I've been hunting for a replacement Fresnel lens for the 4x5 Graflock back on my Deardorff, but can't seem to turn one up. Furthermore, I'm told that only one from another Graflock back will fit. I assume this is just a question of size--it's 3 15/16" x 4 13/16" x 1/16" thick. Sorry to bother you all with a shopping question, but it occurs to me someone may have a spare or a lead... I'm tired of seeing scratches whenver I look through the ground glass! Thanks very much -- Stephen

-- Stephen Longmire (spyglasses@earthlink.net), March 11, 2002

Answers

Contact Bill Maxwell at Maxwell Precision Optics in Atlanta, Georgia. His phone number is in the archives in the threads on focussing screens. He is very knowledgeable and the products are first rate.

-- Tom Perkins (Thomas1592@msn.com), March 11, 2002.

A follow-up, in case others pass this way...

Thanks to Tom for the tip on Bill Maxwell, a kind and smart man who briefly had me ready to replace all the focusing screens on all my cameras with his clearly brilliant designs. Fortunately I'm not that flush. To Bill, the whole idea of Fresnels is, shall we say, quaint.

Then I made the call anyone with any Graflex related problem should make first, to Fred Lustig, the mechanical engineer in Reno who bought out the Graflex parts Midwest Photo bought when Graflex went under. As I told him, he's not hard to find, if you know where to look. Inasmuch as this forum serves as just such a roadmap for fellow travelers, his office number (from graflex.com)is 775/746-0111. I'm giving my back a hood from his stock of reconditioned parts, which should make field work a pleasure, now that I can see what I'm doing!

Another happy ending :)

-- Stephen Longmire (spyglasses@earthlink.net), March 13, 2002.

Oops, a bad sign post. That's graflex.org!

-- Stephen Longmire (spyglasses@earthlink.net), March 13, 2002.