Focusing Screen

Have anybody seen Nikon D100 and Canon EE-A screens in real life I mean out of camera body?
I have both here on my desk and neither of them doesn`t have any markings.
And both can be had for around $35 or less in fact EE-A screen can be had for $15 when purchased as OEM component.
I`ll be posting tests next week hopefully but so far it seems that EE-A micolens focusing screen is the best. There is even quality bokeh when lens is closed down to f3.5 and that`s even with 19mm wide angle.

Nikon D100 screen tested by Ben Winter: "The D100 shows great lack of light loss, great lack of grain, and the in-focus material is the sharpest I've ever seen.":
http://www.frozenphoenixproductions..../d100test1.mov
http://www.frozenphoenixproductions..../d100test2.mov
http://www.frozenphoenixproductions..../d100test3.mov

By the way what is the best test chart for testing focusing screens and where can I download it? I`ve lost my EIA chart.

Thumbs up,
T
 
Focusing Screen: B-type BrightView Clear Matte Screen III

Focusing Screen: B-type BrightView Clear Matte Screen III

Hi all,

This might be my 1st post! Have exhaustively read in this forum, trying to compile notes on others' experiences.

Hope the thread is not dead...

Good to know about the Ee-A screen being clear matte no markings. Was actually going to try the Ee-A, and may still!

My plans?

I am ex-aerospace engineer for Lockheed Martin. I have good manufacturing know how, but always analyze things to death... Consequently schedule suffers...

I already have a Nikon Type D screen ($13.99 US).

I have two hand-made gg screens, one done with 600 grit, one with 1500 grit. ($16.00 US and 2 hrs 20 minutes of careful/cautious time).

I have just ordered the Nikon B Type BrightView Clear Matte Focus Screen III. I got confirmation finally that this screen is indeed clear of any markings. ($34.95 US).

I have two candidate translucent thin plastic materials ordered from industrial plastics manufacturer. (Free Samples, but sort of portrayed myself as someone doing prototyping for a new product).

I have successfully made about 15 wax screens using several recipes of micro wax, bleached bees wax, and two other additives, and parafin. I have three recipes, and have done the screens at .001" graduations from .001 to .005". (Sorry, using tooling shim stock so it is not metric). I can already see that the .001 and .002 screens seem way too clear for two of the three recipes. We'll see...

I have almosted finished amassing parts I need to build my two adapters. I am making a static gg adapter, and a vibrating glass adapter. One is 2" and one is 2.25" in diameter.

Want to build a rail system as well. Have a rail system on my work bench that I will use for testing and adjusting adapters to camera... Having everything mounted and in-line makes it very easy to test focal lengths. Incorporated a threaded adjustment into my design so that the screen can be adjusted fore and back inside the tube for fine focusing adjustments.

Still waiting for several adapters and two lenses...

Will take me a month or two, but it is my intent to very methodically compare these focus screens. I will indeed need all the experts out there to tell me about all those things that I do not readily see...

Be back soon!
 
Spread,

Thanks for the info. It would be great if you could post comparison shots from each of the GG you have in your arsenal and/or impressions of each...

-j
 
j said:
Spread,

Thanks for the info. It would be great if you could post comparison shots from each of the GG you have in your arsenal and/or impressions of each...

-j
Click to expand...

I second that. :D
 
Update from the "HawkEye" adapter...

Update from the "HawkEye" adapter...

My last name is Hawkins... therefore my prototype adapter will be dubbed... the "Hawkeye 35."

FOCUSING SCREEN UPDATES>>>

The Nikon F100 Type D screen is a 4:3 aspect ratio screen. The Nikon B Type BrightView Clear Matte Focus Screen III is apparently a 16:9 aspect ratio screen. Overall one is about as wide as the other, but the BrightView screen is not as tall. That was very curious to me... Unless part of the screen is used for display information next to a smaller 4:3 image, I can not figure out why a still camera would have a 16:9 screen... Guess that is some research for somebody...

I have not measured the smaller screen with vernier calipers yet to know actual dimensions, but I sure hope that there is some margin for mounting this glass... I would hate to find out it is EXACTLY at the size for 16:9 with no margin at all.

This was one of the gg's that I propose to use in a static adapter version. Somewhere in one of these posts within this forum, somebody outlined the exact size of the 35mm image, and then outlined the exact size of the 16:9 image. If anyone knows what those are, I'd appreciate the info. There may not be enough extra glass on the smaller screen for vibrating it very far before the edge of the glass cuts in to the image area...

By the way, for Nikon F and F2 (and more?) screens available, go here to see ALL ABOUT THEM... It really is good reading and informative...

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/michaeliu/cameras/shared/ff2screens.htm


WAX RECIPES>>>

I will publish my wax recipes as soon as I can, BUT with the caveat that these recipes yielded some good potential candidate screens, but I have not tested yet... No one should run out and try them based on my info...

Thoughts? Maybe wait to publish so there is no confusion about which one(s) work and which one(s) don't?


GG HOLDER/VIBRATION MECHANISM>>>

And finally, I have actually assembled my first ground-glass holder prototype. I am waiting for a different vibrator motor, one with a bit more mass in the weight. My design is basically a 2" tube (albeit only 1/2" long) that fits within a 2.5" tube (the lens tube), with my ground glass holder mounted within the center smaller tube. This is much like mounting GG onto a filter ring, but my ring is 1/2" wide. I am working with 2.5" diameter lens tube first so I have plenty of room to test the springs... yes springs! Later maybe can cram this design into 2.25" lens tube...

Proof of concept first, then optimize the design.

So how does one get "springs" in between two tubes with less than 1/4" clearance? Springs come in many shapes and sizes. Most everyone would think about extension and compression coil springs... Not enough room for these...

I have come up with a flat spring system made from stainless steel shim stock that suspends the smaller tube within the larger tube. Because of the way the springs are devised and anchored the center tube is held in the correct position on the Z axis and does not allow for any movement in that direction, but allowing the tube to move up to 1/8" or more in the X and Y axis. I have what I think is a very unique design, and will publish pics as soon as I secure protection for it's design... (Would be a different topic than this thread???) I used strobe light to watch how far my inner ring is traveling. I believe I will have GREAT BLUR!

FORWARD THINKING>>>

Instead of a complete 35mm adapter, I may decide to make and sell GG vibration systems in a 2.25" aluminum threaded lens tube, so that others can incorporate it in to their specific adapter. It would not be very expensive like finished 35mm adapters are. It would be but one component in the adapter (the hardest to get right), just as the lens, and adapters, and lens mount, the achromatic, and the like are.

To be honest, if what I do here succeeds, I would think that the cost per unit would be no more than $100-$150 without the actual GG. There would be a template for mounting GG provided so each could mount his/her own GG if they wanted to. If someone wanted a particular ground glass installed by me, then that cost would be added... If someone wanted one of my subassemblies with a Beattie, for instance, the we'd be talking $250-$350 total for the unit.

The remainder of the costs for someone to build the rest of the adapter are for lenses, lens mounts, adapter rings, and that is comparatively low. I bought a Nikon F body for parts for $22. I bought a NICE Nikon F1.4 50mm lens for $59. I bought a NICE Nikon F2 35mm lens for $41. I bought several tele/macro-adapters for less than $10 each, and they each have lens (body) mounts on them!

So enough for now... have to go to my meeting tonight - I am a member of On and On and On-Anon.

:)
</IMG>
 
I think $150 dollar for a GG holder without the GG is a abit steep. Toenis is selling a similar type of GG holder for less than 50 dollars. 30 dollars to be exact I think. Also don't forget the cost of having to get all the parts together, glue, drill and drill bits, more glue, maybe a variety of glues to test which is suitable. I think the list is endless. Your adaptor may end up costing around 300 for an average DIYer excluding the hidden cost.
 
j said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_film_formats

This one is better:

http://www.panavision.com/aspect_ratio.php
Click to expand...

J

Thanks so much for the info. I had come upon some of it here and there. Nice concise list.


Car3o said:
Spread,

Would you be so kind to give me the exact measurements of the Nikon Brightview screen in MM please?

-Rh
Click to expand...

Hey Rh,

Yes indeed, I wil. I do have a set of metric vernier calipers. In my work room somewhere. Will get dimensions to you as soon as I find my calipers. meanwhile, here are some photos I took of the gg's after I received them. To bad I did not take photos from same distance for size relativity...

NikonF3Screen.jpg



NikonD2HScreen.jpg



Alex.Flory said:
I think $150 dollar for a GG holder without the GG is a abit steep. Toenis is selling a similar type of GG holder for less than 50 dollars. 30 dollars to be exact I think. Also don't forget the cost of having to get all the parts together, glue, drill and drill bits, more glue, maybe a variety of glues to test which is suitable. I think the list is endless. Your adaptor may end up costing around 300 for an average DIYer excluding the hidden cost.
Click to expand...

Hey Alex,

I was thinking more that my adapter would not be such a DIY adapter. I am envisioning full machined/threaded tubes, aluminum and plastic gg carrier, fine adjustable Z axis mechanism for the gg carrier assembly to move into final focus position, perpendicularity adjustment for the GG carrier ring, and up to 4 different plastic GG carrier plates.

Cost is certainly a nebulus figure right now; I would want to keep it as affordable as possible, and keep the design such that many users with different cameras can use it with common interfaces, like standard lens threads. There should be no gluing or epoxying, no improvising, and no worries about the ability of the vibration mechanism.

My weakness is my inability to scrutinize video. I am an artist, a musician in a band, a photographer of sorts, and have an eye for aesthetics and color. But when it comes to video... some of the 'bad' video I've seen posted looks OK to pretty good by me. I seem not to be able to discern some of the things that the experts can see. I hope to make this thing, and then have someone else help me with doing analysis of video. My statician's head will certainly yield an excellent test sample with many different combinations of all that I have. Hope someone can tell me which is the absolute best...

:beer:
 
Toenis GG Vibrator

Toenis GG Vibrator

Wow... I somehow missed that thread! Nice device... now I have to go read all about it...

:dankk2:
 
Focusing Screen Dimensions

Focusing Screen Dimensions

For those of you who were interested, here are the dimensions for the focusing screens I am trying out. In particular, the dimensions for that "BrightView" screen from Nikon... measured with metric calipers.

Nikon Type-B BrightView Clear Matte Focusing Screen III (For D2X and D2H cameras)
Dimensions: 34.3mm X 20mm gg only (not offered in a frame)
This is a 16:9 format focusing screen - again, very curious for a still camera... :huh:

Nikon F/F3 Type-D Screen Plain Matte in the frame with (condenser?)
Dimensions: 37.5mm X 26.3mm gg only 39.1 X 30.5 with frame
This is a 4:3 format focusing screen.

Beattie Intenscreen Plus for Mamiya 645 Super Plain Matte in the frame with fresnel
Dimensions: 56mm X 41.2mm gg only 56.2mm X 41.6mm with Frame
This is a 4:3 format focusing screen.

After I have the gg carriers done for my vibration device, I will photograph them all and post.

:beer:
 
Hey Guys,
Just noticed this thread, I was wondering if anyone was trying to build a rotating screen adapter? It seem to me you guys are looking at static gg adapter only or vibrating one? (am I right?) Or am I missing something?
Also, if I were to get one of these rectangular screens does anyone know of a place to have them cut to size in a circle? If you are going to spin the glass, it need to be a circle?
Thanks,
Luis
 
Restarting old post

Restarting old post

Why are we ignoring the GGs from OptoSigma, Thorlabs and Edmund Optics. All these thread seemed to have ignored them..

snodart said:
I have searched long and hard as you. So far the options seem to be:

Nikon D
Very hard to find. I contacted Nikon and it is no longer made. The last record they have of selling one from nikon is 5 years ago in Europe.

Beattie
expensive and very easy to scratch. Doesn't seem to perform as well as the D screen from the tests that I have seen.

Wax
Takes some effort and results will vary

AOL case or other translucent plastic
Produces great results. Often better than D screen if the area taken from the case is clean. I am looking into some plastic sellers and places to buy comparable plastic.

Home made GG
Micron grit sand and some elbow grease. Mixed results. I have a tutorial, but can't seem to find it right now.

So far, that is all I know of... any others?
Click to expand...
 
I have a ARRI Fiberscreen (of the viewfinder).
No visible grain and brighter than everything I ever saw.

Frank
 
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