Bill Maxwell and Maxwell Precision Optics
Matt Clara
reworked for clarity's sake, but this is it for now.
This is not a solicitation, I don't work for Mr. Maxwell, just sick of
searching high and low for the info, so I finally wrote him about it (snail
mail), and here's what he sent me. Placed on the web with Bill's
permission.
http://www.mattclara.com/maxwell
--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com
Shelley
fact that when all is said and done it's still a Fresnel has put me off. My
experience with Fresnels, including those that were original equipment on my
Ebony and Tachihara cameras as well as a Bettie after-market screen, has
been that things didn't "pop" into focus as they do with a good plain ground
glass, plus when used with a 90mm or shorter lens all I saw sometimes was a
big black circle with a bright spot in the center.
I understand that the short focal length lens problem, if it exists with
Maxwell screens at all, can be cured by getting a Fresnel specifically
designed for wide angle usage but I don't want to buy and carry two ground
glass frames around with me. So, could someone who uses a Maxwell screen and
who has also used a good plain ground glass, tell me: (1) do things "pop"
into focus with it just like a plain ground glass, and (2) how does the
"normal" screen (i.e. one not designed for wide angle usage) work with a
wide angle lens?
"Matt Clara" <cri...@large.com> wrote in message
news:C_Yqd.3851862$yk.5...@news.easynews.com...
Gregory W Blank
"Matt Clara" <cri...@large.com> wrote:
> http://www.mattclara.com/maxwell
Thanks Matt, I can endorse his product!!!
I have a bright screen made by him and its very good.
--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918
Jos. Burke
my Deardorff 4x5 Special--What a really fine surface to focus upon and very
bright--also very evenly lit with my 90 mm 5,6 Fuji SW. By contrast I
purchased a used Linhof 4x5 Master Technika about 9 months ago. It had the
original (I assume ) gg with fresnel--It was horrible but I bought a bargain
priced ebay Beattie IntenScreen--no bargain at all. VERY VERY grainy and
that dang hot spot with my 90mm Fuji--so grainy it was hard to focus after
using the Maxwell Screen on my Deardorff.. Well, I finally gave in and had
Bill send a Hi-Lux screen for the Linhof--FANTASTIC!! I also have one of
Bill's fresnels on my 8x10 Deardorff as well. So Yes, I'm that impressed
with his products!!
BTW-- If you wondered why not!!--The Deardorff 4x5 Hi-Lux will not fit the
4x5 Linhof Technika!!
Joseph Burke
Stacey
> Thanks very much Matt. I've been tempted to try a Maxwell screen but the
> fact that when all is said and done it's still a Fresnel has put me off.
> My experience with Fresnels, including those that were original equipment
> on my Ebony and Tachihara cameras as well as a Bettie after-market screen,
> has been that things didn't "pop" into focus as they do with a good plain
> ground glass, plus when used with a 90mm or shorter lens all I saw
> sometimes was a big black circle with a bright spot in the center.
You've never used a Maxwell screen. They pop into focus as well or better
than a plain ground glass does and you'll never see the lines, they are too
fine.. Call Bill about your question of the short/long lens deal. I had him
make "short" screens for my medium format SLR's and the only thing I
noticed going from a 45mm to a 500mm lens is the long lens wasn't quite as
bright, still WAY brighter than a plain glass screen. I think the other
screens you used were normal/long screens and they do weird things when
used with a short lens.
--
Stacey
Bob Salomon
"Jos. Burke" <josb...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> used Linhof 4x5 Master Technika about 9 months ago. It had the
> original (I assume ) gg with fresnel
What original screen?
The MT was introduced in 1976. The screens used by Linhof in 1976 are
different from those used in the 80s which are different from those on a
90s camera which are different from those used today.
--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.
Shelley
> make "short" screens for my medium format SLR's and the only thing I
> noticed going from a 45mm to a 500mm lens is the long lens wasn't quite as
> bright, still WAY brighter than a plain glass screen.
Thanks. That's an interesting idea, I never thought of doing that. I assumed
that a "short" screen wouldn't work well with longer lenses and for 4x5 my
most frequently used lenses are 135 and 210. But from your message I gather
that's not the case. Did you ask him about doing this at the time and, if
so, do you remember what he said? I ask you rather than him because I'm
going to be calling long distance and from all I've read I should keep the
opportunities for him to talk to a minimum.
"Stacey" <foto...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3158hhF...@individual.net...
Matt Clara
news:%1jrd.5181$1z5.2230@trnddc06...
<snip>
> I ask you rather than him because I'm
> going to be calling long distance and from all I've read I should keep the
> opportunities for him to talk to a minimum.
>
From experience, you can't get an word in edgewise. Send him an email that
includes your phone number, and he'll call you.
Stacey
> I had him
>> make "short" screens for my medium format SLR's and the only thing I
>> noticed going from a 45mm to a 500mm lens is the long lens wasn't quite
>> as bright, still WAY brighter than a plain glass screen.
>
> Thanks. That's an interesting idea, I never thought of doing that. I
> assumed that a "short" screen wouldn't work well with longer lenses and
> for 4x5 my most frequently used lenses are 135 and 210. But from your
> message I gather that's not the case. Did you ask him about doing this at
> the time and, if so, do you remember what he said?
Yep that's what he said. I've tried the 'blad accutemat-D screens and when I
use a prism and a short lens the -D are OK, but used with a WLF and a short
lens the -D does have this "dark spot" thing when viewed at certain angles
that the Maxwell doesn't. But the blad screen is =slightly= brighter used
with 250mm+ lenses and a prism finder. My educated guess is given the
difference between a 90mm and a 210 is nowhere near as much as going from a
35mm-45mm lens to a 250mm+ so it should work fine buying a "short" screen
for everything. Again you'll have to be subjected to calling him to be
sure.
--
Stacey