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Photo Forum / Film Photography / Medium format / November 2003Brightscreen comments?
Ho, Group-- Any experiences, pro or con, with Brightscreens? (That's the brand name, allegedly superior to Beattie Intensescreens.) Thinking about one for my RB67, but they are pricey, so I thought I'd check with the knowledgeable and friendly folk hereabout. TIA. Dick > Ho, Group-- > > Any experiences, pro or con, with Brightscreens? (That's the brand name, > allegedly superior to Beattie Intensescreens.) Thinking about one for my > RB67, but they are pricey, so I thought I'd check with the knowledgeable > and friendly folk hereabout. TIA. One coment, get a Maxwell screen instead. They are the best focus screens made, PERIOD.  SignatureStacey > One coment, get a Maxwell screen instead. They are the best focus screens > made, PERIOD. > -- > > Stacey Stacey, Why so? Jim > > One coment, get a Maxwell screen instead. They are the best focus > screens [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Jim ____________________________________________________________________________ ___ > Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - Accounts Starting At $6.95 - http://www.uncensored-news.com > <><><><><><><> The Worlds Uncensored News Source <><><><><><><><> Yes, Stacey, I'd like some details, too. I checked on the Maxwell, and found the chap who makes them to be slow and distracted, often taking months to get a job done. Given that, is the Brightscreen good ENOUGH, do you think? Thanks again. Dick > Yes, Stacey, I'd like some details, too. Well for one thing, he will make the screen to the focal length that matches your uses. Like mostly wide lenses with a WLF or tele lenses with a prism. Everyone else makes one screen, what is it optimized for? It's anyones guess as the people selling them know nothing about focus screen design. He will also make it with a split image, micro prism or whatever focus aide combo you want or nothing but grid lines etc. Also the frenel lens etching process he uses is invisible in use unlike most of the others where the circular lines are very obvious, espcially if used with a magnifier. > I checked on the Maxwell, and > found the chap who makes them to be slow and distracted, often taking > months to get a job done. If you're in a big hurry, buy the inferiour product. I've had normal type and sizes of screen shipped quickly, special orders do take some time. Are you speaking from personal experience from buying his products? > Given that, is the Brightscreen good ENOUGH, The factory screen is "good ENOUGH". :-) I've used "brightsreens", 'blad acutemat-D, rollei's newest, beattie etc and none are even close to the performance of a Maxwell. Most get SUPER dim when used in DOF preview mode (darker than a piece of ground glass would be stopped down) and also get weird dark splotches across the screen when used with short lenses and a WLF. The others while bright have MUCH lower contrast and are MUCH harder to focus with than even a stock screen. The only screen I've used that is even close in performance are the latest acutemat-D screens made by minolta for hassleblad, which seem to be optimised for use with a prism and longer lenses. I'd be more interested in getting the best I can find as 6 months from now you'll still be fighting with a crap screen you got shipped to you in a couple of days... Bill knows everything there is to know about focus screens and be ready if you call as he WILL explain it all to you even if you aren't interested ;-) SignatureStacey Stacey, thanks, You've been generous with your time and expertise. I had no idea that screens could be or should be "optimized" for various focal length lenses, and no, I haven't had personal experience dealing with Mr. Maxwell. I did not mean to be unpleasant or disrespectful about him; others share your undiluted enthusiasm for his products, and I have no reason to doubt that. Short of getting a screen for each of my lenses, though, I may well take your suggestion--and stick witht the factory screen. Thanks again. It's been pleasant and informative chatting with you. Blue skies, fair winds, and lively focusing screens to you, Dick " > Stacey, thanks, > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > not mean to be unpleasant or disrespectful about him; others share your > undiluted enthusiasm for his products, and I have no reason to doubt that. I think whoever said it takes months to get anything from him was exagerating and is using what I call "The wallmart mentality" i.e. they want to walk out of the store with it RIGHT NOW with no thought to quality. People today are VERY impatient. > Short of getting a screen for each of my lenses, though, I may well take > your suggestion--and stick witht the factory screen. It's not that you need a different screen for every lens, but that you let Bill know how you use your camera. If you mainly shoot with a 180mm+ lens and a prism, that would need a different screen than if you mainly shoot with a 40mm and a WLF. The other screen manufacturers don't ask this question. After you use a Maxwell screen, you'll never be happy with anything else. I bought one for a 'cord and now have one in every camera I own. SignatureStacey Stacey-- I'm beginning to understand, but please, if you will, a couple more questions. I have a Mamiya RB67 and four lenses: 50mm, 90mm, 180mm, and 500mm. I also have a WLF and a prism finder. But I DON'T have a dominant use of the camera. I.e., I'm not a professional portrait photographer, who might use the 180 and WLF predominantly, or a wildlife photographer who would use the 500 and the prism most of the time. I just shoot all kinds of stuff. So now what? Am I back to the problem of a separate screen for each lens, or could I get by with just two, say? This is a fascinating topic, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate your views. (Your views on focusing screens AND the Walmart Mentality: that's priceless.) And I also appreciate Mr. Maxwell, who seems to have a passion for quality and precision. There is something very appealing about those lonesome souls out there who want to and will do it RIGHT, bigod, and he seems to be one of them. So. Maybe just one more bit of advice from you, and then it's on to Bob Maxwell. Thanks again, Dick > Stacey-- > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > So now what? Am I back to the problem of a separate screen for each lens, > or could I get by with just two, say? 2 screens should cover it perfectly. If you use the prism with the 50mm and a WLF with the long lenses you might get by with one but I'd be more likely to do the opposite and use a prism on long lenses and WLF on the short ones. I think a "wide" screen would cause less problems when using long lenes than a "long" screen will cause with wide lenses. I opted for his short screen and my 500mm lens with a WLF looks OK, but isn't as bright as when it's on my other body is us that has an acutmat-d blad screen, which is a longer screen. The problem I see with the long screen (using a short lens with a WLF) is weird dark splotches that move around with your eye, very distracting when handholding a camera! He might be able to come up with something that will work OK for everything you do? Like I said he LOVES to talk so make sure you got a cheap phone rate when you call him! :-) SignatureStacey |
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