What remedies are there for the extremely dim ground-glass image on my Cambo Wide with 65 S.Angulon? Shooting an interior recently, brightly lit with multiple overhead mercury vapour lamps, I could hardly see any GG detail centre screen, and the edges (I use a 6x12 RFH) were all but invisible. This makes things intolerably slow and difficult, and if I can't get a radically brighter image I shall dispose of the thing. Any suggestions for a fresnel lens, whatever?

-- Anthony Harrison (AnthonyHar@aol.com), March 19, 2002

Answers

Beattie's are very good as are some others. I have used Beattie Interscreens for years.

-- Scott Walton (walton@ll.mit.edu), March 19, 2002.

Hi Anthony-

I've got a Cambowide 470 with a 47 SA XL. My camera came with a fresnel but the edges are still hard to see for focussing. The 47 and 58 XL and the 65mm 5.6 SA all have ICs around 170mm and fall off of about 2 stops center to edge. I've used these lenses on several camera and the focus problem is the lenses' not the camera's. Using a center filter helps more than a bright screen by evening out illumination.

As far as the 47mm XL is concerned the Cambowide is the best camera I've used. I use a viewfinder for composition and the distance settings on the helical for focus.

jim

-- Jim Bancroft (Bancroft@cox.net), March 19, 2002.

Bill Maxwell may be able to provide a screen that performs better than a standard fresnel. He can optimize the focal length of the fresnel for the focal length of the lens.

Maxwell Precision Optics Decatur, GA.

(404) 244-0095

-- Chris Ellinger (chris@ellingerphoto.com), March 21, 2002.

I think Bill Maxwell has the answer and the screen optimized wide angle lenses. I am using his suggested screens for my Mamiya RZ and Zone VI cameras for different focal lenghts.

-- Mahmut Gunes (mgunes@turk.net), March 22, 2002.