OK, I Got A Linhof

[David G Hall]

Howdy all...

I posted here a couple of days ago asking about a Linhof Master Technika because I found a great deal on a new one.

I got it. I love it. Except I have never seen a ground glass image SO dark except maybe once when I forgot to take a lenscap off.

What's the best, brightest fesnel I can get for a Linhof MT45?

Thanks and Happy New Year.

[Paul Schilliger]

I am not saying this is the brightest combo, but a Bosscreen and a Horseman Fres nel have made my Tech V much better. I can achieve fine focussing without taking the fresnel off.

[M.]

I don't think that you can use a Bosscreen because it will shift the apparent focal plane several millemeters. Midwest Photo sells the Linhof Super Screen for about $120 which is much, much brighter. When you install it be very, very, very careful about the brass shims underneath the old screen.

[Michael Kadillak]

I would stay far away from the Linhof Super Screens as they are absolutely worthless (I cannot make this statement firmly enough). The person that posted bone headed designs from Linhof should have included these screens. Because they are flexible, they all warp pure and simple. The folks that recommend them just have not discovered their movement on their cameras that have pulled away from the edges and affected their focus yet. There is no way to keep them on the focusing plane. I do not know if that is because of temprature variation or whatever but it is immaterial because even Marflex (Linhof service center) recommends pulling them out. Not what I feel is a glowing recommendation. Besides, as the previous respondent stated, they need careful back re-alignment for the new focus plane. Do yourself a big favor and talk to Krekor at Marflex. He and Martin are top notch and are invaluable. If you are now a Linhof owner, they will become your personal friends very quickly for service.

A much better option is the simple drop in fresnel that Badger sells for $135 that go behind your current ground glass. You will need the clips that current Linhofs have on their backs to hold the rigid fresnel on, but they are finely cut and are a quick and very excellent solution to the brightness and evenness of illumination problem. The cut side of the fresnel goes against the ground glass back. Installation takes about 3 minutes. Have fun!

[M.]

Thanks for the warning Michael, I had no idea there was a problem with the Super Screen (probably because I usually shoot at very small f stops. Doesn't the Master Technika already have a good Fresnel screen? My IV has it, although its in front of the GG.

[Neal Shields]

I have several 4X5 cameras includeing a Linhof IV. I have not noticed the difference in screen brightness. However, one accessory that I have for my Graflex that I really wish I had for my Linhof, is a reflex viewer. Once you block out all the light getting to the back of the ground glass, it looks like you are looking through the view finder of a Nikon F. You might consider that instead of a different focusing screen. Somewhere, I think on this site, I have read a discussion on the pros and cons of adding Fensel lenses, and whether to put them in front of or behind the ground glass. My Graflexes have the Fensel lens between the taking lens and the ground glass where Wisner says that they are absolutely not supposed to be, but it seems to work well.

Neal

[Brian Ellis]

I've used a Bosscreen on my Technikardan and on my Technika V. It worked fine on both. I did take the precaution of having them installed by Steve Grimes. I've personally never cared for Fresnels, they can be almost impossible to use with wide angle lenses unless you get one that is dedicated to wide angles. The Bosscreen isn't a "bright" screen as such but it does spread the image around evenly on the ground glass, eliminating the bright spots surrounded by darkness of normal ground glass with wide angle lenses, so it achieves much the same effect. I also find it easier to use with a loupe because you don't see the lines that you see with a loupe and a Fresnel.

[Bob Salomon]

"Linhof, is a reflex viewer. " linhof makes Right Angle Viewers for their 2x3, 4x5 and 5x7 cameras. And they mahe Focuisng/Metering Bellows for those models as well as their 8x10 cameras.

To use either system you must use the fresnel screen or you will not have illuminated corners and edges.

", I have read a discussion on the pros and cons of adding Fensel lenses, and whether to put them in front of or behind the ground glass. My Graflexes have the Fensel lens between the taking lens and the ground glass where Wisner says that they are absolutely not supposed to be"

Fresnel screens can be on either side. Old systems usually had them between the GG and the lens as the surfaces of these screens were easily scratched, But, obviously, the GG positioned to compensate for the added thickness of the fresnel.

However placing the fresnel under the GG meant that it could not be easily removed and many users found that the concentring rings of a fresnel were disturbing when trying to focus critically under magnification.

So as the screens improved their tolerance to scratchin and handling manufacturers like Linhof, Sinar, etc. placed the fresnel on the outside of the GG in or under clips so they could easily be inserted or removed depending on the users need.

This also has the obvious advantage of not shifting the GG focus position as well.

Fresnel and GG screens from major manufacturers are considerably brighter then they were 10 or 20 years ago and work for a wider range of focal lengths (a fresnel screen is a lens and it is formulated for a range of focal lengths) then many of the enhanced brightness screens. That is why some people find enhanced screens very difficult to focus with very wide lenses as the image does not snap in/out of focus as they do with standard screens. Also with very long lenses some enhanced screens can give a tunnel effect where only the center of the screen is bright.

One last consideration is that enhanced screens may limit the angle the eye can be at in order to see a bright image. That means the loupe may black out if not held at the proper angle.

As for the Super Screen and Overlay. Over the past 18 years we have sold 1000's of these. The later ones have a much higher tolerance to heat then older ones but they are still plastic and a relatively small number of people over the years did have their screen warp due to heat and long unsupported edges. Placing a wooden match stick or other long spacer under each of the long edges of the sides help to eliminate this problem.

You might be interested to know that the manufacturer of the Super Screen was originally a company named Fresnel Optics. Today that company is Beattie Screens.

[Bob Salomon]

"As for the Super Screen and Overlay. Over the past 18 years we have sold 1000's of these. The later ones have a much higher tolerance to heat then older ones but they are still plastic and a relatively small number of people over the years did have their screen warp due to heat and long unsupported edges. Placing a wooden match stick or other long spacer under each of the long edges of the sides help to eliminate this problem. "

If an owner of a Super Screen does have a warped screen and returns it to us we will replace it at no charge.

[adam friedberg]

i have had several linhof super screens over the past couple years and while none has actually warped i have noticed they all bowed at various times under differing conditions if the long sides were not supported. putting match sticks or plastic q-tip shafts in as support does work but they can fall out easily so they need to be checked frequently. i switched back to the normal linhof g.g. and fresnel combo and find this to be much better for almost all applications (lenses as wide as 72). i kept the super screens (with matchsticks) as backups in case i break a g.g. while travelling.

[Julio Fernandez]

David: before you get derailed into never never land by well intentioned advice, make sure first that you have a focusing cloth that fits tight around the camera and that you can close around you to block all extraneous light. You'd be amazed at the difference that blocking extraneous light makes. I use the Linhof's back's knobs as pins for retaining the cloth, which has leather tabs with holes corresponding to the knobs and elastic to make a tight fit. Second, if you fiddle with the GG and fresnels, make sure you check the calibration of the back again. Unfortunately the manual does not tell you how to go about it but you will need a depth micrometer, a perforated flat plate and a little common sense. Remember, to adjust the screen you need to loosen the retaining screws. These are fastened tightly to their sockets by the black lacquer used for the purpose, so you need a drop of acetone to be able to soften the lacquer and loosen the screws. Reflex attachments lose a substantial amount of the incoming light which not all is reflected by the mirror and reflex housings will as a result be always less bright than the screen itself so these things are no solution at all.

[Bob Salomon]

"Second, if you fiddle with the GG and fresnels, make sure you check the calibration of the back again."

He has a Master Technika.

Early Technika had the fresnel under the GG late one do not.

There is no reason for someone with a master having to adjust the focus plane as the fresnel sim,ply drops on top of the GG and is held in place by moveable clips.

If you have an older Technika the film plane can be adjusted and service can supply the clips so you don't have to "monkey" and possibly mis adjust the film plane position.

Lastly the Focus Metering Bellows option is far more convenient then a dark cloth and it stays attached to eliminate "fiddling around" and also speeds up set up. The old ones were 2x only. Current ones are 2 and 4X for critical focusing.

Plus it allows you to meter the entire GG or areas about the size of a quarter anywhere on the GG. very accurate metering and very easy.

[John Elder]

This is extremely obvious, but if you are new to large format, make sure your lens aperture is wide open to have maximum screen brightness.