Who makes the brightest 4x5 ground glass screens?

Graham Patterson said:
My 4x5 Wista screen set a pretty high bar that my self made screens have trouble (i.e fail) to meet!
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On a few photo meets in the past, other 5x4 users have commented on the brightness of my Wista's screenis, compared to their cameras. It's so good I rarely use a dark cloth, although it's on hand as I wrap the camera in it when it's in my backpack.

I did ask Teamwork how much a Wista screen was quite a few years ago, at the time it was £60 +VAT, but I'd only paid $60 for the Graflex camera, and in the end just added a fresnel.

When I bought my first 10x8 camera, an Agfa Ansco Commercial View, it came with a NIB Beattie Intenscreen, many thought these were the best super bright screens, they were made for 35mm cameras, 120, and LF. The whole package was $600 plus shipping, back in 2004, but at the time a 10x8 Beattie screen was selling for around $300, it wasn't in the eBay listing, and I was told the 12" Dagor was useless. The Dagor's Compound shutter had a died out speed piston, it has worked perfectly for 21 years, a very quick fix, less than a minute.

Ian
 
Interesting set of posts.......Anybody any experience and thoughts on the Intrepid 5 x 4 glass/fresnal combo as sold by Intrepid?
 
The focusing screen on my Toyo is very bright and clear, however that is the 45A Mark 2. Maybe they improved it on later models.
 
AERO said:
Interesting set of posts.......Anybody any experience and thoughts on the Intrepid 5 x 4 glass/fresnal combo as sold by Intrepid?
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I've not got that model anymore but I did get the fresnel at the time, the fresnel helped quite a bit. I don't recall the focusing screen being particularly bright though.
 
I agree with how bright Wista screens can be. The one on my 45DX is lovely. I've got Maxwell Hi-Lux screens in a few of my 6x6 cameras and they are brighter than real life. A massive help when photographing indoors with low light levels to begin with.
 
We have Maxwell fresnels on both our Ebony 5x4s. Such a shame he no longer seems to be around. They are simply stunning.
 
I have a Maxwell, it’s extremely bright but I’m not convinced the in and out of focus “snap” is amazing (much like the Blad acutematte screens). Its great for wide to normal lenses but beyond about 210-240mm it is over correcting so you get a sort of central dark area you have to chase around the glass by moving your head around.
 
Ian Grant said:
The screens I make are very similar to Satin Snow, I picked up tips from the maker. These are plain screens, Maxwell, Beattie, & Maxwell screens are combinations including fresnels, and so much brighter towards the edges and corners. Add a fresnel to a plain screen and you get very close.

I was using my Toyo last week and was shocked how dim the screen is, and it has a fresnel. It must be acid etched.

Today I set the Toyo up alongside my Wista, and was very surprised.

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Using a spotmeter there is a fraction more than 2 stops difference in brightness (in the centre), and more importantly the Toyo screen has significantly less contrast. Both lenses are f5.6, a 150mm on the Wista, 135mm on the Toyo. Stopping the Wista lens to f11 the difference in Contrast is still very apparent.

I am shocked, but . . . . . . . . . .

Ian
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Wow Ian. Your screen is much brighter than my wista vx ground glass. That’s very interesting.
 
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