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Peter Gomena
21-Jan-2013, 09:27
Surplus Shack carries some large (9x12" or so) and 5x7" ground glass. It is advertised as made by Eastman Kodak. Has anyone purchased this glass for use in a view camera? One of the descriptions says "similar to non-glare framing glass," which would not suit my needs, but the illustration photo shows it to be more like camera glass.

Peter Gomena

Leigh
21-Jan-2013, 09:50
URL?

- Leigh

drew.saunders
21-Jan-2013, 10:34
Hard to tell from the photo how well it could be used as a camera GG: http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l10503.html and http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/l10518.html

Leigh
21-Jan-2013, 10:39
I think Surplus Shed and Surplus Shack are different businesses.

That's why I asked for the OP's URL.

- Leigh

Pawlowski6132
21-Jan-2013, 10:44
I've used the GG from Surplus shed. For $12 you CAN"T go wrong. You won't get detail focus perhaps like some other expensive GG but, if you're exposures give you "great" DOF then, it won't matter.

IanG
21-Jan-2013, 11:19
Modern screens are far better even home-made beause the quality of grits etc has improved very significantly since those old screens were made.

Ian

C. D. Keth
21-Jan-2013, 11:27
I have an 8x10 one that was included with a camera I just bought. It's pretty good. I have nothing to complain about with it.

Dan Fromm
21-Jan-2013, 11:31
I think Surplus Shed and Surplus Shack are different businesses.

That's why I asked for the OP's URL.

- LeighThey're one and the same.

lenser
21-Jan-2013, 13:29
I had a back for a 2D modified to fit my Century and simply went to a local glass shop to buy a $10.00 sheet of their frosted glass to fit. It works fine and focuses extremely fine detail quite well. I can't see why the sheets that you are looking at wont be at least as good.

IanG
21-Jan-2013, 14:37
I had a back for a 2D modified to fit my Century and simply went to a local glass shop to buy a $10.00 sheet of their frosted glass to fit. It works fine and focuses extremely fine detail quite well. I can't see why the sheets that you are looking at wont be at least as good.

When you have nothing to compare to you accept second or even third rate screens.

A good screen is a godsend, whether you have a fresnel as well or a combo screen is anoth issue. I was using a 1960's Graflex and noticed its screen was significantly darker and harder to use than my Wista despite the lens being faster f4.5 compared to the f5.6 on my Wista - both 150mm. So I looked at how to improve things, a new screen added 2 stops brightness, I make my own but also have a Hopf screen (now reground :)).

Since then I've replaced or reground numerous screens, many from the 50's & 60's and they (the originals) weren't very bright and the difference is very significant, it makes a huge difference when you use the cameras particularly in lower light levels.

I take my screens seriously and hand grind them taking particulat care to get a good balance of sharpness and brightness, it's paid off with all my LF cameras and they are so much easier to use.

Ian

Peter De Smidt
21-Jan-2013, 14:52
Ian, what's your method? I tried it a couple of times, and I ended up with streaks no matter what I did. I used grinding powders for making telescope mirrors.

Peter Gomena
21-Jan-2013, 14:56
My error, yes, Surplus Shed. Thanks for the replies, folks.

Peter Gomena

uphereinmytree
21-Jan-2013, 15:22
I have some of the surplus shed GG and it arrived with mottles and patterns that didn't clean off with alcohol. I then cleaned the ground side with comet cleanser and my finger and it looks perfect now and is of moderate quality compared to the bosscreens I use. Just don't clean the smooth side with comet!!!

lenser
21-Jan-2013, 15:48
Ian, perhaps I don't have your lofty expertise on the science of ground glass, but I have been shooting large format for decades and have excellent screens on all my 4x5's, 5x7's and the other three 8x10's that I own. Believe me, I have compared those to this "el cheapo" version. While this one is perhaps a tiny bit less bright, it performs quite well and what I thought was going to be a very temporary fix, sits there quite comfortably and after months of successful use, is probably going to stay there as a very nice solution indeed.

IanG
21-Jan-2013, 15:53
Ian, what's your method? I tried it a couple of times, and I ended up with streaks no matter what I did. I used grinding powders for making telescope mirrors.

Hi Peter

If you already use grinding grits (powders) then you know what you're doing, it's down to using good grinding blanks, I get mine from my glass supplier from off-cuts of plate glass, but then grinding needs to be randomised.

Ian

Mark Sawyer
21-Jan-2013, 16:42
Just out of curiousity, has anyone ever heard of using one of these to grind a view screen glass?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VIBRATING-FLAT-LAP-COVINGTON-ENGINEERING-16-INCHES-/110442939104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19b6e982e0

Peter De Smidt
21-Jan-2013, 16:46
Wouldn't that grind both sides of the glass?

Mark Sawyer
21-Jan-2013, 17:09
Just the face-down side. These are normally used to polish the flat face of rocks.

Jim C.
21-Jan-2013, 17:11
That vibratory thingy might not if a mask were painted on one side, there are coatings that are used for frosting glass with sand blasting
that seems to be resistant to the abrasives used.

rdenney
21-Jan-2013, 20:26
The Surplus Shed screens that are attributed to Kodak seem to me to be identical in every way to the plain ground glass screen in a Speed Graphic, which was certainly made by Kodak (and called "Ektalite" when used with Kodak's Fresnel). I still have my stack of 4x5 screens I bought from SS for ten bucks. Nice to have in case something gets broken and you want something usable in a hurry.

No, they are not as bright as a Hopf, and not on the same planet as a Maxwell (an example of which is mounted on my Sinar). But for a buck apiece, I didn't really expect them to be. They are certainly competent.

Rick "who has compared them side-by-side with the screen in his Speed" Denney

Peter Gomena
21-Jan-2013, 22:22
After all this good advice, I probably will spring for Hopf glass and maybe pick up a sheet or two of the Surplus Shed GG as emergency backups. The current glass on my whole-plate camera is inadequate, and my 5x7 GG has hugely cut-out corners that render it less than optimal. You get what you pay for.

BBW
21-Jan-2013, 22:22
Looking for my first ground glass many years ago, I went to a fine art sand blaster. He made 2 inch thick panes of glass into really awesome looking fine art. He was nice enough to sandblast a couple of 4x5 glass panes I had for me. Still works for me so far.