Focusing Screens

[cblurton]

Since I am in my late 50s and my eyesight isn’t as good as it once was, I have read with great interest all of the many discussions in this forum (and the other LF forum on a different server) concerning using specialized focusing screens.

It seemed to me while I read through these comments that there were three basic types of focusing screens being discussed – Fresnels, screens from manufacturers that create special kinds of frosted or ground glass surfaces, and “sandwich” types that put wax or a wax-like substance between two pieces of glass. There were also variations in which, for example, a special frosted glass screen was combined with a Fresnel lens.

It also seemed to me that there were basically three sources of such screens – those made by third party manufacturers such as Maxwell and Satin Snow, those sold with cameras or by camera manufacturers such as the Linhof Super Screen or Wisner Fresnels, and those created by individual photographers using a variety of techniques, but very often by purchasing Fresnel lenses not made specifically for use with a camera and adapting them. (This is not to mention those intrepid photographers who grind, sand blast, acid etch, or Vaseline their own!)

To assist newcomers to LFP like me who may be interested in learning more about this kind of product, I’ve pasted some URLs below as a starting point. (I am quite sure that these are not exhaustive of the field.)

There is no URL for the Velveteen View Screen so I’ve left the inventor’s email address instead with his permission. He has indicated he'd be happy to send anyone who is interested more information about his product. I’ve also posted the email address of Bill Maxwell because the Maxwell URL listed is “unofficial.” I am not sure if “BossScreen” is the same product as “BosScreen” but I suspect it is. Both are mentioned in comments on this forum but I couldn’t find a URL for “BossScreen,” only for “BosScreen.”

If you know of a good source of focusing screens that I’ve left out please add it in your comments.

FOCUSING SCREENS MADE BY THIRD PARTY MANUFACTURERS

Beattie Intenscreen
www.intenscreen.com

BosScreen
www.stabitech.nl/Bosscreen.htm

BrightScreen
http://www.brightscreen.com/view.html

Maxwell Precision Optics UNOFFICIAL website
www.mattclara.com/maxwell/index.html

Maxwell Precision Optics
Contact Bill Maxwell <maxwellprecisionoptics@yahoo.com>

Satin Snow
www.satinsnowglass.com

Velveteen View screen
Contact Greg Garret <garretart7@yahoo.com>

EXAMPLES OF FOCUSING SCREENS MADE/SOLD BY MANUFACTURERS FOR THEIR CAMERA

Ebony Fresnel Lenses
http://www.ebonycamera.com/acc.html

Canham Fresnel Lenses
http://www.canhamcameras.com/accessoryf.html

Linhof Super Screen
www.linhof.de

Sinar Fresnel Lenses
http://www.sinar.ch

Wisner Fresnel Lenses
http://wisner.com/Page19.html

Wista Fresnel Lenses
http://www.wista.co.jp

EXAMPLES OF GENERIC FRESNEL LENS THAT CAN BE ADAPTED FOR USE AS A FOCUSING SCREEN WITH A CAMERA

3DLens.Com
http://www.3dlens.com

Edmund Optics
http://www.edmundoptics.com

One final comment: In reading the various reviews, opinions and comments about these products I found a lot of concern about how their use would effect focus. Since I ended up buying a Maxwell based on what I saw as a slight preponderance of positive reviews for his screen, I thought I should check with Bill Maxwell about this issue. He wrote back:

“The focusing surface of your new screen faces the lens of the camera. The Fresnel is on the backside of the screen and therefore has absolutely no effect on the original focus. That reference that you mentioned is only valid if there is a Fresnel (or other clear element) in front of the focusing surface (on the lens side), which would change the optical path length. A compensation would have to be made if a classic 'ground glass / Fresnel sandwich' was used as a focus screen. My screen is a modern 'one piece' focus screen with a clear cover glass on the backside and focuses at exactly the same focus plane as a plain ground glass. You may want to pass this information on to some of the groups to correct this misinformation that passes for knowledge on the Internet.”

Best wishes,

Craig

[Bob Salomon]

"Linhof Super Screen
www.linhof.de"

The Super Screen is no longer available and was never marketed through Linhof Germany. So the above reference is wrong.

[Jon Shiu]

The screen on my cambo says "BOSSCREEN" on the back.

Jon

[Malcolm Stewart]

I've found a 5" x4" Fresnel reading magnifier useful in raising the brightness away from the centre of the groundglass. I bought mine off the web, but have since found them in bookshops for as little as &#163;2, and this allows me to experiment with one or two in series depending on what taking lens I'm using.

[TheBigBlackInTheSky]

Thanks for keeping this information handy. My father is recently retired, but he still likes to do the occasional family portrait gig. He's been having tons of trouble with magnifiers. He's looked at the stores, but he hates the web. I can do a little research and hopefully help him out.

[Brian C. Miller]

*erk* Beattie Systems is closed, and the link for them is no longer valid.

I have an Brightscreen in my Graflex Super Graphic.

[Tony Evans]

Yanke Optics 4x5 camera screen (Fresnel+Ground Glass).
From China/Ebay. Brilliant! Pun intended.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

5 years old post that someone Googled earlier today, apparently.
Much has changed in just 5 years.
Not 100% certain but it may be that Edmund Scientific and Maxwell are the only two non-camera-manufacture-sources listed sources referenced above who are yet in the business of providing screens?

There are others who've since sprung up, however, not listed.

Seems time for a refresh or update of this information. Other threads on the topic of Maxwell screens have generated page after page of discussion.

[C.T. Greene]

*erk* Beattie Systems is closed, and the link for them is no longer valid.

I have an Brightscreen in my Graflex Super Graphic.




well, they may be closed but the link is still open?

[ziplock122949]

well, they may be closed but the link is still open?

Not sure if they are. Afraid more and more companies will end up disappearing. All we need is one good one to stay around. (side note:for the times I grab my dslr, wish they came with the focusing screens standard)

[Bob Salomon]

" those sold with cameras or by camera manufacturers such as the Linhof Super Screen"

We have not made the Linhof Super Screen for over a decade. It is not available nor is the cover glass and you would not be able to stilkl find a dealer with one. The factory and we have not had one for many years. Linhof does supply a very fine ground glass with their cameras and does offer a Fresnel screen for them. The Fresnel is an accessory. It is not supplied with the camera.

[alexcong]

" those sold with cameras or by camera manufacturers such as the Linhof Super Screen"

We have not made the Linhof Super Screen for over a decade. It is not available nor is the cover glass and you would not be able to stilkl find a dealer with one. The factory and we have not had one for many years. Linhof does supply a very fine ground glass with their cameras and does offer a Fresnel screen for them. The Fresnel is an accessory. It is not supplied with the camera.

Will a ground glass on an old Master Technika (sn# 6485050 - not sure which year, but guess before 1990) be as fine/bright as the current one? Will it be a good idea to change to the current version of GG?

[Bob Salomon]

Will a ground glass on an old Master Technika (sn# 6485050 - not sure which year, but guess before 1990) be as fine/bright as the current one? Will it be a good idea to change to the current version of GG?

No, the older screen is not as bright, neither is the Fresnel. Yes you should see a difference, but not a dramatic one. If you had an older camera from the 50s to the 80s then you would.

Same with the marketing of the Beattie screen. They stated that it was "4 stops brighter". And is was, it was 4 stops brighter then the screen that they put into the old Beattie long roll cameras. But it was not 4 stops brighter then a contemporary gg/fresnel in most cameras of that day.

BTW, since we are both in N NJ you could stop by a compare the gg and fresnel to a current one. As long as you look at it in the plastic bag we would be happy to show you.

[Ari]

Yanke Optics 4x5 camera screen (Fresnel+Ground Glass).
From China/Ebay. Brilliant! Pun intended.

Tony,
Is that screen worth the $86?
I've had it saved to my watch list for about three months now.

If anyone else has bought one, please chime in as well.
Thanks

[Levievre]

Yanke optics : I bought one for my crown but sent it back to China.
Rigidity, grain and brightness are only acceptable. I have a Maxwell on a Rolleiflex; this is night and day.

However Yanke service is great, so you can try it and just send it back if you don't like it.

[Tony Evans]

Ari,
My comparison is with the screen that came with my new Shen-Hao 45IIa. The improvement is outstanding. However, I have no comparison with the Maxwells, although Harry is currently installing one on my Rolleiflex T.

[Noah B]

I just ordered a yanke for my Deardorff. I use a f/9 lens as my main lens and the original GG is super dark. Hopefully this yanke screen will make an improvement. Anyone else own one?

[Ari]

I finally ordered a Yanke.
Yes, they're great; you'll see a huge difference.
I put one on my Toyo G and it lit everything up.
It gets harder to see through when you're getting past the lens' image circle, but that's a good safety mechanism.
Follow the installation instructions carefully, even though it might seem strange to put a clear plastic screen over the GG; and the GG is very thin, watch out for that, too.

[JosephBurke]

As far as the high dollar screens for 4x5 I would opt for the Bill Maxwell Hi-Lux....super fine and very bright. I've had Bosscreens and Beattie that were installed on a few used camera's when I purchased them and was I ever disappointed with those-no comparison in use to the Maxwell. With cost always being a factor and not wanting to spend several hundred bucks I would opt for an Ultafine GG from Steve Hopf's. I have one on my Toyo 8x10 MII and it is far, far superior to any other 8 x10 screen or GG that I've ever used--although I'll admit that the original focus screen on a Kodak Master 8x10 is exceptional as well. The Utrafine GG is super fine in grain and very bright-a dream come true in focusing improvements-a fabulous GG for an 8 x 10 camera. I have the 4x5 version on a Linhof Kardan and I have a Maxwell Hi-Lux on my Master Tech--I can interchange either GG back assembly on either camera and be just as pleased with the Ultrafine in comparison to the Maxwell Hi-Lux, but the Maxwell is far more expensive--thus my recommendation on the Ultafine. All depends on whether you feel the need to spend big bucks or get the Ultrafine and save the majority of those big bucks.
Joe Burke

http://www.hopfglass.com/

[pepeguitarra]

To add to the technology of today: I bought a Fresnel from a Chinese seller for $25, added to the ground glass, just put it on top with the fresnel surface directly on top of the back of the GG and got very clear view, a 200 % improvement.

[JayY]

To add to the technology of today: I bought a Fresnel from a Chinese seller for $25, added to the ground glass, just put it on top with the fresnel surface directly on top of the back of the GG and got very clear view, a 200 % improvement.

Do you have the link to the site?