Can anyone explain how the new 20D viewfinder screen works?

[henry_minsky1]

The 20D has some sort of new grainy pattern on the viewfinder focus

screen. Can anyone tell me how this helps focusing? It is supposed to

help me manually focus, right? Is there some effect I am supposed to

be looking for to tell when I'm in proper focus on something? Do the

dot suddenly change their appearance?

[lukedavis]

When I went into my local camera shop to try out the 20D, the screen looked more akin to the ground-glass found on manual-focus cameras, which is indeed a manual-focusing aid. I'm pretty sure that this is the 'grainy pattern' that you're referring to (have you used manual focus cameras before?)

[ron c sunshine coast,qld,a]

So is there any trick to it or does it just generally make it easier?

[nelson cotrim]

I don't know the 20D finder, but if it looks like ground glass, it just makes it easier because the image just snaps into focus.

[mrivers]

I have been using the 20D to manually focus my Sigma 20mm, f1.8 and find it works well.

It is akin to a ground glass screen, and does also offer focus confirmation, unlike my old

Olympus OM-1... The focus confirmation involves the green light staying lit, as well as the

red focus points flashing once. The Sigma auto focus is noisy and doesn't offer full time

manual, so I prefer to leave it manual. It also has a large focus ring, unlike my zoom

lenses.