taking the time to explain the focus on a vintage lens.

Which focusing portion is more helpful for you? I find the split prism easier but I’m curious if one or the other should be prioritized

elegantly explained. Thank you

Thank you so much. By far the most useful video about this!

Well, Alright! I finally learned how to focus with that damn circle in my way! Mid 80s Nikon A2000 with auto focus and auto wind. Im not a fan of auto anything but it's such an 80s classic and its graphics (the red and white lettering and numbers) also match my primary lens that has red trim. The camera looks like it was bought today.
Thank you so much--you do a good job at teaching things. Knowing something is one thing but it's an art to be able to teach others what you know. (lol....I am 3 years late to the party here. )

Love how simple this is
Does the focus microprism/split prism system is affected while using zoom lenses ?

This is the most helpful and concise explanation I've found. Thanks! 😁

Thank you! What if the lines align but the center still looks blurry? I just got my film camera and a bit confused (looks like I just have the split focus/ Olympus om-10)

WHY DO ALL PRESENTERS TALK SO FAST... SLOW DOWN AND DO A BETTER JOB... WHY ARE YOU IN SO MUCH HURRY TO GET AS MANY WORDS IN AS SHORT A SEGMENT AS POSSIBLE.... IT DOES NOT WORK AND MANY TIMES ESPECIALLY WITH FOREIGN PRESENTERS, THEIR SPEECH SPEED DELIVERS AN UNUSABLE NON UNDERSTANDABLE PRESENTATION... SLOW DOWN

Very natural if you've used a range finder. Good video

Great video!

Thanks for this! I literally never knew the deal about the split circle in my old film camera… no wonder most of my shots were out of focus 😅 thank you!

Do you have examples of how the actual picture looks like out of focus compared to when you are in focus?

Do I shoot film? No. Did I watch the entire video? Yes! And as I've got a weekend to fill in Paris in the new year, it would be criminal NOT to steal my dads old olympus OM-10 and leave my Z5 at home! Thanks for teaching me something!

How many people watched this video partially through the viewfinder of a film camera? Pentax K1000 here.... thanks!

If you don't know how to manual focus you should even touch a camera

cao paige moze broj??

Thanks for the video and for explaining how to focus on analog cameras!!! :)
Would we see any difference from the viewfinder and the focusing mechanism if changed the aperture?

I'm finding it absolutely incredible to hear that anyone would have any kind of difficulty simply turning the focusing ring on a lens to bring the image seen through the viewfinder into sharp focus!!!!!
I recall, back in the 80's when the then virtually useless "Auto-focus" technology was first offered by a few manufacturers; NO ONE seen any need for it! And none of the Professionals I worked with, then or now, ever wasted a single dollar on "Autofocus" equipment.
Just watching videos on the web, I can see that the technology STILL hasn't been perfected!
It's a total joke. In nearly every video I've watched, the presenter has to stop talking and manually adjust the focus on his "Autofocus" camera!
So, why these numerous videos trying to teach the masses something as simple as; turning the focusing ring, just to get a sharp, clear focus?

This is probably the best how-to for split prism/micoprism focusing. Having gone from a rangefinder patch, I am still pretty bad at knowing whether I am in focus or not

thanks for this!

One of the best videos explaining focus screen in slr. Awesome!!

💕👍🏻

Did you only use duct tape to hold the phone when recording the vf?

miss. if the split image become aligned then means i will comfirmed get the sharp images right?

nice video. i'm a nikon shooter and love my Zeiss and voigtlander MF lenses. i'm using the D750 and am seriously considering swapping out a slr focus screen for the matt screen it now has. i know canon has this option but i still haven't found any nikon peeps that have done it with any success. yes, i know all about live view and yes, i know mirrorless might be a better option.....so no need to bring that up 🙂 if you or any of your fans know of anyone who HAS swapped out a focus screen on a nikon DSLR i'd be VERY interested to hear about what screen they chose and if it improved the MF or if there was any alignment problems when changing screens. TIA....rick in Japan

I have a problem, i use nikon fe with modern lense. Well, i tried to focus with the split and micro it provided in the viewfinder, but it will give me unfocused image. For most cases, if i tried to focus far object, the thing that get focused is the object closer to the camera. Note: I place the split prism to the object that i want to focus on, so i think its not because of the placement of the prism when i shoot my photo. Sorry for my english, please tell me if my explanation is confusing, i will try to explain it again in other way. Thank you for the help :D

Hi Paige, new subscriber here. Thank you for this explanation, I recently bought a Mamiya 645 Pro and I was confused by the focus system. And so far I have only found another video about this topic. Yesterday I shot my very first roll of film, I don't know if I nailed the focus but I really enjoyed shooting with this camera.

This was so helpful! Just subscribed.

Your video is really helpful- thank you! I started off (as a young student) with a Pentax ESII and its manual focus SMC Takumar lens 50mm f1.4: And I was hooked on photography- for life! But then came the modern cameras with autofocus lenses and seduced me away from my first love. Now, not so young anymore, I'm combining the old and the new. My greatest joy is shooting with my manual focus Zeiss Milvus 50mm f1.4 on my Nikon D850. It's a whole new world! But I missed the magic of the old microprism focusing screens. It made manual focusing such a joy! Your video has convinced me to get a Split/Microprism screen again. (PS: I'm still using my old Pentax ESIi and the Takumar lenses.)

i recenty got an an OM2n and got my first pictures developed. some came out great, others not so much. im still trying to grasp the manual focusing, i found it interesting when you showed what happens you move towards the camera from further out while unfocused i didint know it could work like that.

Should have watched this before wasting a few rolls lol but this was super helpful!

nice and simple explanation, subscribed! i'll hit you up next time i'm in paris

I just started film photography and this was super helpful, thank you !

Why don’t digital mirrorless cameras have this? Peaking and magnifying method are really weak tea on my Sony alpha.

Just found your video. It's so helpful! Thank you! Though I want to know if I want to focus the left side subject, how does it work? Move the center focus box to the subject that I want to focus? After it is focused then move to the composition that I want and then snap the picture?

what do u do if theres prism black out from tighter aperture settings? i have same camera n lens but at apertures over f11 it starts to make the split prism to black out n seem unpredictable

Thank you for this video

helped so much! thanks 🙏🏻

Why didn’t I watch this before I started on my roll of film … thank you so much for clearing up my doubts

This is a great video Paige, I was trying to explain to a friend how a split prism worked and this video was a useful tool to explain it to them. Happy to see you are part of the X-700 gang, if you dont already have it you should pick up the 45mm Rokkor X pancake lens. Its a real hidden gem and one of the sharpest minolta lenses you can buy and it makes the X-700 sleek and compact.

Can you help on one of my lenses a 70-210 the top half of focus circle is black has the lense had its day thanks nidge

voila, now you have 300 subscribers!

Thanks, Paige, for this video. Watched it a short time ago, and finally was able to find/purchase a microprism focusing screen for my MF camera. I appreciate your demo of the differences between this system and the split screen.

You are so cute 😍

Great video - thanks.

Very very helpful thank you

excellent explanation 😊