Linhof super screen.

[Karo from Moscow]

I am going to buy Linhof Super Screen for us it with 55-90 mm lenses on 4"x5" film.Would be glad to receive any information about this screen

[Jean-Louis Llech]

I don't use the Linhof super screen, but the original GG with a Fresnel behind it.
Try with the "Search" option and Super Screen as keyword.
You'll get a lot of answers.

Regards

JLL

[Geoffrey Swenson]

Go ahead and buy the Super Screen! People will tell you that it buckles, which is not true. You have to install it according to the instructions and along with a clear (or grided) cover glass (the glass is towards you). It is a kit and you can get it from Badger Graphics. I think it costs around $99.00, but they will rob you on shipping though.

It is very easy and bright to focus with this setup from 58-360 mm. At least this are the lenses I have. Also the Super Screen will not warp. I’ve had mine for four years and it is still in excellent shape.

Cheers, G.S.

[Richard Boulware]

With all respect for those who disagree with my comments...the Linhof Super Screen is a disaster and the only Linhof product (IMHO) which is junk. Had one, installed and had to send my Technika V back to Marflex where they installed a new ground glass and fresnel screen....and had to recalibrate my six lenses. They won't tell you publicly but they told me they don't like it. It DOES warp. Been there, done that. Your buying a headache.

[Geoffrey Swenson]

Did you have the cover glass sandwiched with the plastic screen? I don't know why so many have problem with warping...my hasn't done, so far in four years. I even took it out for cleaning a few times. I also don't have focus problems. Or, am I the luckiest?

[Michael Kadillak]

With exposure to heat, which is hard to avoid in the desert or in the car at times, the screen can and most certainly will warp. I purchased a Master Technica with the plastic screen installed and I could see the effects of the warped plastic screen when I was focusing aftet I received the camera. After I called Bob S. to understand what was installed on my camera, I immediately called Marflex to talk to them about a solution and they said to get rid of it immediately and it went Fed Ex to them remove it and re-calibrate the ground glass and then installed the simple Linhof fresnel behind the glass. I have been pleased with the combination since. Finding out that your critical focus is off (even just slightly)over a light table after a long shoot is not a risk I am willing to take. I have to much invested in my equipment and the time I allocate to shooting LF to not have absolute certainty and control over the variables affecting my negatives. Cheers!

[Geoffrey Swenson]

Michael, just out of curiosity…how do the Super Screen and the Fresnel combo compare in terms of brightness and/or grain?

Thanks,

[Michael Kadillak]

Honestly, I cannot really tell any visual differentiation between the super screen and the fresnel combination. Either seem to me to be perfectly capable of precise focusing. The qualities and properties of the ground glass have as much differentiation to me on the focusing process as any fresnel or focusing improvement technologies. Bottom line if you have a bright subject, focusing is a relative breeze for me even if I have only a straight ground glass. Dim subjects and/or smaller f stop lenses require extra attention such as point light sources placed in the scene or other measures to get it right. I have a Boss screen on a 5x7 Linhof Bi camera back and it has a different look completely. I cannot say it is "better" because fresnels in general seem to me to require focusing at 90 degrees to get the best results. What I so desperately require is a precise focusing plane that stays in the correct position over the long haul.

I will say that without question, the best "focusing" camera I have is my metal Canham 5x7 that incorporates a fresnel underneath the ground glass. The grain literally pops out in front of you. I do not know the technical aspects of what Keith employs, but it is truly amazing and in a class by itself IMHO. The Linhof plays second fiddle to the Canham no matter what is on or in front of the ground glass. But that may just be me.

Saying that, when I need to go to the 8x10 or the 11x14 to express myself, I do not think for a minute that I am working behind a standard "naked" ground glass. You do what you have to do to secure the sharp image on film - period.

[Julio Fernandez]

Karo: A flat plane for the viewing screen is absolutely essential. Plastic can never ever be as flat or stay as flat as glass. To think otherwise is just wishful thinking.

[Martin Patek-Strutsky]

FYI

In the factory catalogue Linhof does not even mention a "super screen". You can get the standard GG plus fresnel and thats it.

Obviously some distributors try to make additional money by labeling their proprietary "super screens" as a Linhof product...