What is a "Satin Snow" screen?
If my lens is slower than f:5.6, the GG on my Nagaoka is too dark for me to adequately compose an image. There's not enough depth in the back cutout to put in a Maxwell screen and cover glass (or other two piece bright screen). What, exactly, is a Satin Snow screen?
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
SS make GG for many camera models. Their glass is etched instead of blasted so it is somewhat brighter. I bought one as a back-up but then used it regularly due to the additional ease at focusing.
There are better GG made but much more expensive. SS can't be beat for the price.
http://www.satinsnowglass.com/
"If my lens is slower than f:5.6, the GG on my Nagaoka is too dark for me to adequately compose an image"
Usually you compose with the lens wide open, then stop down to the taking aperture. If you've been stopping down before composing maybe that's the problem rather than your ground glass.
Brian Ellis
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
ron,
what are your ground glass dimensions? i have a ss i can't use, i'll send it to you if it fits your camera.
los
Is the acid etched glass that Dagor77 touts pretty much the same thing?
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
SS ground glasses are not etched. Rather, they are ground by hand with a very fine grit. I have discussed this aspect of production with Dave Parker so I am fairly certain this information is correct.Originally Posted by Ron Marshall
Sandy King
Thanks for the correction Sandy. I was sure that I had read that on their site.
SS GG has a much smoother surface than the stock Sinar I originally had.
Last edited by Ron Marshall; 24-Sep-2006 at 13:05.
I got the SS GG as a spare for my Sinar to take with me on a trip. Since purchasing my Toho 4x5 I only use that Sinar with a 5x7 back, so no need for additional GG. But thanks very much for the kind offer.
Bill, I'm a tightwad so I tend to use cheap lenses. This means f/9 and f/10 process lenses, of which the shortest is a 150. In fact at the moment owing to the cruelty of fate I have four 150 mm process lenses. 150 happens to be 1.5x my format's normal lens. No problem focusing them on a dirty original issue Graflex for 2x3 Graphic ground glass, even less on a a nice new SatinSnow. The SS is a direct replacement for original issue.
Not to be impolite, but how do you work? Do you use a loupe? Do you work in poorly-lit situations?
I ask because not only can I focus slightly to very long lenses easily at f/9, I can focus an 80/6.3 easily too. With shorter lenses the corners go dark, but I have no problems at all with most of the field and a 65/8. I have three shorter lenses, but the slowest is f/5.6.
Cheers,
Dan
Dan, I admit to being a little embarrassed about my inability to use the Nagaoka GG. My final focus is with a loupe, but the problem is seeing the entire screen for composition, even with a fairly fast 8.25" Dagor. I have no problems with my 4x5 Crown Graphic, nor Technika IV, both of which have Fresnel screens.
I remember being told a long time ago that with a plain GG, one has his choice -- it can be bright and finely ground, and tricky to focus critically, or coarsly ground and easy to focus but difficult to see for composition.
If there was enough depth in the Nagaoka back for a Maxwell screen and cover glass then I'd go that route, but there ain't so I was considering a SS.
Thanks for your interest and help.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
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