Rolleiflex 2.8C focus screen

campy51 · Sep 20, 2021

Did this model come standard with a fresnel screen as well as a grid screen with center spot? My new to me 2.8C came today and before I took the screen out to clean it I noticed it seemed bright and not too hard to focus. It has the fresnel on the bottom and grid screen on top as looking down the view finder.

Mr Bill · Sep 20, 2021

Hi, I bought my first Rollei, a 2.8 C, back in the late 1960s. They weren't that old at the time so I presume it was all original. Anyway, regular ground glass. It included a Rolleigrid (i think it was called), a fresnel screen with a clear center spot, that dropped in on top of the ground glass, and was held in place by a couple of little clips. So I'd say that yours, with a fresnel lens under the ground glass, was redone somewhere in the last 50 years or so.

Mr Bill · Sep 20, 2021

Oh, wait... it occurs to me that you are saying that the Rolleigrid drops in place with the grooved side facing down? And it sits on top of the ground glass? Yes, that's the way it goes, as I recall. I think that if you try to install it the other way around the clips won't engage; they have to slide over the tapered "ramps" on the Rolleigrid.

campy51 · Sep 20, 2021

The fresnel was under the ground glass and not on top.

Mr Bill · Sep 20, 2021

campy51 said:
The fresnel was under the ground glass and not on top.

Then I'd say it's not original. At least not for a 2.8C.

campy51 · Sep 20, 2021

I think it may have been upgraded at some point.

Dan Daniel · Sep 20, 2021

The fresnel underneath was common for YashicaMats, Autoocrds, Diacords, etc. The problem with Rolleiflexes is that the parallax mechanism rides close to the ground glass, so adding the thickness of a fresnel can cause interference.

Are the parallax bars working on the 2.8C?

campy51 · Sep 21, 2021

I must have had a senior moment, when I took them out of course the fresnel was on top because I had it flipped it over.

Dan Daniel · Sep 21, 2021

campy51 said:
I must have had a senior moment, when I took them out of course the fresnel was on top because I had it flipped it over.

Was the fresnel on top of the frame, with the ground glass underneath the frame? Or were the two pieces sandwiched together and underneath the frame?

Again, the parallax bars can not work sometimes if there is a fresnel added underneath because the bars move very closely to the ground glass. And I can't remember seeing a fresnel on top of ground glass in a sandwich. I've seen the Rolleigrid fresnel that sits on top of the screen frame as someone mentioned. And I've taken small plastic magnifier sheets and cut the to fit on top like a Rolleigrid. But not a sandwich under the frame (if it sandwiched with fresnel on top, the ground glass should be facing up to be anywhere close to the height it should be).

campy51 · Sep 21, 2021

Looking at it again it appears that it has the Rolleigrid. Is this set up as good or better than replacing it with a Rick Olsen screen? When I pushed out the screen with my finger the gg was first and then the fresnel which is why I made a mental note that the fresnel was on the bottom but when flipped over it would be on top. The condition of the camera to me is a 8+-9 and the glass appears scratchless to my 70 years old eyes but I was told it has slight lens separation but I can't tell if it does or not. If it does I doubt it's going to affect any photos. Do I shoot wide open or stopped down to test for separation affects?

Dan Daniel · Sep 21, 2021

I'm still confused. The Rolleigrid goes on the outsdie of the focus screen, while the ground glass is under neath.

Every Rolleigrid I have seen is marked up, etc. The Oleson would be cleaner, and most likely brighter and more even. After that, you get into the religious debate of ground glass being crisper to snap in and out, etc.

campy51 · Sep 21, 2021

I have an Olsen screen in my 2.8E. Switching it shouldn't be a problem should it? By the way I sent my 2.8E planar lens out under your recommendation to have the separation fixed. It's soaking as we speak.

Dan Daniel · Sep 21, 2021

campy51 said:
I have an Olsen screen in my 2.8E. Switching it shouldn't be a problem should it? By the way I sent my 2.8E planar lens out under your recommendation to have the separation fixed. It's soaking as we speak.

As long as the E is a non-interchangeable viewfinder, the screen size is the same.

The thickness of a screen and the position of the actual image plane can change from screen to screen. If you had a ground glass screen with the Roleifgrid in the outer area, the difference will be slight so at least for testing it should be fine. Rick is very helpful in how to adjust, check, etc.

campy51 · Sep 21, 2021

Thanks

Rolleiflex 2.8C focus screen

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