The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Maxwell precision focusing screens

FredBGG

Not Available
Does anyone have any experience with the Maxwell focusing screens here?

Anyone using one with a MF digital or larger MF film camera?
 

Oren Grad

Active member
When I had a Rolleiflex 3.5E overhauled I had Harry Fleenor replace the original screen with a Maxwell. The new screen was certainly a whole lot brighter than the original, but I still had trouble focusing with it. With the original screen the problem was that the image was too dim for available light work; with the Maxwell screen the problem was focus acuity - I had a hard time judging the point of best focus.
 

yatlee

Member
I have Maxwell on my Rolleiflex, a 617 field camera and on my stitching back. It's at least 2-3 stops brighter than the screen I repalced. While they are not cheap (the 617 screen cost me $600!), they are worth while investment IMO.
 

gazwas

Active member
I was told by Mr Maxwell himself during a long telephone conversation when I was considering purchasing a Maxwell screen for my Arca that you will never achieve accurate focus by eye on a GG screen with enought tolerance for todays modern digital backs and that they should be more a composition aid.

The projected image will be considerably brighter and will probably have less fall off at the edges (depending on which focal length fresnel used) but will still be just as had to get crisp focus on.

Amazing guy and very nice product but not the holy grail of accurate focus. Trial and error, live view or some way of measuring distance is still the most accurate method.
 

David Schneider

New member
I had a nice long talk with Harry and I'm sure his is a superior product, but I went with
Brightscreen. I did have a problem with them and they made a modification that I'm sure is standard now. Personally, I hate plain matte screens....more and more as my eyes get olders. Even when I autofocus, the split rangefinder screen lets you know if focus is off and needs some manual adjustment. For what maybe a small difference in performance, I couldn't justify twice the price.
 

FredBGG

Not Available
I was told by Mr Maxwell himself during a long telephone conversation when I was considering purchasing a Maxwell screen for my Arca that you will never achieve accurate focus by eye on a GG screen with enought tolerance for todays modern digital backs and that they should be more a composition aid.
This whole story about having enough tolerance for today's digital back systems is blown out proportion. Well processed low ISO film come damn close to digital and at times can be even better overall... the same way digital can be better overall at times.

Use a good screen with a good loupe and you can nail focus very well.
I use a Beattie screen. Remounted in a better frame. Their frames are crappy.. pressure spring is too strong.

The real problem I have found for fashion and beauty shot wide open is the cameras. Autofocus is not accurate or reliable enough with the fastest lenses and the prism finders are not as good as the waist level finders of older film cameras, in particular the Fuji gx680.... also it's reflex viewer with a simple mirror instead of a prism blows away anything from Mamiya/Phase or Hasselblad.

I am looking into other screens for speed rather than accuracy and for focusing in low light when I shoot at 1/4 of a second wide open for the atmosphere given by motion in parts of the image and shallow depth of field.
MF autofocus systems start to fail in this light anyway. Not to mention the limitations of center frame autofocusing and recomposition.
 

FredBGG

Not Available
....live view or some way of measuring distance is still the most accurate method.
Live view is the way to go with Canon's live view cameras, but it is not ideal as you need to zoom in on the live view image due to the low res LCD. This works to still life and landscape, but not for portrait and fashion.

I actually think that the holly grail of focusing will be phase detection built into the CMOS or CCD.
 

gazwas

Active member
This whole story about having enough tolerance for today's digital back systems is blown out proportion.
Hey, don't shoot the messenger!

This came straight from the horses mouth and Mr Maxwell talked me out of purchaing one of his screens because of this. In my dealings with Maxwell Screens I was discussing LF GG focusing screens coupled with slow LF lenses so not quite the same as when using an already bright SLR viewfinder and faster glass.

In my experience the focus tolerance of todays 60MP+ digital backs with LF cameras is very tight and slight focus movements (millimeters) make a large difference.

Even when shooting wide with a stopped down SK43 the difference between being in and out of focus is very small.
 

Audii-Dudii

Active member
I have Maxwell screens in both of my Contax 645 bodies and am pleased with them. I haven't measured them, but while they are brighter than the OEM screens, I don't think they are two or three stops brighter ... more like one or maybe one-and-one-half. Much of my photography is done at night, so I was happy to get however much additional brightness I could!
 

FredBGG

Not Available
In my experience the focus tolerance of todays 60MP+ digital backs with LF cameras is very tight and slight focus movements (millimeters) make a large difference.
Using a MFDB on a large format camera is going to be problematic.

LF cameras are designed for a 4x5 capture area or larger.

An 8x10 print is only a 2x enlargement.

The problem is that you are enlarging that small image so much that the play in your large format camera becomes an issue.
 

gazwas

Active member
Using a MFDB on a large format camera is going to be problematic.

LF cameras are designed for a 4x5 capture area or larger.
Sorry, when I refer to GG focusing on a LF camera I mean a specially designed for digital 6x9 view or technical camera that off the option to GG focus (Arca/Alpa).

The problem is that you are enlarging that small image so much that the play in your large format camera becomes an issue.
Quite the contrary. When using a specialist 6x9 camera, play in the standards does not come into it likewise the amount the image is going to be enlarged has no bearing either. The problems stems from the fact that the size of the projected usable image area is 40mm x 54mm (or smaller). In other words very small, especially when used with a wide lens. Focusing something that small by eye is very difficult (not impossible) and usually involves a loupe. Regardless of how bright the image is, a small error due to tight focus tolerances means OOF pictures and renders the advantages of LF (6x9) capture useless.
 

rga

Member
Does anyone have any experience with the Maxwell focusing screens here?

Anyone using one with a MF digital or larger MF film camera?
I bought brite screens from Bill Maxwell for my Hassy 501C/M, Flexbody and Linhof Technikarden S. they made a world of difference in my ability to focus. Film or digital, ability to see your focal plane better is always desirable. And Bill's a great fellow, but set aside at least an hour when you call him!

BTW, I had the screens professionally installed by a recommend of Bill's, and I believe this is critical for the best focusing accuracy...

Bob
 
Top