Fresnel for a Phillips Explorer 8x10

[Jordan]

Anyone have any ideas on a relatively affordable fresnel for a Phillips Explorer 8x10 and how it would afect my ability to focus? I have the gridded gg that comes with the Explorer and have a hell of time seeing the corners with it. I have good dark cloth, so that is no the issue. I am using the g-claron 305mm so that is part of it I know, considering it only opens to f9. Thanks in advance.

Jordan

[Doug Dolde]

Bill Maxwell makes screens up to 8x10...the best !

[Richard K.]

Anyone have any ideas on a relatively affordable fresnel for a Phillips Explorer 8x10 and how it would afect my ability to focus? I have the gridded gg that comes with the Explorer and have a hell of time seeing the corners with it. I have good dark cloth, so that is no the issue. I am using the g-claron 305mm so that is part of it I know, considering it only opens to f9. Thanks in advance.

Jordan

Jordan, unfortunately there is no solution to your problem. You'll have to sell me the camera.

To be serious, I don't know why you're having trouble with the corners if you're focusing with the lens wide open. Something like a Brightscreen or a Bosscreen may be a better solution?

[Brian Ellis]

"Relatively affordable?" Maxwell and BosScreen both make excellent viewing screens - very different (Maxwell is a Fresnel, BosScreen isn't) but I've used both on multiple cameras and both are very good, the Maxwell being the best but also the most expensive. I've also used a variety of other screens, including several OE Fresnels (Ebony, Tachihara), a Beattie Brightscreen, and some plain ground glass. Frankly the Fresnels other than Maxwell created as many problems as they solved, mainly with wide angle lenses, and I wouldn't bother buying any Fresnel other than a Maxwell.

Your best bet might be the Satin Snow screen sold by Dave Parker. I've never used one but people who have seem to like them and they're certainly affordable. The problem is that as Dave has posted here, he's behind on orders so you'll have a long waiting period (I'm assuming he makes screens for 8x10, I've never checked).

As an aside, f9 on a 305mm lens for 8x10 shouldn't by itself be a major problem. F9 on a wide angle lens is one thing, on a normal lens for the format it's another. I don't think I've ever owned an 8x10 lens that had an aperture wider than about f9 and I don't recall any serious problems seeing the image on the screen using a BosScreen on one 8x10 camera and a Deardorff OE ground glass on another.

There have been many many posts here over the years about viewing screens. If you do a search you should find a lot of information.