Why did a previous owner of this Nikon F100 etch these marks on the focusing screen?

jtk said:

With Pentax and Samsung NX cameras I find that autofocus is incredibly accurate for producing digital files from 35mm slides (which aren't perfectly flat as we all know)...more accurate than attempting focus visually.

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MattKing said:

Not really dedicated to the internet here - I just happen to be currently in a situation where the computer is usually on and available, so I can contribute to a community with wide ranging photographic interests.
And as for photographers who show in galleries, they are both important, and such a tiny, tiny, tiny portion of the photographic universe that they are almost inconsequential to it.
Photography is far more important than the small part of it that is its meaningful contribution to the Art world.

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guangong said:

Skill and artistic talents depends upon the particular camera store. At Ken Hansen’s store most of the employees were very good photographers. The ability to take pictures full time without gainful employment has much to do with economic status: trust fund baby, wealthy parents, etc. Of course, as APUG illustrates, photography includes a wide spectrum of interests and approaches, from amateur (love of) to commercial, and more.

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MattKing said:

No anti-art argument here at all.
The photographic world is multi-dimensional. We all pick the parts of it that matter most to us. I happen to like it when I see other people enjoying other parts that don't interest me greatly.

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jtk said:

Does Ken Hansen's camera store still exist? Did Ken Hansen's employees spent time on APUG?

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pentaxuser said:

If the F100 was bought from KEH would it not be relatively simple to contact KEH to ask if it would either say who the seller was this allowing direct contact or if that cannot be divulged then ask if it might act as a go-between and forward the buyer's inquiry to the seller who could then decide whether to respond to KEH or agree to respond to the seller directly, assuming that he/she has any idea of why the screen is marked in the way?
Or does this kind of a suggestion spoil the discussion

pentaxuser

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guangong said:

Ken’s store went out of business some years ago. And Ken died a few years ago. A wonderful man and the greatest store to do business with. Almost always there was a photographer or artist of note as a customer in the store. He was very picky about the quality of used equipment that he offered for sale.
While the store and his employees predates APUG, I don’t see any connection between one’s ability as a photographer and contributing to APUG, although there are many fine photographers, such as yourself, who do.

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jtk said:

That's way outside the KEH long established and clearly advertised way of doing business. It would be a nightmare for KEH to allow/establish contacts between people who simply wanted to sell their equipment and random speculative buyers.

Posts on this thread show that hardly anybody here has significant experience copying of flat art, which is the obvious purpose of those marks (has nothing to do with alleged screen size.

KEH has been perfect for me on both buy side and sell side.

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pentaxuser said:

Thanks, as an outsider looking for the easiest solution to the OP's "why" question I decided to simply try and give what seemed to me to be the easiest route to get a definitive answer. The OP wasn't a speculative buyer, was he, in that he had bought the camera not expecting that kind of screen?

It does seem to be unusual

pentaxuser

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jtk said:

If I was the buyer of this now-antique camera I would either make use of the special screen or would return the camera to KEH for their standard warranty.

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250swb said:

Or perhaps just explain the problem and ask KEH to send a standard screen as a replacement? By now there are fewer and fewer people working in camera shops from the days of film that would know what is unusual or not. I doubt whoever inspected the camera at KEH knew enough to pick up on the unusual screen.

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jtk said:

Yes, a remarkably logical suggestion.

KEH might be happy to try to find a replacement screen, perhaps even for free but more likely at a price... and any good customer would certainly be happy to pay for shipping and for replacement screen itself.

Obviously would have to do with KEH's quality rating on that particular camera. KEH shouldn't be on the hook if the camera was significantly inferior to Excellent.

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250swb said:

I wasn't trying to fan the flames of a blame game, just suggesting that KEH may not have realised the screen was customised, and by that token not something the customer would have been alerted to in the description prior to purchase. Either way for the cost of a replacement screen it's not worth getting into a flap is it?

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