Viewfinder Markings The KatzEye™ focusing screen for the Canon 7D has no effect on existing viewfinder information. All active viewfinder information, including the focusing points and on-demand grid will still function normally.
Live View Mode Live View mode continues to function normally with the installation of the KatzEye™ screen. No changes will occur.
Metering Information Because of the presence of the prisms, the KatzEye™ focusing screen for the Canon 7D has a small but manageable effect on the camera’s light metering function. We recommend use of the Evaluative or Center Weighted Average metering modes, with our OptiBrite™ treated screen, for the most accurate results. Suggested exposure compensation values for each of the metering modes are as follows:
| Aperture | Evaluative | Center Weighted | Partial | Spot |
1.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2.8 | 0 | 0 | -0.3(S), -0.6(O) | -0.6(S), -1.0(O) |
4.0 | +1.0(S), 0(O) | +0.6(S), 0(O) | -0.3(S), -0.6(O) | -1.6(S), -1.6(O) |
5.6 | +0.6(S), 0(O) | +0.6(S), 0(O) | -0.3(S), -0.3(O) | -1.3(S), -1.6(O) |
(S) = Without OptiBrite™ Treatment
(O) = With OptiBrite™ Treatment
0 = No exposure compensation required.
Note: These exposure compensation suggestions are a recommended starting point only and actual results may vary depending on conditions. Users are advised to take a test photo and check the histogram before beginning any critical work. Apertures indicated in the above chart are the lens maximum aperture as indicated on the lens body and are not affected by the actual aperture chosen for a given photo.
The “Plus” Prism The KatzEye™ focusing screen for the Canon 7D is available exclusively in the KatzEye™ “Plus” version. The “Plus” version has a unique prism design which delays the prism ‘blackout’ phenomenon until well after f11. Ordinary split prisms will black out by about f5.6, rendering them difficult to use with slower zoom lenses, teleconverters, or in extreme macro photography... but not the KatzEye™ “Plus”. More information about the KatzEye™ “Plus” can be found here.
Installation
The KatzEye™ screen is a direct replacement for the original and no modifications to the camera are required. However, the Canon 7D focusing screen is not designed to be user changeable and the procedure is only recommended to be performed by a professional camera technician. No tools or technical support for installation issues will be provided. An installation guide is available for download here, but this should not be construed as endorsement of customer-installation of the screen — this guide is intended for professional use only!
If you do not have a trusted local camera shop and want us to install it at KatzEye™ Optics, we would be happy to do so. Please see the Installation Service page to order installation with your focusing screen. Installation service at KatzEye™ Optics costs $65, plus the cost of return shipping of your camera.
Brightness Enhancement
The standard Canon 7D screen is optimized for automatic focusing. As such, it is very bright, but it gives a less than optimum indication of DOF and has less ‘snap’ (indication of when focus is achieved) than is required for demanding manual focus applications. The KatzEye™ screen is optimized for manual focus applications and has a much improved matte surface. The matte surface on the KatzEye™ screen is designed to give excellent DOF indication and a very sharp ‘snap’. However, because of this, the standard KatzEye™ screen for the 7D is slightly darker than the standard Canon screen, particularly at smaller apertures. If viewfinder brightness is a concern for you, consider the optional OptiBrite™ enhancement. With the OptiBrite™ treatment, the brightness of the KatzEye™ screen is comparable to the standard Canon screen. The OptiBrite™ treatment affects only the matte portion of the screen; it has no effect on the prism and the OptiBrite™ treated screen provides the most accurate metering response available in a prism type focusing screen. Click here for more information about the OptiBrite™ treatment.
