I hate fresnels too. They make acute focus a chore. The first thing I did when I received my Ebony 4x5 was to remove the fresnel. The secret is the correct grind on the GG. I got Satin Snow glass when it was available.
I hate fresnels too. They make acute focus a chore. The first thing I did when I received my Ebony 4x5 was to remove the fresnel. The secret is the correct grind on the GG. I got Satin Snow glass when it was available.
Bob,
As I should have said more specifically, I have trouble getting sharp focus and the fresnel lines distract. I know that many others don't have this problem, I'm happy for them, but I do. Drew (above) seems to share my view (if you'll excuse the pun). Alan Brock, in his positive endorsement video of Maxwell fresnels even points this out as an issue at the end of the video. https://www.alanbrockimages.com/blog...g-is-believing
I know some people have told me that I just have to practice more, but I have tried and am not interested to practice that much more when a good gg seems to work for me. And Steve's did that for my Ebony 4x5. That's why I wanted to track him down if he's still active.
Best, Jim
All gg screens fall off to the corners and edges. It is physics.
If you are using a properly focused loupe the lines/grooves on a fresnel should not be bothering you unless the grooved side is directly against the ground side of the gg.
Or, you have not used the proper fresnel for the most commonly used LF lenses.
After all, a Fresnel is a lens and does have a focal length.
The falloff issue is mostly related to very wide angle lens use. If someone finds a fresnel useful, I'm not stopping them. I just found them distracting, completely redundant, and have no regrets giving up on them entirely. But an excessively fine grind on the GG seems to produce more of a hot spot than a coarser grind. My own eyes are based on optical physics too. I also find it a lot more intuitive to visualize the composition in its opalescent sense on the GG directly, without a supplementary factor.
A 150mm plasmas has 1/3rd stop falloff center to edge. Add some displacements and it becomes more noticeable. It is easily evened out with a fresnel.
Using super bright screen systems presents another problem, as you do movements your eye and your loupe needs to stay centered after the movement or the screen can black out if not properly centered.
Well, a soda can is easily flattened out too; but I prefer it unflattened when I'm drinking from it. I mostly use distinctly longer than "normal" focal lengths anyway; falloff is a non-issue.
Fresnels are a pain when photographing in the rain.
When you switch lenses or when it starts coming down steadily and water get in between the gg and the fresnel you basically can't see a thing.
Inevitably that's just when the light gets good.
Guys,
I wasn't trying to start an argument as to how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I was just trying to find Steve.
Bob, you have made it abundantly clear that you like fresnels. I'm happy for you and for all of the others that do as well. But some of us just don't seem to find them as useful and it's not clear that any verbal argument will change minds here. But if you want to continue, as John Wayne said in Hondo: "A man oughta do what he thinks is right".
Best, Jim
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