Best method to use parchment paper as ground glass?

jay moussy · Jul 14, 2021

Problem: Ansco Buster Folding, circa 1915, with a temperamental focusing scale, or to be precise, rail locking is not always positive.

I would like to experiment with and verify focusing scale positions.
I understand one can use parchment paper, set on film plane, and verify focus visually, under dark cloth, using known subject distances.

- Is this the best method?
- how to, or, any tips on best practice?

markjwyatt · Jul 14, 2021

Get a piece of ground glass. I bought a ground glass holder for a folder (nice rhyme). It did not fit my folder, and as I tried to grind it down to fit, it failed. I extracted the ground glass, not use that to check focus on folders.

M Carter · Jul 14, 2021

Some people use frosted scotch tape. I use Dura-Lar acetate sheets in matte, comes in pads. Handy for diffusion on lights or in the enlarger, too, Things like flashing paper where you need some diffusion. Not killer for some masking uses, it can transfer a sort of linen pattern, but for your use it would be fine.

JPD · Jul 14, 2021

Cut a piece of transparent plastic to fit, like the lid of a CD case, and tape matte scotch tape on one side. It works very well as a bright fine-grained viewing screen.

Don_ih · Jul 14, 2021

I discovered some time ago that a cheese slice wrapper is pretty much perfect for what you're doing. It has just the right amount of frosting. And you can eat the cheese.

jay moussy · Jul 14, 2021

Don Heisz said:
I discovered some time ago that a cheese slice wrapper is pretty much perfect for what you're doing. It has just the right amount of frosting. And you can eat the cheese.

Sharp Provolone, then!
Actually, parchment paper form the kitchen drawer should do the same, sans cheese.

I will start there, and go up in suggested material quality, as needed.
I cannot find it at the moment, but I vaguely recall our resident coffee roaster having good luck with the parchment paper!

Don_ih · Jul 14, 2021

jay moussy said:
Sharp Provolone, then!
Actually, parchment paper form the kitchen drawer should do the same, sans cheese.

I will start there, and go up in suggested material quality, as needed.
I cannot find it at the moment, but I vaguely recall our resident coffee roaster having good luck with the parchment paper!

Parchment paper suffers from not being very transparent. I think it's too diffuse to use as a ground-glass substitute.

gone · Jul 14, 2021

Wax paper? I've found the Scotch tape works well enough, but w/ anything as flimsy as tape, you run the risk of pushing it into the lens cavity of the camera and throwing the focus off if you press too hard while looking thru a loupe (you really need a loupe to ck focus, but sometimes turning a lens around backwards will work good enough). You can make a small piece of ground glass just for this purpose, but I usually found that the tape worked well enough.

mgb74 · Jul 14, 2021

Can you cut a piece of glass to fit? It's very easy to make a ground glass with some rock polishing grit.

Bill Burk · Jul 14, 2021

I sliced a one-inch section of a standard film holder and tape a piece of parchment to the thin sheet metal. I use it to confirm rangefinder infinity so it’s fine just aiming at the sun.

For backpacking it’s a lot less weight than the Horseman ground glass.

tokam · Jul 15, 2021

JPD said:
Cut a piece of transparent plastic to fit, like the lid of a CD case, and tape matte scotch tape on one side. It works very well as a bright fine-grained viewing screen.

This +100.

Make your own frosted glass piece; indeed NOT!! Risk of cut fingers on edge of glass and then the hassle of evenly 'frosting' the glass with valve grinding paste / carborundum grit etc.

I have made two from CD jewel case and matte scotch tape. One for 35mm and one for 120. Keep them clean in a ziploc bag until needed.

Auer · Jul 15, 2021

I had some old swedish camera that took lousy pictures so I took the Ground Glass out of it before I tossed it.

Works great.

JPD · Jul 15, 2021

tokam said:
This +100.

Make your own frosted glass piece; indeed NOT!! Risk of cut fingers on edge of glass and then the hassle of evenly 'frosting' the glass with valve grinding paste / carborundum grit etc.

I have made two from CD jewel case and matte scotch tape. One for 35mm and one for 120. Keep them clean in a ziploc bag until needed.

I did grind old unused 9x12 glass plates to replace the old ones in Voigtländer plate cameras. It was a lot of work but they came out excellent. Voigtländer actually used normal glass plates for their GGs, so they fitted perfectly and look original. But for test purposes and when it doesn't matter if the viewing screen is "original", the sheet of plastic and scotch tape is a perfect method.

Rick A · Jul 15, 2021

I never tried parchment paper, but waxed paper works just fine.

jay moussy · Jul 15, 2021

Rick A said:
I never tried parchment paper, but waxed paper works just fine.

Indeed!
I just tried a few minutes ago, generic supermarket brand, worked just fine for my testing purpose - once you realize you have to step back a bit to "see".\
Just before that, I tried a slightly frosted soft plastic sheet document protector, not good, the grain was getting in the way.

Rick A · Jul 15, 2021

jay moussy said:
Indeed!
I just tried a few minutes ago, generic supermarket brand, worked just fine for my testing purpose - once you realize you have to step back a bit to "see".\
Just before that, I tried a slightly frosted soft plastic sheet document protector, not good, the grain was getting in the way.

Use something for a focusing cloth to make viewing easier.

wiltw · Jul 15, 2021

Get a small thin piece of plexiglass, then you can 'frost' one side simply by flowing some solvent across the surface briefly, and letting it evaporate.

Best method to use parchment paper as ground glass?

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