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Cropped Sensor Focusing screens

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Been going about in my head on this and something that has bugged me for awhile. I shoot the P40+ which is a crop sensor and i do have a crop mark in the focusing screen but lets be honest here sometime it gets confusing in the viewfinder as you don't always SEE the crop lines due to subject being shot. I want to find a way to send out or have made a new screen for my DF and I bet Hassy shooters might be interested as well. So any good ideas about how to grey out a screen like say 50 percent or something or who could actually make screens for our bodies.
 

jecxz

Active member
Hi Guy,

Someone recently recommended this company to me:

http://brightscreenstore.com/store/

But I have not had time to check them out. I'm very interested in the same so please let me know what you do or find - I've noticed that my eyes are not as good as they used to be, so it's getting more difficult to manually focus. Thank you and be well.

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz
www.jecxz.com


Been going about in my head on this and something that has bugged me for awhile. I shoot the P40+ which is a crop sensor and i do have a crop mark in the focusing screen but lets be honest here sometime it gets confusing in the viewfinder as you don't always SEE the crop lines due to subject being shot. I want to find a way to send out or have made a new screen for my DF and I bet Hassy shooters might be interested as well. So any good ideas about how to grey out a screen like say 50 percent or something or who could actually make screens for our bodies.
 

thomas

New member
Where did you get that. LOL
by now that's unfortunately only avilable in Photoshop.
Should be really easy to simply darken the outer area of the regular masks.
Otherwise manufacturers of plastic distance spacers can make customized masks. But of course I can't suggest one in the US...

I don't know the dimensions of the Mamiya masks... but the Contax masks provided by Phase are exactly what you are looking for; they are grey, so they darken the edges while still beeing translucent. Maybe you can cut some Contax-masks to fit into your Mamiya screen?

Not quite sure... but doesn't Leaf provide different finder masks?
 

thomas

New member
get a fiberglass scratch brush. take a ruler to cover the inner frame of the screen* and scrub the outer area with the fiberglass pen. Will not really darken the outer frame... but will blur it effectively.

~ $5 + 10minutes of work

* screen?? no, the mask !!
OTOH... if you don't mind trashing $200 you can also try it with a screen :)
 

thomas

New member
Here Guy... I've just ordered some shims from this company http://www.dremicut.de/precision_cutting_parts.html to adjust my screens in the Contax (stainless steel in this case, not plastic). They can make customized shims down to 0.005mm thickness (depending on the size of the pieces).
Of course that's a bit too far away from Arizona :) ... just thought to post the link so it will give you an idea what kind of company you should search for.
(you can switch to English language in the lower left corner of the site)
 

MaxKißler

New member
I just thought about that topic few days ago... Wouldn't it be great if Phase/Mamiya could improve their next camera body with this feature:

A built in finder magnification!

First of all, I do not know whether it's technically possible to implement all that is needed. But I believe it could work just like the diopter adjustment element contolled by the dial on the left hand side of the finder. Let's say we'd have another dial on the bottom part of the finder to control the magnification factor, which should range from 1.0 to 2.0 (or at least 1.5).

So if you own a P30+ Back and use a focusing screen with crop lines, you could simply turn the dial three times to have a magnification factor of 1.3 and a completely filled finder.

If this doesn't work, Phase/Mamiya could sell diopter adjustment lenses with the magnification factors explained above.


What do you think?
 
J

jamie123

Guest
Why not just make a mask yourself out of a thin foil? Maybe from a sheet of ND filter or maybe you can even find some thin adhesive foil.

Another option would be to just take a wide non-permanent black marker and make a wide black frame around the crop marks.

Both these DIY options, if done with proper care, could result in a very clean and professional looking crop screen.
 

David Schneider

New member
I have on my list of things to purchase this winter a Brightscreen #5-Diagonal for Hassie H3D2. http://www.brightscreen.com/styles.html . There's a 10 day return policy so just want to make sure when I purchase it I'm in studio working.

I know with my Canon gear I've taken their screen and just put some Exacto knife lines for my 8x10 crop. Works fine, but as Guy said, sometimes you just don't see the lines or ignore them.
 

Audii-Dudii

Active member
In addition to everything else focus-screen related he does, Bill Maxwell can also add crop marks and/or gray out the outside edges of the focus screen. I had him do both when he treated my Contax screens with his enhancement magic and the combo works very, very well with my P30+.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
get a fiberglass scratch brush. take a ruler to cover the inner frame of the screen* and scrub the outer area with the fiberglass pen. Will not really darken the outer frame... but will blur it effectively.

~ $5 + 10minutes of work

* screen?? no, the mask !!
OTOH... if you don't mind trashing $200 you can also try it with a screen :)
Thomas was thinking of sort of the same thing , something to mar the outside crop lines. This maybe a good solution
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I just thought about that topic few days ago... Wouldn't it be great if Phase/Mamiya could improve their next camera body with this feature:

A built in finder magnification!

First of all, I do not know whether it's technically possible to implement all that is needed. But I believe it could work just like the diopter adjustment element contolled by the dial on the left hand side of the finder. Let's say we'd have another dial on the bottom part of the finder to control the magnification factor, which should range from 1.0 to 2.0 (or at least 1.5).

So if you own a P30+ Back and use a focusing screen with crop lines, you could simply turn the dial three times to have a magnification factor of 1.3 and a completely filled finder.

If this doesn't work, Phase/Mamiya could sell diopter adjustment lenses with the magnification factors explained above.


What do you think?
Man have you been reading my mind. I whole heartedly agree and I am so hoping the next body has this. It will eliminate the FF need

Someone from Phase please listen to this suggestion and run with it. WE WANT IT. LOL
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Why not just make a mask yourself out of a thin foil? Maybe from a sheet of ND filter or maybe you can even find some thin adhesive foil.

Another option would be to just take a wide non-permanent black marker and make a wide black frame around the crop marks.

Both these DIY options, if done with proper care, could result in a very clean and professional looking crop screen.
My issue with adding any type of physical element that may add thickness may throw focus off is my main concern. But matting it somehow or marker it somehow maybe the best answer
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
In addition to everything else focus-screen related he does, Bill Maxwell can also add crop marks and/or gray out the outside edges of the focus screen. I had him do both when he treated my Contax screens with his enhancement magic and the combo works very, very well with my P30+.
Awesome this is good to know. I may go this route send him a screen have him do his brightness thing and than grey out the outside. Did not know Bill did the outside greying
 

SergeiR

New member
I just took simple permanent marker and draw crop lines on my RZ and AFD brightsreen made screens, when i got tired of having to shout "oh damn, hold that pose, i need to move a bit back"..
 

Terry

New member
Awesome this is good to know. I may go this route send him a screen have him do his brightness thing and than grey out the outside. Did not know Bill did the outside greying
Guy, I am going to follow you on this one....perhaps he will want to do two of them at once.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I have a extra screen and tried a nail file. Not bad but think I need some really extra fine sandpaper maybe better like 300. Try more in the morning
 
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