Microprism focusing screens

[Grim Tuesday]

I just got a microprism screen for my Hasselblad (42250), and I am blown away by how much better it is than the default screen. I am finally able to confidently focus and see it pop in. And it was cheaper than an acute matte! I want a microprism for all my medium format cameras.

Is there anyone who has made a microprism dot screen for Rolleiflex? I have a 3.5e1 specifically. How about for Mamiya TLR? I am looking for screens with large microprism areas without a split image, but I guess a split image is OK.

 

[Bill Burk]

I don’t know but microprisms work best with faster glass. Somewhere around f/2 they seem to become less effective. (So it seems to me).

 

[Pieter12]

I just got a microprism screen for my Hasselblad (42250), and I am blown away by how much better it is than the default screen. I am finally able to confidently focus and see it pop in. And it was cheaper than an acute matte! I want a microprism for all my medium format cameras.

Is there anyone who has made a microprism dot screen for Rolleiflex? I have a 3.5e1 specifically. How about for Mamiya TLR? I am looking for screens with large microprism areas without a split image, but I guess a split image is OK.

Rick Oleson has the option of just a micorprism circle. And very reasonably priced.

 

[macfred]

Rick Oleson has the option of just a micorprism circle. And very reasonably priced.

This ! http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-175.html

 

[Frank53]

I just got a microprism screen for my Hasselblad (42250), and I am blown away by how much better it is than the default screen. I am finally able to confidently focus and see it pop in. And it was cheaper than an acute matte! I want a microprism for all my medium format cameras.

Is there anyone who has made a microprism dot screen for Rolleiflex? I have a 3.5e1 specifically. How about for Mamiya TLR? I am looking for screens with large microprism areas without a split image, but I guess a split image is OK.

I have a Maxwell screen with microprisms and split image for my Rolleiflex
Regards,
Frank

 

[Grim Tuesday]

Thanks for the Rick Oleson recommendation. Has anyone here had any experience with any of his screens? It seems just exactly what I'm looking for.

 

[jeffbennett]

Thanks for the Rick Oleson recommendation. Has anyone here had any experience with any of his screens? It seems just exactly what I'm looking for.

I have put Rick’s screens in several Rolleis. His current screen with the large microprism spot is excellent, very bright and easy to focus in my experience. I would consider it a very good upgrade from any of the older (ie, 1960s or earlier) stock Rollei screens.

 

[AgX]

I don’t know but microprisms work best with faster glass. Somewhere around f/2 they seem to become less effective. (So it seems to me).

They have a sudden black-out at certain aperture-value. This value is dependant on the design of the grid in question. With 35mm cameras that value typically is larger than 4.

 

[macfred]

I have a the current microprism screen and an older split image screen made by Oleson - both working fine with my 3.5F. I use his screens for my Bronica ETRSi too.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Thanks for the Rick Oleson recommendation. Has anyone here had any experience with any of his screens? It seems just exactly what I'm looking for.

Send him an email. Very helpful guy. He'll let you know what to expect, what others have found, etc.

His microprism sceen is actually the old stock from Brightscreen, I believe. Very high quality. I've had a couple of them; focus aids aren't my thing but if they were, this screen is excellent.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

I have Maxwell in my 3.5 f, it is great, but it does also have split image, which for me is far more useful the microprism. But, ether one is not a fix for every occasion. At the same time, even if split image gets blacked out, or partially so, it is still often there just need to change the angle from which you're looking at it. Microprism in my experience, once it goes, it just goes and on some background patterns it is no help at all, in fact makes things more confusing. I think there is a reason just about all camera makers have come up with variety of screens, depending on need and application. Micro/split combination is still probably the most universal one when faster focusing is needed. For times and places where there is time and photographed detail needs to be examined during focusing (so focus goes where intended), plain matte screens with center spot have their place.

Also let me add, that looking through many older SLR's with microprisms in, there is a significant difference in viewing experience Some have coarser micro-pattern than others, and that makes a difference where and when one will become less useful.

To put this in perspective, I do not like Pentax 645 NII because of how hard it is to focus manually with standard screen, a far far cry from original P645 with its micro/split combination standard screen when things just pop nicely and convincingly.

When I shop for (yet) another camera, I tend to value it higher if it comes with micro/split screen. As for Oleson screens I have no experience and I hope he gets his stock from a reputable maker and continues to do so. There are a lot of screens from China that make all kinds of claims, often they prove to be a total waste of money. Given Oleson's reputation thus far, he seems to be a good bet at prices that may still be competitive given the results. I can vouch for Maxwell, but I paid a $100 for mine, I believe that is a long gone price.

 

[AgX]

At the same time, even if split image gets blacked out, or partially so, it is still often there just need to change the angle from which you're looking at it. Microprism in my experience, once it goes, it just goes and on some background patterns it is no help at all,

The typical split-image focusing aid only has one axis at which two wedges are inclined to each other. When one half-image just gets blackened-out one can by slight change of eye position make the other black-out, so that one see both alternatively. With the mircoprism focusing aid there 2 or even 3 axis involved.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

The typical split-image focusing aid only has one axis at which two wedges are inclined to each other. When one half-image just gets blackened-out one can by slight change of eye position make the other black-out, so that one see both alternatively. With the mircoprism focusing aid there 2 or even 3 axis involved.

Thanks for the inside edition , always good to hear the makings of a device. It is actually quite often blackening completely gone in some conditions with viewing angle, at least that is what I have noticed, but it is a very slight change to get that in a near microscopic way.

With ETRSi and rotary finder, which is quite darker from the rest of the finder choices, split-image is workable well into darkness (easier to see large elements) while micro-prisms become more or less useless in same conditions. Just another example where things are not necessarily helpful to have.

 

[AgX]

At the verge of blacking one may try to use the aid nonetheless by flipping the images as described, but at closing down just a bit more the aid becomes useless.

For me the split-image aid is of utmost importance. But of course it is not useful in some occations, in these cases the microprisms may be an alternative. But I find their use time consuming and not very effective.

But of course screens vary in their design and even at same screens users have different penchants on these aids. Some even reject them both.

 

[macfred]

I prefer the microprism screen for portrait work - most of the time I use the split image screen. The remaining 'brightscreen' microprism stock Oleson offers are great - no 'blacking-out' stopped down to f/5.6 or 8.

 

[AgX]

But with keeping wedges and prism longer "bright" in design, one looses the acuteness of the aids.
There always is a price to pay...

 

[macfred]

But with keeping wedges and prism longer "bright" in design, one looses the acuteness of the aids.
There always is a price to pay...

This is a phenomenon I know from my 'all-matte' screens - in some conditions my genuine matte screen is easier to focus ('snapping-in') than the modern bright ones.

 

[macfred]

Btw - did we mention how important a clean mirror is for brightness and focusing ?