View Full Version : Surplus Shack ground glass
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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