Best screen for RB67 Pro SD

[tom43]

Hi all,

unfortunately I lost the focusing screen of my Mamiya RB67 Pro SD. Now I´m looking for a new one and want to ask you, if there are better options from third parties? Old threads indicate for alternatives from Brightscreen and Intenscreen, but they seem not to be available any longer. Any experience with such screens and if yes, are there any advantages, e.g. a brighter appearance? Any recommendations where to buy such a screen?

Another point: There are two Type A screens for the Pro SD. The standard version and the 6x8 version. The standard version seems not to be available any longer (new), too. Can I use the 6x8 variant also for 6x7 backs? Any experience would be helpful.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[John Koehrer]

They fit, you're gonna have 5mm extra on each edge. Not hard to mask.

 

[Kirks518]

First question - how does one lose a focusing screen?

I've heard the Brightscreen and Intenscreens are nice, very bright etc., but I've never used one. If you're buying used, be careful that they actually are the Brightscreen/Intenscreen, as many screens in the boxes from those are actually the original screens, and not the Brightscreen/Intenscreen.

And because my eyes aren't what they used to be, I prefer screens B and F with the split prism. I find matte screens difficult myself. YMMV.

 

[tedr1]

I have the standard matte screen A. I recently tried the Brightscreen hoping it would yield superior results, however while it was about 1/2stop brighter (according to my spotmeter) the Fresnel grain of the screen was slightly coarser than the stock screen, I returned the Brightscreen. If you are in the USA the same item should show up in stock at KEH any day now when the return process is complete, try it for yourself. By the way a choice of screens seem to be listed on ebay.com right now.

 

[williaty]

I have found the split-image (rangefinder) and microprism screens increasingly useless. I generally don't put the subject in the exact center of the screen (where the focusing aid is) and the "tilt-focus-recompose" dance to use the focusing aid on an off-center subject is geometrically guaranteed to put the plane of focus behind the subject. With shooting MF wide open or close to it, that focus error is greater than the depth of field and causes problems. At this point, I've come around to thinking that full-matte screens with maybe some lines to help get horizons level is the way to go. I'll be having Bill Maxwell make me one of his unbelievably bright screens for my RZ as soon as I can bring myself to stop buying lenses for it!