[rollei_list] Re: Hong Kong Special bright screen results

The $10 "Hong Kong Special" screen in my 2.8C is certainly not manufactured to the same high standards as Bill Maxwell's screen and, Mike's right, it is difficult to focus on the matte surface alone. However, the increase in brightness over the original plain ground glass is impressive.

I HAVE used Maxwell screens. There's one in my favorite camera of all time -- my SL66 - and I installed one in every Rollei TLR I ever owned -- except the present 2.8C. As I mentioned previously, my "new" 2.8C suffered significantly from being stored and "forgotten" by its previous owner. Years of incarceration in its leather everready case bred a lively colony of fungus in its lenses. Paul Ebel cleaned out the fungus, but -- obviously -- couldn't undo the damage to the coatings. Whether or not this coating compromise will effect my images signficantly remains to be seen. I won't be shooting with the camera until later today. I chose to install the cheap focusing screen as an experiment on what might turn out to be a "junk" camera. If the optics are okay, or can be made okay, I'll upgrade to a Maxwell screen, but the better screen would be a wasteful expenditure at the moment.

If my 2.8C's  optics are shot - so to speak -- I have four alternatives:

1.  keep the camera as is and enjoy its images' "Doisneau" feel
2.  sell the camera (which has a near mint body) and take a loss
3.  try to obtain a better lens set from a donor camera
4. send the camera to John Van Stelten for lens recoating

I would not hesitate to pursue #4, except that I might make bad matters worse -- or not. My experience with John's work has had mixed results -- though mostly positive.

He recemented and rebuilt a rangefinder on a Leica M3 of mine several years ago and made a mediocre shooter into a prized possession. With Sherry Krauter's mechanical work and John's optical refurbishing, the old Leica was like brand new.

John recoated the front element of a MX-EVS's 3.5 Xener that had "Schneideritis" and transformed that camera into something much better.

On the other hand, my 2.8E2 Xenotar with the same speckled coating was made worse. That camera, even with its badly damaged front element coating, had the sharpest medium format lens I've ever shot with. It was magnificent. I was so impressed with the camera that I couldn't help wanting to make it "perfect" so I sent it to John for recoating. The result was pretty, but the lens performance was compromised quite noticeably.

I don't blame John for this. Polishing off the damaged coating is bound to change the optical characteristics of the lens. Then, too, incorrect collimation of the reassembled lens group can screw things up. At any rate, it was not a happy result.

Paul Ebel is of the opinion that one should "leave well enough alone" in most cases. He says he's seen many lenses made worse by recoating. 

What's your opinion and experience?

Craig
Washington, DC
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