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View Full Version : Ground Glass - what are the best 3rd party options today?



mortensen
23-Dec-2010, 17:59
Hi

As some of you know, I got my Chamonix stolen in India a few weeks back and I now own a good condition Linhof Color 4x5 , that really wants a new, bright, gridded ground glass.

But what are the options at the moment? First of all, I'm not looking for a fresnel-gg-sandwich, but a good quality, really bright, gridded gg.

The Beattie's are still sold, but $ 300 is pretty hefty for a gg... The Satin Snow is out of business, right? So which options do I have?

btw, are there any plexi gg producers here?
thanks,
lars

Bob McCarthy
23-Dec-2010, 18:40
See if you can find a decent Linhof superscreen on eBay/craiglist.

I was pleased with the one on my Technika. Cheaper than a Maxwell too.

Bob

engl
24-Dec-2010, 01:51
I'm in a similar situation, looking for a better ground glass for my MPP Mk7. For a plain bright GG (with grid lines if requested), Steve Hopf seems to be the most often recommended option.

Here are a couple of old threads discussing the topic:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=68769
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=67196
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=51048
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=50344

mortensen
24-Dec-2010, 03:39
thanks, both of you - I had trouble finding threads about this topic, actually...

Steve Hopf will be the man for the job :)

Bob McCarthy
24-Dec-2010, 05:10
Steve makes an excellent GG, in fact I have one on one of my Sinars, but your Chamonix had a fresnel and you asked for a bright glass for the linhof. So, I assumed you were attempting to come close to your former equipment, W/o a supplemental Fresnel, Steves excellent GG won't come close.

Bob

mortensen
24-Dec-2010, 05:53
I took out the fresnel on my chamonix because of the focusing problem and didn't look back - although it's a bit darker, I certainly prefer gg only.

How is Steve's glass compared to the hideously expensive Beattie's? Is six times the price six times the performance... or just twice the performance?

Oh, and merry christmas people :)

gari beet
24-Dec-2010, 06:17
I actually have a beattie intenscreen sat on my desk that I was going to put on the FS board after the xmas period. It came with a camera I bought, I had a screen I really liked so just took it off. Make me a reasonable offer and I am happy to ship it in the new year. size is 100x126mm, clipped corners. GG and fresnel.
Gari

Jim Cole
24-Dec-2010, 08:58
Another recommendation for Steve Hopf. Excellent glass, greta communication and fast turn-around.

Ari
25-Dec-2010, 22:31
I just got an excellent ground glass from these guys:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ground-Glass-Sinar-Linhof-Toyo-Horseman-Wista-4x5-/370461449339?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5641391c7b#ht_1596wt_1184

And I will also plug Steve Hopf because he is a very nice guy who does very fine work.

dave_whatever
26-Dec-2010, 01:03
I ordered 4x5 and 6x17 glass from steve, he was great to deal with and it was a good deal even after international shipping and getting shafted by UK customs.

Heespharm
26-Dec-2010, 21:03
If you can find one... I love the wist a gg sandwiches... Super bright

mortensen
27-Dec-2010, 03:02
I ordered 4x5 and 6x17 glass from steve, he was great to deal with and it was a good deal even after international shipping and getting shafted by UK customs.

See, thats an important note! :) customs in europe is lovely, innit.

Nathan Smith
27-Dec-2010, 07:12
Just found Steve Hopf's ebay store here: http://stores.ebay.com/Steve-Hopfs-Ground-Glass-Store

photosailor
27-Dec-2010, 16:07
Steve Hopt--he's the man. Great quality, fast, reasonable.

Jordan
27-Dec-2010, 20:21
Another recommendation for Steve Hopf. His ground glass is really good plus he's great to deal with.

Ivan J. Eberle
31-Dec-2010, 05:21
It's about as easy to grind one (or several) yourself. Far more satisfying for DIY types, too.

letchhausen
16-Jan-2011, 21:56
So what do you do if you want a fresnel? It looks like Satin Snow and Maxwell are gone so do you buy a Beattie? I recently got an Ebony and the GG is darker than the Tachihara that it replaces so I was thinking of getting a new GG but I want a fresnel. Thanks...

Steve Barber
17-Jan-2011, 04:25
I was unaware Maxwell was no longer supplying his product. I just bought one from him a couple of months ago. Have you tried telephoning him or sending him an email?

Bob Salomon
17-Jan-2011, 05:56
A new, current Linhof grid ground glass and a current Linhof Fresnel are much brighter and sharper then your old one. And the gg has bite for even the widest lenses for easy focusing. The image snaps in and out of focus immediately.

The Superscreen has been out of production for many, many years and requires a coverglass which is also out of production equally long. The Linhof Superscreen was made by Fresnel optics which is the company that own Beattie. The cover glass was made by a scientific float glass company and the silk screening was done by a company in Caldwell, NJ that is long out of business.

The current Linhof gg and Fresnel will be better.

letchhausen
17-Jan-2011, 13:23
I thought I saw a dead link to the Maxwell site. I didn't know he was still in business. Where do I find Bill Maxell's phone number? I'll also look into the Linhoff ground glass as well. That sounds like it could be the ticket. Thanks!

IanG
17-Jan-2011, 13:40
You might look at the Wista screen with it's cover glass, well it's all plastic but the screen/fresnel is very bright one of the best I've used.

I have a Beattie screen for one of my Agfa Ansco 10x8's and it's great, but I'm not sure how much better it is to my 5x4 Wista screen and it's far more expensive. Although discontinued they are still in stock at some distributors.

Ian

keith schreiber
17-Jan-2011, 13:50
Canham ground glass is available from The View Camera Store (http://www.viewcamerastore.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=ground+glass&x=6&y=3) and is very reasonably priced. The 8x10 size fit my Deardorff better than the original Deardorff GG that it replaced.

So far I like it. It has a grid and clipped corners. I've never been a big fan of fresnels personally.

~ Keith

Sal Santamaura
17-Jan-2011, 14:50
I thought I saw a dead link to the Maxwell site. I didn't know he was still in business...Try emailing him at

maxwellprecisionoptics@yahoo.com

Bill never had a Web site. However, Matt Clara did and still does. It has old screen information at:

http://www.mattclara.com/maxwell/index.html

Don't count on anything there until you contact Bill to get his latest updates.

In my experience, Maxwell screens are the best 3rd party option available. Very bright as well as, even more importantly, contrasty, easy to focus and exhibiting almost no visible fresnel rings or texture. Expensive but worth the price.

dsim
17-Jan-2011, 15:07
Maxwell completed two 8x10 screens for me recently. Well worth it.

Bill_1856
17-Jan-2011, 17:32
I got an acid etched glass for my "new" Kodak 5x7 2D from Dagor 77 which does quite well, but I'd really like a Fresnel with it.
Talked (and talked, and talked) with Bill Maxwell. Surprisingly he doesn't charge much more for 5x7 or 8x10 screens than for 4x5. I have an older Maxwell screen in my Nagaoka, and it is superb. But I'd hate to spend more for a screen than I paid for the camera.

Steve Barber
17-Jan-2011, 18:17
I thought I saw a dead link to the Maxwell site. I didn't know he was still in business. Where do I find Bill Maxell's phone number? I'll also look into the Linhoff ground glass as well. That sounds like it could be the ticket. Thanks!

The contact information I have for him is as follows:

<maxwellprecisionoptics@yahoo.com>

Maxwell Precision Optics
PO Box 33146
Decatur GA 30033-0146 USA
1+770-939-6644 (EST, USA)

(or, maybe,--- Phone: 404-244-0095)

jbog
17-Jan-2011, 19:42
Surplus Shed has Eastman Kodak ground glass. The 8x10 is $12.00 & the 4x5 is $3.00 (or 10 for $25.00). I bought 1 of each & shipping was only $5.00. I don't think you can do any better than Eastman Kodak glass.

Links >>>

8x10 >>> http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l3965.html

4x5 >>> http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l1034.html

>>> Jim

msk2193
17-Jan-2011, 20:31
Bill Maxwell
770-939-6644

But, please do not keep him on the phone too long. I have been waiting for a groundglass since November 15 and I really would like him to get it shipped!

jbog
17-Jan-2011, 21:01
Surplus Shed shipped in 1 day.

>>> Jim

rdenney
17-Jan-2011, 21:05
If you want well-made ground-glass only, Steve Hopf comes highly recommended.

But don't judge Fresnel products on the basis of what was in your Chamonix. The Maxwell screen is a micro-Fresnel. It will not interfere with focusing using an 8x or 10x loupe, while those will challenge a ground glass to the limit (even the high-end acid-etched ground glass used by Sinar and, I suspect, Linhof). It does use a cover glass, but that provides a means of adding whatever grid elements you want using a fine-point Sharpie on the back side of the glass (though Bill will provide a screened grid, too).

I find that with lenses longer than 120 or so, my Maxwell screen in my Sinar hardly needs a focusing cloth at all at wide aperture. You think you don't need bright until you experience it.

Rick "up to you" Denney

letchhausen
17-Jan-2011, 22:18
Thanks for the info, I think what I did was plug maxwellprecisionoptics into IE and got nada. Since I've seen so many companies making LF products go under the last few years I figured that was probably the case here. I'll definitely email Bill tomorrow and find out more info. I do want lines on my GG. And brighter is better for my aging eyes. I guess I won't count on getting it quickly if someone's been waiting since November......

Ramiro Elena
18-Jan-2011, 11:01
How does acid etching compare to manual grind?

I have been looking into doing one 8x10 and a 4x5 myself with #400 and #600 grit. Is it worth the time?
Also, the minimum amount of grit I could get is 1Kg of each type. Will I have to quit my job and spend the rest of my life making gg's in order to finish it all off?

IanG
19-Jan-2011, 03:24
It's certainly worth the time making your own screens.

However 1Kg of grit goes a very long way, I brought two 35mm films cannisters part full here to Turkey and still have plenty left after making 3 screens.

Ian

Ramiro Elena
19-Jan-2011, 05:03
It seems it is not possible to purchase less than 1kg. I am going to go for the #400 for an 8x10 and skip the #600 for now.
According to the provider the 400 is 17 microns. Does this sound correct?

On the other hand, once I have the product I can share with whoever needs some.



It's certainly worth the time making your own screens.

However 1Kg of grit goes a very long way, I brought two 35mm films cannisters part full here to Turkey and still have plenty left after making 3 screens.

Ian

IanG
19-Jan-2011, 05:34
Try finding someone who makes/polishes stone (semi precious) jewellery, they use it to barrel polish. I's not expensive.


17 micron is about right for #400 grit.

Ian

Vick Ko
19-Jan-2011, 05:55
I just "learned" how to polish glass. For your own ground glass, I highly recommend doing it yourself, with flat glass and emery cloth, that you can buy from hardware stores that have car finishing supplies.

From what I've learned:
- 2000 grit - will give you a polished surface, much like old lenses with cleaning marks
- 1000 grit - glossy surface, but too smooth for ground glass
- 600 grit - cloudy surface, looks like it would work for ground glass

I'd experiment somewhere between the 600 grit and 1000

...Vick

Ramiro Elena
19-Jan-2011, 06:12
Funny because my wife is a jeweler and had not heard of it. At least I know a couple stores here that specialize in jewelry where I can ask.
I read your post on Apug (?) where you said 600 to start with could get a little tedious and 400 is good enough for 8x10, correct?


Try finding someone who makes/polishes stone (semi precious) jewellery, they use it to barrel polish. I's not expensive.


17 micron is about right for #400 grit.

Ian

IanG
19-Jan-2011, 06:53
Funny because my wife is a jeweler and had not heard of it. At least I know a couple stores here that specialize in jewelry where I can ask.
I read your post on Apug (?) where you said 600 to start with could get a little tedious and 400 is good enough for 8x10, correct?

I prefer to finish with #600 but some people are happy with just #400.

Jewellers don't use Silicon Carbide grits only Lapidary specialists but try a jewellery suppliers.

Ian

Leigh
19-Jan-2011, 11:50
McMaster-Carr Supply Co. at http://www.mcmaster.com
has lapping compounds in grits from 46 (60 micron/0.060mm) to 100,000 (0.5 micron/0.0005mm) in small quantities, like 2 oz tubes for some products.

Just enter "lapping compounds" (without the quotes) in the search box at upper left.

This is an excellent company to deal with, in business over 100 years.

- Leigh

IanG
23-Jan-2011, 15:16
Funny because my wife is a jeweler and had not heard of it. At least I know a couple stores here that specialize in jewelry where I can ask.
I read your post on Apug (?) where you said 600 to start with could get a little tedious and 400 is good enough for 8x10, correct?

I'm in Barcelona next week, could bring the Grits and my grinding blank :)

Need to know where to buy LF film in Spain.

Ian

Ramiro Elena
23-Jan-2011, 15:50
deal!

Steve Barber
23-Jan-2011, 21:53
I'm in Barcelona next week, could bring the Grits and my grinding blank :)

Need to know where to buy LF film in Spain.

Ian

In Barcelona, there is Foto Casanova. This is a link to their website:

http://www.casanovafoto.com/

This is a link to the page giving contact information:

http://www.casanovafoto.com/index.php

The consumer retail outlet is on Pelai. On the opposite side of the block is the professional outlet, which is where you will find the LF film. You have to go out the front and around the block to get from one to the other.

Ramiro Elena
24-Jan-2011, 05:02
Actually, Casanova recently moved. I'd suggest buying online from R3 foto in Gijón. Much cheaper and more to chose from. They do take some time to ship, keep that in mind. If you need an address to ship for later pick up let me know. (I am mainly thinking film)

http://www.foto-r3.com/

HeinrichVoelkel
24-Jan-2011, 05:32
don't buy film in spain, it is horribly expensive, compared to Germany for example...buy wine instead

when I was living in spain I bought my film here:

http://www.nordfoto.de

they ship fast and prices are okay, check with them per email what you need for vat deduction, usually there is no vat if the article is delivered outside germany.

have fun in barcelona

Ramiro Elena
24-Jan-2011, 05:44
don't buy film in spain, it is horribly expensive, compared to Germany for example...buy wine instead


It's about the same cost if you buy from online stores like R3. I already checked. If you're in Spain, you save in shipping. Best option is to carry film yourself anyway.

Arne Croell
24-Jan-2011, 07:12
don't buy film in spain, it is horribly expensive, compared to Germany for example...buy wine instead

when I was living in spain I bought my film here:

http://www.nordfoto.de

they ship fast and prices are okay, check with them per email what you need for vat deduction, usually there is no vat if the article is delivered outside germany.

have fun in barcelona
When shipped within the EU, they will charge VAT unless you are a business and provide them with a tax id number.

Steve M Hostetter
24-Jan-2011, 08:47
Would anyone here have a lapping paste I could use for an 11x14" GG I need to grind.?

Just PM me with the details if you will.. I really need to get this done but can't afford a new 11x14" GG

right now I'm using frosted varnish sprayed to one side and this seems to work for most lenses except for "big" aperture lenses wide open

kind regards
steve

ps.. "I don't expect any freebees"

apologies to the OP

Scott --
24-Jan-2011, 09:48
Steve, I use 500 grit Silicon carbide lapidary grit from the Rock Shed (http://www.therockshed.com/grit.html). $4 plus shipping for a pound. FWIW.

Steve M Hostetter
24-Jan-2011, 11:27
Thx Scott,,!!!!:)

jbog
25-Jan-2011, 19:12
Eastman Kodak Ground Glass

Surplus Shed has a 3 day sale of 30% off their Eastman Kodak ground glass.

ALL INSTOCK ITEMS ON OUR WEBSITE ARE ON SALE- 30 PERCENT OFF- 3 DAYS ONLY!!
We're in the process of purchasing truckloads of more optics and other stuff including the remaining Jaegers objectives, and need funds! Hence this special 3 day sale. Lots of our items are rare and limited quantities. Now is the time to shake out your wishlist while supplies last. Everything you purchase using our website will produce a 30 percent discount during these 3 days. At checkout, YOU MUST ENTER COUPON CODE: SS40111. SALE ENDS THURSDAY JAN 27, 2011 at 11:59PM Eastern time.

Please note that if you choose PayPal as your payment method, PayPal may charge you the regular price. If that happens, we will immediately refund your 30 percent discount.

SHIPPING TO CONTINENTAL US ADDRESSES IS ONLY $5 NO MATTER HOW LARGE OR HEAVY YOUR ORDER IS.

The 8x10 is now $8.40 & the 4x5 is $2.10 (or 10 for $17.50). I don't think you can do any better than Eastman Kodak glass.

Links >>>

8x10 >>> http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l3965.html

4x5 >>> http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l1034.html

>>> Jim