My DK-17m magnifying eyepiece (designed for the D1/2/3 series cameras) arrived this afternoon along with a DK-22 eyepiece adapter and DK-19 eyecup.
Whilst I believe that my D300 surpasses the 35mm film cameras I used to shoot with in almost every way - the camera's viewfinder is one area where it slips through the cracks. I wasn't keen on the small size of the D300's viewfinder in the first place, but when I started shooting with some manual focus lens I realised just how limiting it was.
I had heard about the DK-21m magnifying eyepiece, but kept reading mixed reports about it (one Nikon website would say that it magnifies at 1.1x another that it magnifies at 1.17x; one person would say that it was great, the next that it was awful) I then read about how some people had performed a little chop job to match the bigger DK-17m magnifying eyepiece to Dxxx series cameras. Everything I read about the DK-17m was positive so I following some suggestions I read on dpreview.com I put in an order for the three parts I needed, the last of them arrived today.
It's a very basic modification, you simply push the DK-17m through the DK-19 eyecup, and then stick the whole thing into a hollowed out DK-22 adapter. The only real tricky bit about the operation (which wasn't really explained in the suggestions I read) is that the DK-22 has to be hollowed out to its extremities, and it's made of such flimsy plastic that it's quite easy to break in the process.
Naturally I managed to break mine (the bottom quarter of the adapter fell off) and had to patch up the job with duct tape - the end result is that DK-17m is sitting a little wonkily over my viewfinder, though it doesn't seem to affect performance.
The viewfinder is MUCH bigger now - but you can still see everything (however I suspect if the magnification was any bigger you'd probably lose sight of the edges of the frame when looking straight through it). Manual focussing is now easier and the camera looks decidedly sillier with the eyecup sticking off it - all in all I'm calling this one a success. And would recommend that anyone who is unsatisfied with the view through their Dxxx's viewfinder try modifying a DK-17m.
The DK-22, it's an adapter that mounts on D200/D300 viewfinders to allow the attachment of D2/D3 accessories like eyecups to the smaller cameras. By 'hollowed out' I mean that I had to file away the plastic threads inside the DK-22 in order to fit the DK-17m inside it. This is an example of Joe Wisniewski's modified one (he's been a bit more successful at it than me) http://www.swissarmyfork.com/images/2006-06-29-0012.jpg
I used an electric Dremel multitool to file back the inside of the adapter - I would strongly suggest that you use plain sandpaper instead. The DK-22 is made out of very soft plastic so the heat generated by the friction of using an electric sander like the Dremel simply melts it (that's what happened to me). I'm sure that with regular sandpaper and a bit more patience than I applied you'll get a perfectly fitting result.
Intresting. I'am one of those people who hates the DK-21. How much of a difference is there b/w your mod and a standard eyecup? (which i assume is the same b/w the D200 and the D300)
I looked into doing this when I went from my D2X with a DK-17m (great combo!) to my D200. I couldn't find any info on such a mod, so I just added the DK-21M to the D200 and although it was an improvement, it is no where near as good as the D2X combo. I've since added a Katz Eye with Optibrite and that helped a lot on the MF front, but still not perfect.
Anyway, just ordered the parts to give this a try. Thanks for the post Mark and for pushing me into spending another $45 with B&H...
stompyq wrote:
Intresting. I'am one of those people who hates the DK-21. How much of a difference is there b/w your mod and a standard eyecup? (which i assume is the same b/w the D200 and the D300)
Yep the D300 and D200 eyepieces are pretty much identical. The only real differences between my mod and the standard eyepiece are that the mod has a circular eyepiece (as apposed to the rectangular shape of the standard one); and that the eyepiece sits further out from camera body (by my eye it sits an extra 6-7mm further out from the body). In practical terms using the mod works exactly same way as using the standard eyepiece - you just look through it and shoot.
So the only differences I've noticed are that it looks different, and gives you a nice big viewfinder image.
intero wrote:
I looked into doing this when I went from my D2X with a DK-17m (great combo!) to my D200. I couldn't find any info on such a mod, so I just added the DK-21M to the D200 and although it was an improvement, it is no where near as good as the D2X combo. I've since added a Katz Eye with Optibrite and that helped a lot on the MF front, but still not perfect.
Anyway, just ordered the parts to give this a try. Thanks for the post Mark and for pushing me into spending another $45 with B&H...
-Tom
Your welcome Tom! I really like the idea of the Katz Eye screens (very similar to my old Olly OM-4 viewfinder) do you find them distracting when your shooting with AF?
I've been looking for an eyepiece extender for my D300, and I called everywhere to no avail. This could be it. I'm left eyed, and when I use the toggle to AF, my nose gets in the way. The relief looks like more than 6-7mm, but it would probably be enough. Thanks for the step by step instructions, Mark.
The eyecup brings it out another 5mm or so, but the actual eyepiece is only about 6-7mm further out than the standard one - even so, the mod certainly makes left-eyed shooting more comfortable.
Thanks for the informative post, very interesting. Could you please tell me does this modification affect the eye relief? I'd love a larger viewfinder, however I wear glasses and struggle to see the edges of the viewfinder as it is. So this may not be a practical solution for me.
Thank you so much. I used sandpaper and slowly ground it down--a lot more than I expected. It worked better than I could have hoped. Fit perfectly.
You're welcome mate, glad I could help.
omeega wrote:
Does 1.2x magnification make a big difference? Now I'm considering this mod for my D200...
It makes a very noticeable difference - the magnification is substantially bigger than I thought 1.2x would be, not too far off the viewfinders of my old Olly film cameras.
AKHarvey wrote:
Thanks for the informative post, very interesting. Could you please tell me does this modification affect the eye relief? I'd love a larger viewfinder, however I wear glasses and struggle to see the edges of the viewfinder as it is. So this may not be a practical solution for me.
Hi AK, I don't think this would be an ideal solution for anyone who wears glasses whilst they're shooting. The magnification requires that you have your eye right on the eyepiece in order to see the whole viewfinder - move it backwards just a few millimeters and you lose sight of the edges.
It does and that's how I've been using it - but the magnification of the DK-17m really pushes the frame to the edges of the viewfinder.
I have to have my eye pressed flat against the eyepiece in order to see the whole viewfinder, if you move it back just a few millimeters you lose sight of the edges.
Mark, there's a guy on DPReview that wants to know about your mod. I posted a link to this thread because he was curious if anyone had done it... just letting you know!
With glasses, you do lose the corners of the frame. I guess I've adjusted and just move my eye around a bit. I just compared it with the often maligned DK-21m. As I recall the DK-21m is supposed to enlarge the view 10%, and this supposedly ups it 20%. That feels about right based on looking through the two viewfinders right now. You do lose the corners more on the Dk-17m mod, but with glasses you loose them some on the DK-21m anyway.
Would I still recommend it - if you don't wear glasses - yes. I'm primarily interested in the center of the frame anyway - where I am manually focussing and then recomposing. If you do wear glasses, just understand that you're going to have your eye/glasses/vf REALLY close.
Interesting. Just curious, have you tried manual focusing by using Live View? I know it's not as convenient as using the eyepiece, but it actually works pretty well. You can even zoom while in LV to really nail the focus. It's not good in every situation, sports for example, but something you may want to look into. Oh no, I can't believe I just said that
I really like the idea of the Katz Eye screens (very similar to my old Olly OM-4 viewfinder) do you find them distracting when your shooting with AF?