Best focus screen for close focussing on Mamiya C330f?

I’m guessing No.5, but would appreciate info from those who have been there, done that. The only lens I have currently is the 80mm. I have the Paramender 2.

The No.5 is for focusing an aerial image. It takes practice to remember to check for parallax against the cross-hairs.

Do you have a problem with your current screen? The 80mm is f2.8, so even at full extension (not quite 1:1) the light loss will not be too bad.

I would use an all matte (#1) for close focus. Even for true macro. Telephoto screens (for smaller aperture lenses) are ideal, but I don't believe Mamiya made one. For high mag (ie: really small effective aperture) with high contrast flat items, an astro screen (ie: #5) can be useful.

Thanks for both those responses.

Graham, the screen I have could be much brighter, so as I was contemplating a change to a brighter screen I thought it might be time to enquire about the suitability of other screens. I was even contemplating the MP screen from Bright Screens. I’m in no great hurry, and am not looking to do very close macro work, maybe close portrait work would be more accurate.

Focus precision is greater with coarser (and consequently dimmer appearing) focus screens; brighter (and less coarse) focus screens do not present with as fine an ability to detect focus by eye...which explains why the brighter screens used in dSLRs (to compensate for optical losses compared to film SLRs) do not manually focus as precisely with their standard focus screens!
In selecting between aftermarket focus screens for medium format SLRs, one consideration was whether or not focus accuracy declined noticably with one brighter aftermarket screen than another brand; some where better in preservation of focus accuracy and repeatability than others.

Thanks, wiltw. Food for thought.

Aren't you meant to be able to use the magnifying lens to focus, without bending down to peer into it? Just keep your normal posture, and be able to adjust for critical focussing. That's my memory of seeing my father use his, some 55 years ago.