Which Maxwell Screen To Get?

[GeorgeBarr]

I am in touch with Bill and cannot find much information on the relative merits of the three versions of gg/fresnel/coverslip that Maxwell sells. As I understand it from Bill, his regular set is quite bright compared to plain ground glass, but in comparison to other fresnel combinations I don't know. His ultra briliant is very bright and very easy to focus, but there is a sweet spot for your eye, and you can't see much from any other angle. He now makes Plus that is a compromise and tentatively that is what I plan to order.

Does anyone have experience with more than one type of his screen?

I don't need wide angle especially (I can live with hot spot there) so long as I get great composing at normal and mod. long focal lengths so his standard focal length fresnel is what I want - now I just need to decide on the regular, plus, or ultrabrilliant.

Comments would be appreciated.

I'll be getting glass for my 4X5 an 5X7.

George
Calgary

[Lachlan 717]

I am in touch with Bill and cannot find much information on the relative merits of the three versions of gg/fresnel/coverslip that Maxwell sells. As I understand it from Bill, his regular set is quite bright compared to plain ground glass, but in comparison to other fresnel combinations I don't know. His ultra briliant is very bright and very easy to focus, but there is a sweet spot for your eye, and you can't see much from any other angle. He now makes Plus that is a compromise and tentatively that is what I plan to order.

Does anyone have experience with more than one type of his screen?

I don't need wide angle especially (I can live with hot spot there) so long as I get great composing at normal and mod. long focal lengths so his standard focal length fresnel is what I want - now I just need to decide on the regular, plus, or ultrabrilliant.

Comments would be appreciated.

I'll be getting glass for my 4X5 an 5X7.

George
Calgary

Check on eBay.

There are several Sellers with sub$50 fresnels.

Much, much cheaper than a Maxwell, and I doubt much difference in end performance if you have a "reasonable" GG now.

I've seen a Maxwell next to my Shen-Hao-with-Fresnel, and I'm glad I paid $40 for my fresnel, not the hundreds for the Maxwell.

Nothing wrong with the Maxwell; I just found a much cheaper alternative that I am happy with.

[rdenney]

Much, much cheaper than a Maxwell, and I doubt much difference in end performance if you have a "reasonable" GG now.

Everyone has their own standards, of course, and if something works for you, then it works.

I found that the Sinar Fresnel provide ghost double images in the corners when used with very short lenses under 90mm. And by "corners", I mean anything within about 1.5 inches from each corner. I doubt that the ground glass is the problem in this case, being Sinar's typical good quality acid-etched design. That Fresnel is okay with lenses in the normal range, but it is still no match whatsoever with a Maxwell screen. Newer ground glass products probably have a finer pattern than does the Sinar, to improve critical focus, but at the expense of falloff, which was a real problem for me with my lens choices.

I have the standard Maxwell Hi-Lux Brilliant Matte screen, and I find the image viewable in daylight without a hood in many cases. I can see to compose into the corners using even a 47mm lens. Maxwell has screens better suited to the ultra-short lenses, but his standard screen is just fine. The Fresnel lines on this screen are so fine and so finely shaped that one can focus through them with a 6x loupe with absolutely no problem. The longer and faster the lens, the less the benefit, but the Maxwell screen is clearly better than the Sinar at all focal lengths up to 12 inches--which is the longest lens I own.

This thread explores all these, including the complaints from naysayers who get less in return for paying less, but who still get enough to suit them. The thread includes close-up photos of the actual screen, to provide an illustration of just how fine the Fresnel lines really are. You should read the whole thread before making your decision--it starts with an initial review and ends with a field report and those close-up photos.

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=52905

Rick "backing up his opinions with a bit of real data" Denney

[Andrew Plume]

I am in touch with Bill and cannot find much information on the relative merits of the three versions of gg/fresnel/coverslip that Maxwell sells. As I understand it from Bill, his regular set is quite bright compared to plain ground glass, but in comparison to other fresnel combinations I don't know. His ultra briliant is very bright and very easy to focus, but there is a sweet spot for your eye, and you can't see much from any other angle. He now makes Plus that is a compromise and tentatively that is what I plan to order.

Does anyone have experience with more than one type of his screen?

I don't need wide angle especially (I can live with hot spot there) so long as I get great composing at normal and mod. long focal lengths so his standard focal length fresnel is what I want - now I just need to decide on the regular, plus, or ultrabrilliant.

Comments would be appreciated.

I'll be getting glass for my 4X5 an 5X7.

George
Calgary

welcome to this format George, I remember seeing your work in Lenswork some years back

andrew

[Brian Ellis]

I can't compare the different versions but FYI I had no hot spot with an 80mm lens and the regular Maxwell screen. In fact the difference in brightness between the center and the edges was virtually nonexistent with that lens, one reason why I much preferred the Maxwell to the five or six other brands of Fresnels I've used.

[GeorgeBarr]

Thanks all for the feedback everyone.

George

[Old-N-Feeble]

I had one of his "middle" screens installed on my Chamonix 4x5 a couple years ago. It was custom-fitted by an acquaintance of his who properly shimmed it for precise corner-to-corner alignment.

I was going to get his finest screen but Mr. Maxwell talked me out of it stating that the ultra wide lenses I sometimes use are better served with the "middle" one due to a hot spot. I think he said something about seeing the lines of the fresnel too but I'm not sure about that. Mr. Maxwell said that the ultra-fine screen may be a better choice if I never intend shoot with a lens wider than 90mm.

I've been very pleased with mine as it works well with FL from 58mm all the way to 450mm... sometimes 38mm if I use the 6x12 roll film back.

I just remembered something else. I asked about his "wide angle" screen but he talked me out of that too because I use a wide variety of focal lengths. He said his standard medium screen, whatever that is, is the best choice for my needs.

Oops... sorry to dig up a dead thread. I failed to notice the date of the last post.