5x5" fresnel?

[EASmithV]

Hello all,

I'm looking for a fresnel for my super D, mainly to help "snap" the focus as my eyesight isn't the greatest.
Would a cheap book reading fresnel give this effect when placed on the GG?

 

[Barry S]

I just cut down a full page magnifier from Staples to use on my Reflex-Primar 9x12 SLR. It brightens up the screen, but it's a little coarse. It's an improvement, but it doesn't "snap" the focus. It would be nice to find something finer, but for $7--it's an inexpensive upgrade. I used a fine-toothed Exacto saw to cut 1/2 way through the fresnel and then snapped the cuts over a table edge.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

I've used an inexpensve $9.95 book reading fresnel placed over the rear GG of an 8x10 with good results. It may not be the perfect solution, but for a quick compositional check it works quite well. And if I should drop it over the cliff, no great loss.

Ken

 

[shutterfinger]

Fresnels are for eliminating hot spots from bright objects and opening up the shadows as viewed on the ground glass which may or may not improve focusing and with a loupe makes it more difficult.

A fresnel placed between the lens and ground glass will cause the focus to shift so that the sandwich has to be repositioned to match the film plane focus.

A fresnel placed over the viewing side ground glass will make the shadow detail easier to see while eliminating the hot spots to a degree. It may make the overall brightness higher.

I have successfully used a office supply store fresnel on 4x5 cameras. A fine tooth saw or plexiglass scoring tool can be used to cut the fresnel. When scoring score from the smooth side and score half way through before trying to snap it.

A pair of 2 to 4 power reading glasses may do more to make focusing easier than a fresnel.

 

[Zathras]

Fresnels are for eliminating hot spots from bright objects and opening up the shadows as viewed on the ground glass which may or may not improve focusing and with a loupe makes it more difficult.

A fresnel placed between the lens and ground glass will cause the focus to shift so that the sandwich has to be repositioned to match the film plane focus.

A fresnel placed over the viewing side ground glass will make the shadow detail easier to see while eliminating the hot spots to a degree. It may make the overall brightness higher.

I have successfully used a office supply store fresnel on 4x5 cameras. A fine tooth saw or plexiglass scoring tool can be used to cut the fresnel. When scoring score from the smooth side and score half way through before trying to snap it.

A pair of 2 to 4 power reading glasses may do more to make focusing easier than a fresnel.

I agree. I put a cheap fresnel ofer the ground glass of my 2¼ x 3¼ RB Graflex, and that diminished the hot spot. What really made it easier to focus was the fresnel used in combination with a 2x pair of cheap reading glasses.

 

[j_landecker]

Try this place: 3dlens.com/. I've ordered from them before and their quality is good. They seem to have cut back on their offerings, but something like this might do the trick.