Hasselblad for Dummies viewing screen question

Venchka · Mar 2, 2010

Please tell me the correct orientation for the Acute Matte viewing/focusing screen. I know that the clear piece goes on top when looking down on the viewing screen. I want to make sure that I have the actual focusing part installed correctly.

Thanks for your help.

sandholm · Mar 2, 2010

Well, dont know which model you have, but as you say clear piece on the top, or you should see the "groves" so you can lock the screen down.

Which orientation is up to you, there is no "correct" way. I looked in the manual and not even Hasselblad say anything about the orientation. You choose, I have mine horizontal, but i know one who has his vertical (i cant focus that camera...), just try and see what is best for you.

Just one warning, make sure that the screen is flat before you lock any of the sides.

cheers

Q.G. · Mar 2, 2010

The bottom of the screen is the side where you see that the metal frame is made up out of two pieces, one fitting inside the other.
The top is the side where the metal frame is seen flat around the screen.

It does matter which way is up.

Venchka · Mar 2, 2010

Q.G. said:
The bottom of the screen is the side where you see that the metal frame is made up out of two pieces, one fitting inside the other.
The top is the side where the metal frame is seen flat around the screen.

It does matter which way is up.

Yikes. I may have the whole frame in the camera upside down. Going to measure minimum focus distance tonight. That explains a lot.

Which side of the ground glass goes up? The side with the recessed circle or the side with the nubs? This is the current, 2003 501CM, 2 part viewing system. I know what the frame does. I want to know how the glass bits are oriented in relation to the focusing of the camera.

Venchka · Mar 2, 2010

Ok. From the beginning.

Frame on the table. The horizontal surface of the outer part of the frame has two tiny counterbores (holes that didn't go through) along one edge near a corner. Two pieces of glass next to the frame. Matte finished glass with a circle and lines and two raised bumps on one side. Plain clear glass. Assuming down is toward the mirror and up is toward the magnifier in the WLF, how do I assemble the two glass parts in the frame and the frame in the camera?

Q.G. · Mar 2, 2010

The top of a Hasselblad screen has the metal rim folded over evenly all along the sides and corners.
The bottom has the metal frame rim folded over along the edges, but not the corners.

You shouldn't have to assemble a Hasselblad screen out of it constituent parts.

Venchka · Mar 2, 2010

You do if you take it apart. That's why this is Hasselblad for Dummies.

OK, you covered the metal frame parts. Now tell me, please, how the two glass parts fit together. My guess: Ground glass/split rangefinder/microprism piece on the bottom (closest to the mirror) flat side up. Plain glass piece on top of ground glass piece. Metal frame with two tiny half depth holes up and shownig from above.

Q.G. · Mar 2, 2010

Venchka said:
You do if you take it apart. That's why this is Hasselblad for Dummies.

OK, you covered the metal frame parts. Now tell me, please, how the two glass parts fit together. My guess: Ground glass/split rangefinder/microprism piece on the bottom (closest to the mirror) flat side up. Plain glass piece on top of ground glass piece. Metal frame with two tiny half depth holes up and shownig from above.

That's it, yes.

You put that sandwich inside the lower part of the metal frame, put the upper part over it, and fold the sides (not the corners) over the lower part of the frame.

Venchka · Mar 2, 2010

No folding required to disassemble so I'm assuming no folding to re-assemble. Thanks. At the moment I have a 3" front focus humbug going on. Backtracking to my fumbled attempt to take the view screen assembly apart and reassemble.

Thanks you!

Q.G. · Mar 2, 2010

The inner metal frame is held in place by the sides of the upper part being bent, folded, over them.
To take the frame apart and remove the two working bits, you must have unfolded the sides a bit.

And that's the problem with taking Hasselblad screens apart: you have to bend things out of shape. You'll never get them back in shape again as neatly as they came from the factory. That will make the screen stick when putting it in, or taking it out of the camera.
And possibly worse, not hold the working bits quite right. Adjusting the position of the bits the screen rests on in the camera is a 0.01 of a mm affair. Now you come along and bend the screen itself out of shape...

Venchka · Mar 3, 2010

1. The inner frame was reversed and inserted inside the outer frame. Don't ask. I have no idea how that happened.
2. #1 was discovered with a 10x loupe. That's how close everything is. No seams showing between the two metal frames.
3. Inner frame gently extracted from the outer frame.
4. Glass pieces correctly assembled in the inner frame.
5. Inner frame and glass bits inserted right way around in the outer frame.
6. Assembly dropped into camera. Outer frame up. Latches moved into place.
7. It seems good. I'll confirm this weekend.

Thank you!

Q.G. · Mar 3, 2010

The inner frame should be 'upside down', i.e. it functions as a 'pan' - with L-shaped profile - in which the screen lies.
It goes into the upper frame, which has an Γ-shaped profile.

The side walls of the upper profile are bend inwards along the sides, to keep the lower frame firmly in place.

Venchka · Mar 3, 2010

Exactly. And the two snap together reassuringly.

I can't recall doing it, but as recently as yesterday evening, the legs of the smaller metal frame was nested inside the larger. And quite invisible to the naked eye.

It's all good now.

brucemuir · Mar 6, 2010

whew, that had me on the edge. haha

Venchka · Mar 8, 2010

I put a roll of Tmax 100 in the camera yesterday. I made several exposures at/near min. distance of bricks. They are sharp and didn't move. I'll finish the roll soon and report back.

Hasselblad for Dummies viewing screen question

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