Best Acute-Matte D Screen For Longer Lens

I've been using split image viewfinder screens on my Hasselblad, but I realize this is not very useful with longer lenses. What's the best Acute-Matte screen for use with longer and tele optics?

Well, there isn't much of a selection really: just the two with split image variations, and the standard cross with no central focus aids at all. So I guess your choice would depend on whether you want (and are able to use) the split image in your tele work, or not.

 

For a long time, I owned all three Acute Matte Ds and some earlier AMs. But at current stratospheric resale prices, it felt silly to sit on them, so I forced myself to choose my favorites and sell the rest. IMO the split image aid is a very mixed bag: on one hand, its sort of necessary with the Acute Mattes because they're tricky to focus using just the plain "matte". OTOH, because of the odd light transmission issues of the AM, half the time I find the split image impossible to use because it flashes constantly between blacking out and in (esp with wide lenses, where I need help the most).

 

In the end I decided to live with the more tricky but more consistent plain cross screens, AM 42165 and AMD 42204. They seem more evenly compatible for wide, normal and tele work. Personally, I notice zero difference between performance of the D vs non-D: if anything the earlier non-D is a bit easier for my (hopeless) eyes to lock on. At today's inflated used prices, I see no reason to spend 50% more for the D version: buyers and sellers are just being ridiculous, I guarantee 10 out of 10 people could not tell the difference in a blind audition of both.

 

Re the two split image variants: I may be crazy, but I've always felt the actual split image circle in the split-micro-cross version 42215 was a bit larger and easier to focus than the apparently slightly smaller split image in the checker grid screens 42170 and 42217. The split in the 42215 is almost as large as the huge one in the old dark 42188 screen. Despite this, I don't like the split/micro combo screen at all: its a distracting cluster of crap (a plain screen with split would have been perfect, adding the near-useless microprism donut and then slapping cross bars on top of that is just too messy). The split with checker grid is less annoying, and the grid can be very helpful in keeping things straight, but here again the utility of the split varies with lens choice and viewfinder. The split is fairly reliable up to 150mm, but fairly useless with the 250mm f/5.6 (I imagine it might be better with the faster 250mm Tessar made for the focal plane bodies).

 

Long story short: for C lenses of 250mm and up, I feel the plain cross 42165 is best (or 42204 if you must have the D version). Later D variants with engraved meter circle are the same AMD screens, just more scarce and pricey because they indicate the metering pattern of 200 series electronic bodies. If you don't have a metered body, they aren't worth the premium asked. Legendary, custom-made Maxwell screens were considered the ultimate in focusing ease, but they are very very hard to find now: if you do find one, expect to pay AMD prices (or more).

Edited April 10, 2018 by orsetto

I forgot that you favor the recent meter prism PME45, and were considering the PME90 to replace it. In that case, you might indeed find the scarce AMD 42207 screen (with engraved meter circle) worthwhile, as that circle indicates the meter pattern of the PME45 and PME90 prisms. The 42207 is identical to the standard Acute Matte D cross screen 42204, it just adds the engraved circle in the center between the cross bars.If you can't find a 42207, just use the area in the middle of the cross bars of the 42204 as meter area reference (the bar layout is identical between both screens). For split image option, the cluttered 42215 split/micro/bars D screen uses the engraved circle around the microprism donut to indicate the PME 45/90 meter area.

 

My experience using the split image D screens is primarily with the waist level finder magnifier, where split performance tends to be less consistent. The split works somewhat better thru my PME (old version) meter prism, but even thru PME blackout remains a problem with my 120mm 5.6 and esp the 250mm f/5.6. I don't have any teles longer than 250mm.

I've pretty much decided to stick with my PME51 meter prism as this seems to give good exposures and minimal split screen darkness, even with my 120mm lens. I don't really need the bells and whistles of the PME45. I'd love to find someone fix it but don't want to spend (another) fortune on it. I sent an enquiry to a Hassie repair in the UK but so far nothing back. I think that's good advice about using the AM rather than pay for another AMD. I already have two with split screens (42219 and 42215). AM 421645 might be a good choice.

Ah, OK, I wasn't sure from your initial post whether you already had any Acute screens. Since you just confirmed owning the 42219 and 42215 "D" screens, all thats left for you to try is one of the plain cross models. I feel that those are just a bit more comfortable to use with my CF 250mm f/5.6 and older slower chrome 120mm f/5.6. With the 250 especially, due to the tele compression effect I find the focusing aids and/or checker grid lines distracting (they seem less intrusive with shorter lenses). But, I favor the WLF over the prisms: with prism finders the distraction effect is not so pronounced, and the focus aids somewhat more stable and useful.

 

The only noticeable visual difference between the AM 42165 and AMD 42204 is the size and position of the cross bars. The non-D has smaller bars that are more tightly clustered in the center of the screen. The space in the middle of them is about the size of the split circle area in your 42219. The D variant has longer bars. Since they're transparent in either case, switching between them has never bothered me. In terms of contrast, brightness, and eye position sensitivity I see no difference whatsoever.

 

It is important to check the condition of the screen carefully before purchase, and make sure to have a return option. I've noticed over the years that Acute Mattes do not "age" well, with the Ds being even worse. For lack of a better word, some of them seem to "decompose" (where originally there was uniform frosted matte, now there is cloudiness and fresnel-like semi-circular areas). This happened to my mint screens in storage, as well as the ones in my cameras. Noticing this phenomenon motivated me to sell off most of my valuable split image models before they tanked completely. Fortunately the screens can be pretty far gone and still look OK thru the viewfinder, but at a certain point they get kinda ugly. I've been able to buy a a couple backup 42165s very cheap because they look terrible outside the camera.