PDA

View Full Version : Price of Maxwell Ground Glass (information)



dh003i
17-Jan-2009, 15:04
Here is an e-mail thread between William Maxwell and myself; he tells me the prices of his ground glass, as of the dates the e-mails were sent:

Gmail David Heinrich <dh003i@gmail.com>
price of your HI-LUX 4.7 Screens
5 messages
David Heinrich <dh003i@gmail.com> Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 2:34 PM
To: maxwellprecisionoptics@toast.net
Dear Mr. Maxwell,

I am e-mailing you to ask about your pricing for HI-LUX 4.7 screens. I will be using them on a 4x5 Linhof Kardan Supercolor large-format camera. The lenses I have with this camera include a Kodak Ektar 207/7.7, Schneider Symmar 150/5.6, Xenotar 135/3.5, and possibly a Nikkor-SW 90/4.5 or Rodenstock Grandagon 90/4.5.

Also, does it provide excellent brightness at the expense of greater hotspots?

Thank you for any information.

Sincerely,
David J. Heinrich
William Maxwell <maxwellprecisionoptics@toast.net> Mon, Jan 12, 2009 at 5:20 PM
To: David Heinrich <dh003i@gmail.com>
David,

I will send a detailed email you in the next day or so to answer all your questions.

Bill Maxwell
1+770-939-6644 (EST, USA)
[Quoted text hidden]
William Maxwell <maxwellprecisionoptics@toast.net> Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 5:02 PM
To: David Heinrich <dh003i@gmail.com>
David,

(I would appreciate a response to this email as I have a question concerning whether my emails are being received). I ship all over the world. Read below for descriptions of screens, current prices, payment and shipping options. I provide my line of HI-LUX focus screens for an incredible variety of both modern and classic cameras of all different formats (35mm, Medium Format, Large Format, DSLRs, Medium Format Digital & Large Format Digital). Feel free to share this information with your friends. You may contact me if you wish at 1+770-939-6644 (EST, USA) with questions or to order:

My HI-LUX Brilliant Matte 4.7 focus screen is the finest general purpose focus screen available for 4x5 cameras. It has a very bright, contrasty, very fine grain, high clarity focusing surface that provides superior illumination across the screen with all of your lenses (especially your wide angles) compared to all the other screens on the market. It also performs well with long lenses and long bellows draws. This screen is available (a) without lines, (b) with grid lines. My screen would provide truly superior performance for your Linhof 4x5. The price is $295.00.

My screen is a modern “one piece” screen, which is made of high quality, optical grade plastic, with the brilliant focus surface on the lens side of the screen and the ultra fine groove pitch, high clarity fresnel on the back side (so focus is not affected). There is a clear cover glass on the back side to protect the screen and insure optical flatness. I also have a HI-LUX Ultra Brilliant Matte screen (extremely bright, very fine grain, high contrast, high clarity focus surface) for $100.00 extra. A HI-LUX Extreme Wide Angle screen is also available (requires installation into a dedicated focusing back) can image even the edge rays of a 47mm. Contact me if you are interested in these screens.

***David - My screen has more even illumination across the screen compared to all the other screens. Does your screen install from the outside of the focusing back or does your screen install from the inside (lens side) of the focusing back?

Payment can be made via a major credit card or money order. If you want to use a card, we will need your name as it appears on your card, card number, card expiration date, the V code number (the last three numbers on the back of your card, located in the white area where you sign your name), card billing address, shipping address and phone number. You may phone your order to 770-939-6644 or you may email your card information by dividing it into two separate emails sent at different times (for example, divide your card number in half). Send one email to maxwellprecisionoptics@toast.net and the other on to maxwellprecisionoptics@yahoo.com for purposes of security. If paying with a money order, please make it out to Bill Maxwell. My mailing address is:

Maxwell Precision Optics
PO Box 33146
Decatur GA 30033-0146 USA

Please let me know via email if you are choosing this option. S&h via Priority Mail is $11.00 or FedEx Saver for $12.00 to $20.00

If you are outside the USA, please give me your address and I will send another email with international payment and shipping options.

Bill Maxwell

*** (Note to customers: Please do not return my email messages back to me as it clogs up my email system) ***
[Quoted text hidden]
David Heinrich <dh003i@gmail.com> Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 12:53 PM
To: William Maxwell <maxwellprecisionoptics@toast.net>
Dear Mr. Maxwell,

Thank you very much for your very detailed response. I will think about this, and am glad to have the information.

Sincerely,
Dave

(with your permission, I will also pass this on to the LF forum and a date-stamp for as of when the information was accurate).
[Quoted text hidden]
--
Social sciences can never use experience to verify their statements -- Ludwig von Mises
William Maxwell <maxwellprecisionoptics@toast.net> Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 4:59 PM
To: David Heinrich <dh003i@gmail.com>
David,

Please share this information. If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them. My standard screen would perform beautifully with your two 90mm lenses as well as your other lenses.

Bill Maxwell
770-939-6644
[Quoted text hidden]

Bill_1856
17-Jan-2009, 15:43
$295!!!
Wow -- that must have really been an expensive divorce. Does anybody know if he finally got custody of his daughter?

seawolf66
18-Jan-2009, 09:30
Bill: Its like the song says [ She got the gold mine and I got the Shaft ]

jeroldharter
19-Jan-2009, 14:29
That is extremely expensive. However, the process and the tools used to make their products are expensive and the product is excellent.

I updated my Canham DLC with a Maxwell screen and it made a big difference, especially with wide angle lenses like the ones mentioned.

Definitely a luxury item but it takes some of the tedium out of focusing with wide angles or in low light situations.

rugenius
27-Sep-2009, 13:38
Finally found some recent/decent info related to this thread.
L.F. Forum threads are endless...
I think the Chamonix will benefit from this upgrade...:)

IanG
29-Sep-2009, 10:54
I think the Chamonix will benefit from this upgrade...:)

Will it ?

I have rather a lot of LF camera with different screens, OkK many are just collectors items but 9 or 10 are working camera's that I use.

First there can be a difference between Ground glass screens, they do vary, perhaps by half a stop or so in brightness.

Then adding a fresnel can add another 2˝ to the overall effective brightness, that's some thing I've measured and also take images which show the difference visually.

But add an all in one integral screen like a Maxwell and you get around a a half stop more extra brightness compared to a regular fresnel. But then a Wista screen gives that too, I've done the tests made the side by side comparisons.

I also use a Beattie screenn on a 10x8 camera that's excellent too, I can focus an f16 Ross Protar in indoor lighting.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with a Mazwell screen, what I'm asking is if you no how good or bad your current screen is in comparison.

What I now know from experience is that my Crown Graphic with a Steve Hope screen and a fresnel is very easy to focus even in quite low light levels, with a variety of lenses including a 75mm f8 SA.

Ian

pocketfulladoubles
29-Sep-2009, 15:28
I have a Chamonix and put the Maxwell screen on. It is significantly better - not only for the extra brightness, but also for the fine lines of the fresnel itself and how much more clearly you can see and focus on objects. I don't even need my dark cloth 1/3 of the time.

dh003i
29-Sep-2009, 18:34
I have a Chamonix and put the Maxwell screen on. It is significantly better - not only for the extra brightness, but also for the fine lines of the fresnel itself and how much more clearly you can see and focus on objects. I don't even need my dark cloth 1/3 of the time.

I went with a Steve Hopf ultra-fine grain / transmissive normal style GG, which I am quite happy with. But perhaps you could explain whatyou mean by how much more clearly you can see and focus on objects? My impression was that with fresnel screens that enhanced brightness, the sharpness of the image wasn't as good as with normal GG.

IanG
29-Sep-2009, 22:54
It's swings and roundabouts, it's far easier to visually focus a screen with a fresnel which is great if your out shooting landscapes, I'd echo the comment about often not needing to use a dark-cloth, focus snaps in and out well. But with no fresnel it's harder to see the exact point of focus and a loupe is far more necessary.

So yes a fresnel does make the image slightly less sharp viewed with a loupe, but the extra brightness makes it significantly easier to focus visually.

Ian

Robert Hughes
30-Sep-2009, 07:27
Yes it's expensive, but it is a premium product. You don't need a Maxwell screen anymore than you need an Ebony camera to take photos. But it's nice, and if you've got the funds, you probably won't find a better screen.

pocketfulladoubles
30-Sep-2009, 14:06
I went with a Steve Hopf ultra-fine grain / transmissive normal style GG, which I am quite happy with. But perhaps you could explain whatyou mean by how much more clearly you can see and focus on objects? My impression was that with fresnel screens that enhanced brightness, the sharpness of the image wasn't as good as with normal GG.

I was referring the to the difference between the stock fresnel and the Maxwell. Much brighter, much more clear focusing. No fresnel may be sharper yet, but nowhere near the brightness.