feedback: long time Maxwell Screen users?

[Arne Norris]

From what I've seen in older threads the Maxwell screen is very well designed and manufactured, and a significant improvement over standard gg/fresnel setups. Bill Maxwell certainly seems very knowledgable and forthright.

As it is a relatively expensive viewing screen, I'm curious if there are any people who have had their Maxwell in use for a while and can report on how well it's holding up.

I'm going to be buy it for use on a Master Technika.

Thanks!

[Harley Goldman]

I have had one for about 3 years and it is doing just fine. It is an excellent screen.

[Dave Parker]

Arnie,

As a ground glass manufacture, and an owner of a Maxwell, I can tell you for an enhanced viewing screen, Bill makes one of the best in the market.

Dave Parker
Satin Snow Ground Glass

[John Bowen]

Anne,

Dave Parker is probably correct. I've never owned a Maxwell screen. All of my cameras are fitted with Dave's Satin Snow glass. this runs from 4x5 to 5x7 to 8x10 (2) to 7x17. For the $$ Dave likely manufactures the finest gg available. I would recommend spending a few $$ on some of Dave's gg before forking out the big $$ for a Maxwell screen. Just be prepared to wait a while for Dave's glass. There is a good reason why Dave has more orders than he can fill...... Draw your own conclusions...

John

PS other than being a customer of Dave's, I have no interest in his business.

[Richard Wasserman]

I have had 2 Maxwell screens, 1-4x5 & 1-6x6, for about 5 years and find them to be excellent. They are bright and easy to focus, I highly recommend them.

[Scott Rosenberg]

dave, that's wonderful of you to say. if i didn't already have a maxwell, you'd have another order to fill. arne, i've had a maxwell screen on my master tech 2000 for several years now and it's every bit as good as it was the day it was installed.

[Arne Norris]

Dave,

I too am impressed with you taking the time to give such unbiased feedback. Honest complements between vendors is way too rare these days. It says a lot about the quality of your products.

[Geert]

Dave,

I too am impressed with you taking the time to give such unbiased feedback. Honest complements between vendors is way too rare these days. It says a lot about the quality of your products.

I'm not surprised with Dave's reply. Traditional groundglass like Dave, myself and others produce, have different qualities and are not comparable to the enhanced viewing screens like Maxwell, Bosscreen... but te latter kind is up to 15 times more expensive.

It's an entirely different product.

Greetings,

Geert
GVB groundglass

[Brian Ellis]

I sometimes think I've used every type of viewing screen on the market - in addition to a Maxwell on a Master Technika I've used Beattie, BosScreens (3), original equipment Fresnels on Ebony (2) and Tachihara (2) cameras, original ground glass on a variety of cameras - Technikardan, Deardorff, etc. The Maxwell was the best of the bunch and in the four or five years I used it showed no deterioration.

[andrew vincent]

Two years with the Maxwell screen on a Linhof MT and still as good as new, which is to say, incredible. Tried a number of less expensive fresnels and ground glass options - sold them all when I got the Maxwell and never looked back.

[Tom Micklin]

I've had a 4x5 Maxwell on one of my cameras for about 5 years. It was a pretty big chunk of money, but I've never regretted it. It's wonderful.
That being said, I have glass from both Dave Parker and Geert on several other cameras and have been extremely satisfied with them as well.
In actual use - out in the field - I really don't see any drawbacks to any of them.
Tom

[Michael Rosenberg]

I have used Maxwell screen on my MT2000 purchased in 2001 and before that for 3 years on my Wisner (which I sold with the camera). I have used the Bos screen, and had two of them melt... The Maxwell screen in my opinion is fantastic, and worth the price.

Mike

[Ben Chase]

I just got a brand new one on my Linhof TK45s now about 6 months ago, and love it. Its one of the brightest, if not THE brightest out there.

Be forewarned - if you call Bill Maxwell, make yourself a cup of coffee/tea, because you're going to be on the phone for awhile. Bill goes to great lengths to discuss just about all aspects of photography and it's always a pleasant conversation.

[Witold Grabiec]

Another vote for Maxwell, although I have not used anything else so have no real comparison. But Maxwell rocks for sure. It was a night and day from the original screen.

[Peter De Smidt]

I've used a Maxwell in my Sinar for a couple of years now. Works great. That said both Linhof and Satin Snow make very fine standard screens. I'd check what comes with the Linhof first to see if it's ok. If not, try a Satin Snow, as they have a very good reputation and are inexpensive. (I've not tried one, though.) Remember that enhanced screens work best with a limited number of focal lengths, and so you should talk to Bill Maxwell about what lenses you want to use the screen with if you decide to go that way.

[Dave - Landscapes]

Another strong vote for the Maxwell screens! After a couple of great conversations from Australia with Bill, I had him fit his screens to my Canham MQC57 and the 4x5 reducing back for the same camera. The low light difference was excellent especially shooting in that early morning light before sun up. Like Ben said, you need to put some time aside when you do call but I learnt a lot from Bill which was well worth the effort (and result!).

Dave

[Kevin Crisp]

Dave your comments are interesting. When I got a Maxwell from Bill for my Rollei SL66 and he asked about other cameras I told him I had a Canham MQC. He told me to stick with the factory screen, which he said was excellent. I have now seen a Maxwell LF screen (ordered for a Deardorff) and it appears to me essentially identical to the Canham one, down to the painting of the glass with the little circle in the middle. Makes me wonder if Canhams come with Maxwell screens.

[Dave - Landscapes]

Kevin, I think I bought my MQC around 2003. I got it used from B&H so not sure of its "heritage". Both the screens on the 5x7 and 4x5 reducing back were courser in appearance and it was hard to get focus in low light. Bill's screens have a much finer appearance and have made all the difference.

On your comment about ...the painting of the glass with the little circle in the middle.... I think you might be confusing that with the separate glass(?) added at the back of the screen with the grid marks and the little circle? Bill added new gridded glass from Keith C to each screen for me with the outlines of 617, 612 formats. My originals didn't have those formats marked before.

You may be right that the newer Canhams come with Maxwell screens (or similar). Mine being an older one I'm sure didn't. Hope this helps.

Dave

[uniB]

Does Bill Maxwell ever answer emails? I've tried contacting him twice at maxwellprecisionoptics@toast.net and got no reply, being in the UK I'm a bit loathed to phone.

If he can't/doesn't want to provide me with a screen it leaves me with options like the Beattie Screen but that £282!

[Joanna Carter]

Have you tried phoning him? his details are here http://www.mattclara.com/maxwell/index.html