Fresnel for 4x5

[Chris_6172]

I want to buy a fresnel for a Zone VI 4x5 camera. Does it matter what kind I get or should any fresnel made for a 4x5 camera work? Does glass or plastic matter?

[Eric Woodbury]

Fresnels are not camera specific, but there can be issues of installation. Don't know about the glass/plastic thing. I'd recommend a good ground glass, good darkcloth, and no fresnel. They can be a real pain as lenses get off axis and with varying focal lengths.

[John Bowen]

recently replaced my Zone VI ground Glass with a Satin Snow ground glass. Best investment I ever made. If my memory serves me right the Satin Snow Ground Glass was less than $25.

[Donald Qualls]

Unless they've had a recent price increase, a 4x5 size Satin Snow ground glass should be under $20, shipped. Reminds me, I need to get one of those...

[Capocheny]

Chris,

I agree with all of the posters... especially John and Donald.

Order yourself a SatinSnow and you'll find viewing that ground-glass a pleasure. It makes a huge difference.

I ordered one for my 4x5 and liked it so much... [no I didn't buy the company! ] that I bought one for my 5x7!

Cheers

[Eric Biggerstaff]

Like the others, I replaced my Zone VI with a Satin Snow and it is very good. I think the ones I make are about as good as the Satin Snow and they are even less expensive, but it is hard to beat the price and service from the folks who make the Satin Snow. I would recommend them.

[Bill_1856]

The best of the Fresnel is made by Maxwell. It is a single piece of optical plastic, replacing your ground glass with a focusing surface on the side toward the lens, and a mounded Fresnel pattern on the other side. Really wonderful!

[Brian Ellis]

I've used almost all of them and Maxwell is the best of the ones I've used. BosScreen is the next best. The rest - Beattie, the original equipment Fresnels on Ebony and Tachiharas, Linhof Super Screen, and various plain ground glasses - weren't worth discussing in the same breath as Maxwell. The one Satin Snow made for me didn't fit my camera so I wasn't able to use it but if it's better than the Maxwell I'd be very surprised.