Where to install the fresnel on Shen Hao

[Daniel_5275]

Hi Guys,
I've just received my new Shen Hao in the post and I must say, it seems to be a wonderful peice of kit.

I also ordered a fresnel lens for it which has come down as 2 parts. There is the fresnel itself which has a grid etched in it and also a sheet of clear glass. I'm guessing these combine to replace the existing ground glass in the camera but which way? Should the clear glass be inside or outside?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Josh Z.]

I didn't buy the fresnel kit, but I did cut a piece of fresnel and mounted it... In my case, the fresnel goes on the outside (on your side of the GG), with the actual fresnel lines facing you as well. If the other piece of glass is really clear, then I guess it doesn't matter how you mount that (again on the inside of the fresnel though), but if it is a GG, then the non-clear side faces you as well, just like a normal GG.

Let me know how the kit works out... So far I've been really happy with a satin snow GG and a fresnel reading page (walgreens item for them old folks) that I cut and mounted. It really has helped (in terms of seeing the entire composition) with a 90mm and improved at least slightly a 150mm...

[Doug Dolde]

Generally the fresnel goes under the glass. At least most I have seen anyway.

I'd disregard advice based on a Walgreen's fresnel :)

[Josh Z.]

What... Don't like Walgreens? :P

Actually, I did make a mistake in my above post... The GG's etched side normally goes towards the lens, the clearer side goes towards you... With that in mind, if that other sheet of glass is truly clear, then it probably goes on the outside... With my setup, the fresnel needs to be on the outside so as not to disturb the focus. In your case, it sounds as if the GG/fresnel are in the same sheet of glass, and prehaps that second piece of the glass is something like the piece that comes with the Beatties? Anyways, what you are looking for is the etched/soft side of the glass, this has to be first and face the lens in order for proper focusing.

[ronald moravec]

Wisner claims it best goes outside.

My zone IV has a fresnel that came groved rings facing inside, frosted focusing side to the outside and a plain glass over the plastic fresnel to protect it.

It would seem to me if you installed the fresnel plus glass in place of a ground glass , the two pieces will be thicker, but the focusing surface will be where they mate and not changed as you used to focus on the inside of the ground glass. Now you focus on the back of the frenel.

Focus on something, replace glass per above and do not move the camera, and see it the focus is still ok.

[Scott Davis]

I have the KB Canham GG/Fresnel in my Shen Hao, and the Fresnel goes between the GG and the lens. The GG is mounted normally, that is to say frosted side facing in. When I get home tonight, I'll have a look-see if I still have the mounting instructions that came with it (probably not, but worth a peek). I've had no problems at all with using this combo - my negs always come out tack sharp (unless I screw up and don't calculate my DOF right... separate issue!).