Cropping Guides

[GEF]

I heard, or read some where that it was possible to set custom cropping lines in the viewfinder, can anyone tell me how this is accomplished, or if it is even true?

[Tom V]

Never heard of 'em.

There is a Custom Function to turn on/off grid lines in the viewfinder, but you cannot move them around (without a hammer).

[Topngu]

YES, you can remove the screen...anddo what ever you want...
on S2 viewfinder only give you 90-93 % view...on LCD show
a little more ,almost the same CCD record your image so when
you open in computer the image will be very close with LCD,
if you want your final 8 x 10 (borderless) you have to customize
your screen without cropping

[Mike Flood]

Huh?

[Tom V]

If you take the focusing screen out of your camera (which I am not sure is supposed to be a "user-servicable" task) you could apply something to it to act as a visual mask to provide yourself with guides for exact 8x10 proportions.

Some cameras have this "feature" when they mask the viewfinder with lines or curtains that show the intended results of shooting in "panoramic mode."

On cameras with removable prisims like the Canon F1, Nikon F3, and Minolta XK, you could draw right on the top of the focusing screen with a grease pencil for some "custom" guide lines. When you were done, just pop the focus screen out and wipe it off.

All these guides do nothing to the way your camera records an image. You always get a full sensor's worth, and would have to crop later in Photoshop.

I am not sure if the S2 / N80 camera has replaceable focus screens or not. On my film cameras (8008s and F100) I have replaced the stock screens for ones with grids. Since the S2 has grid lines built in that the user can activate as a custom function, I don't know why you would want to replace the screen. The activateable grid lines are not customizable themselves, they go where Fuji told them to go, and they stay there, or you turn them off.

[GEF]

Thank you for your responses, everyone. This has given me some food for thought. I believe I'll first use the grid lines to to run some cropping tests, to let me see where 5x7, 8x10 & 11x14 crops occur.
If I don't get satisfactory results using the grids I'll check with Beattie Intenscreen or Brightscreen, to see if they can create a focus screen with crop lines, for this CCD, for the various aspect ratios required.

[Topngu]

S2 has interchgeable screen,becareful when you pull out the
frame spring or push it back.

[mcbirdman]

Yea, I agree, It makes much more sense to have a grid screen that represents the crop that would be done for 8 x 10 or 5 x 7. The grid is of little help for a "proffesional" camera. Isn't this camera for proffesional size prints? They make the size non proffesional format and then give a grid that has nothing to to with helping to get an idea of what the actual "usable" area is in regard to actual proffesional portrait or wedding use. Does that make sense? I like the camera but this is something they never considered? What ? jtm