Bizarre Hasselblad Focusing Screen Issue

SpaceshipEarth · Aug 31, 2020

Hello.

Wondering is anyone here has insight as to what could possibly cause this. I have a Hasselblad 503cw that I've been shooting weekly for over a year. I was just out shooting with it last week, with the standard waist level finder and genuine acute-matte focusing screen. Camera has been in it's case since last week, nothing has changed.

I take the camera out of the case today and there is a circle of what looks like wear on the focusing screen. I haven't cleaned or touched it at all since it was last used. What the heck is this circular wear? I broke down the camera and there is NOTHING that could possibly be rubbing or anything. I tried cleaning the focusing screen and it appears to be permanent.

Does anyone have the wildest idea to what could cause this?? Attached are a couple images of the screen removed from the body .

SpaceshipEarth · Aug 31, 2020

Only thing I can possibly think of is it was incredibly hot last week while I was shooting. Perhaps the sun hitting the magnifier of the waist finder could have cooked it?

beemermark · Aug 31, 2020

Delamination

Kodachromeguy · Aug 31, 2020

I agree with Bee, I think it is delamination, although I have never seen it occur to a Hasselblad screen. In super hot weather (here in Mississippi) I use an old grid screen which, if it were damaged, would not be a great loss. When you look through the screen, do you see the delamination, or is the view clear?

SpaceshipEarth · Aug 31, 2020

Screen looks completely normal except for the edge / vignette outside the 'circle'. The mark down the center is from the attached prism / dof of my iphone camera and not the focusing screen.

shutterfinger · Aug 31, 2020

The rings are the fresnel of the screen showing up from oxidized components of the camera or case or moisture condensing in the gap between the fresnel and glass/polycarboniate clear plate from delamination. Try cleaning the focus screen and see if it improves.

SpaceshipEarth · Aug 31, 2020

shutterfinger said:
The rings are the fresnel of the screen showing up from oxidized components of the camera or case or moisture condensing in the gap between the fresnel and glass/polycarboniate

THANK YOU

I was able to successfully disassemble the focusing screen and clean the fresnel and glass. Reassembly was a little more tricky, but I got it. I inspected the inside of the camera and did notice slight corrosion building up on a screw, which I was able to dust off and light brush with machine oil.

I'm letting the body sit overnight in a bag with desiccant packs, mindful to not let it sit long enough to dry out lubrication. I was sweating quite profusely during the last shoot and it was incredibly humid. I think I just got a lot of moisture in the body when I was using the loupe in the waist finder. I'm glad I caught this now and not a few weeks from now!

I need to hit the prism with some air but here is a shot after cleaning the fresnel.

Thanks again.

itsdoable · Aug 31, 2020

As Shutterfinger says. That is a typical artifact when you get moisture between the glass cover and the polycarbonate screen, which has the fresnel side up against the glass. If some moisture gets on the glass, or If you wipe the screen with a liquid cleaner, as soon as the liquid touched the metal frame, it wicks under the glass, and runs along the fresnel groves, creating that pattern. If the liquid can evaporate, the pattern disappears, but if the liquid does not (ie: oil or other contamination), then it sticks around.

And as you discovered, you can dismantle and clean the screen, it's just very easy to scratch the polycarbonate part when you do that.

As a side note, the glass cover was so you could use a grease pen on the screen during a studio session - but you needed to use a dry wipe to remove the marks, or you get the above.

Sirius Glass · Aug 31, 2020

The circle was always there. You just noticed it.

SpaceshipEarth · Aug 31, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
The circle was always there. You just noticed it.

Obviously, the concentric circles from the fresnel were there. I can assure you I would notice what was shown in the images attached to the OP, given I spend at least a couple combined hours a month looking at it. As stated, I've cleaned the fresnel and it is now back to how it was last week.

eli griggs · Sep 1, 2020

I had this happen to a new pair of VA Glasses, earlier this year, with a few drops of actual water accumulated between the layers, and it actually helped me see a bit better/sharper in that lens.

Don't try to seal it on the edges with super glue, capillary action may suck it in further than you'll want.

If you end up replacing it, I'd be interested in knowing what you'll want for it, I like those grid pattern screens.

Cheers.

eli griggs · Sep 1, 2020

It's likely that it happened when you took your still hot camera inside to AC, out of the bag.

Cheers.

Bizarre Hasselblad Focusing Screen Issue

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