Canon 5dmk2 EG-S Focusing Screen Review

I recently bought the EG-S Super Precision Matte Focusing Screen for my 5dmk2.  I love to shoot wide open on my lenses, and currently I own all primes that come in lower than recommended f/stop range for this screen.  The 50mm f/1.4 and the 85L f/1.2 MK2.  If this is your first time hearing of this focusing screen I will go through a brief description of it below.

What is the EG-S screen?

(as Ken Rockwell explains)

These precision surfaces simulate ground glass and greatly increase brightness for f/2.8 and slower zoom lenses so popular today. They are designed to be bright and contrasty with these slow lenses.

Oddly, these modern screens get no brighter when you're using a lens faster than f/2.8. Try it: put on an f/1.8 or other fast fixed lens and flick the depth of field button. You'll see no change in anything until you stop down to about f/2.5!

Still think I'm making it up? Look through the front of your fast lens at the focus screen. It's black outside the area of the lens that corresponds to f/2.5!

Standard focus screens see nothing coming from the lens at annular angles faster than f/2.5.

If you're using a fast lens and want to see the real depth of field or want to focus well manually at large apertures, you need a different screen.

The standard screen with which the 5D ships is the EG-A. The same screen with a grid is the EG-D.

For optimum use for manual focusing or seeing depth of field with the 5D and fast lenses, use the EG-S screen. Sadly of course this screen is great for your fast glass, but dim with slow lenses. Digital hasn't fixed this yet, sorry - you might wind up having to swap screens.

Since they differ in brightness, the 5D's meter needs to know what screen you're using. You set this in Custom Function 00.

Now I haven’t had this screen for very long, but I can tell it really does do the job when used properly.  The real test will be when I get to use it for my portraiture work.  It was amazing using it the first time, and I wish I could just leave it on all the time, but realistically I can’t.

Removing and replacing the screen is quite easy; I’d say it is just as easy as taking a lens off or putting it back on.  They provide a tool that allows you to pop the little plastic release that holds the screen's frame in place.  Once that is popped the screen frame will fall down, and the screen will be inside that frame.  Pop out, put your other screen in, and push the frame up so it clicks back in place.  TADA!

Here is what the screen looks like inside the package when you receive it.

First Test

For all of these shots they had the same settings and is straight out of the camera.  There was some exposure compensation and white balance adjustments in post, but that is it.  No sharpness other than what my camera is set at.

These following images will go through the standard EG-A and manual focusing EG-S screens with and without the custom function enabled, to show you how much of a difference it makes.  I will also show you the difference between the auto focus and manual focusing with the screens.  You do need the custom function enabled to fully use this screen, as the camera needs to know it has to compensate for metering.

1.  Auto focus with the standard EG-A screen.  Focus point is located on the bottom right corner of the screen, with the custom function set to EG-A mode.

100% crop

2.  Auto focus with the manual focusing EG-S screen. Focus point is located on the top left corner of the screen, with the custom function set to EG-A mode.

100% crop

Full Resolution (re-sized to 1000 X xxx)

3.  Manual focus with the standard EG-A screen.  Custom function set to EG-A mode.

100% crop

Full Resolution (re-sized to 1000 X xxx)

4. Manual focus with the manual focusing EG-S screen.  Custom function set to EG-A mode. (2ND SHARPEST IMAGE OVERALL)

100% crop

Full Resolution (re-sized to 1000 X xxx)

Second Test

1.  Auto focus with the standard EG-A screen.  Focus point is located directly on the highlight of the cup where the rim is, and with the custom function set to EG-A mode.

100% crop

Full Resolution (re-sized to 1000 X xxx)

2.  Auto focus with the manual focusing EG-S screen.  Focus point is located directly on the highlight of the cup where the rim is, and with the custom function set to EG-S mode.

100% crop

Full Resolution (re-sized to 1000 X xxx)

3.  Manual focus with the standard EG-A screen.  Custom function set to EG-A mode.

100% crop

Full Resolution (re-sized to 1000 X xxx)

4.  Manual focus with the manual focusing EG-S screen.  Custom function set to EG-S mode.  (THE SHARPEST IMAGE OVERALL)

100% crop

Full Resolution (re-sized to 1000 X xxx)

Final Thoughts

As you can see from the sample shots; the final image in the second test with manual focusing of EG-S screen set to the custom function mode of EG-S, is the sharpest of every image in both tests.  The second sharpest image is the image used with manual focusing of the EG-S screen set to the custom function of EG-A (which is the incorrect custom function, but still the second sharpest image).  I was surprised to see how awful the auto focusing performed on these shots.  The cup faired better than the screen shots, but still was terrible.  This would not suffice for my portraiture work.

This screen is great for me, as I have always had a problem manually focusing on subjects.  I also adjusted my diapter a couple turns to make sure the eyepiece was sharp with my eyes as well.  For the screen being a merely 40 dollars and free shipping (from BHP), I think this is some money well spent.  Especially having the piece of mind knowing my images will be more detailed than what I originally was shooting.  This will enable me to enjoy manual focusing more often, and allow me to maximize my camera’s ability.

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About Ryan O. Hicks

I am a creative, designer, and photographer. My life revolves around being emerged in visual imagery as well as creating it. I have a B.S. in Computer Graphics Technology from Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana. As well as a minor in Organizational Leadership and Supervision.