Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/19

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Beattie Intenscreen for Leica R4-7
From: Andrew Nemeth <azn@nemeng.com>
Date: Thu, 20 May 99 10:07:59 +1000

Doug Herr <Telyt@compuserve.com> wrote:

>I like the Brightscreen (www.brightscreen.com) much better.

Jim Brick <jim@brick.org> added:

>Brightscreens are way better than Beattie screens

No argument guys!  I just wanted to post my (not too positive) 
experiences to the list to save other Leica R users the disappointment.

Hmm, I had a look at:

<http://www.brightscreen.com/styles.html>

Nice range of choices & options - but the prices are seriously wrong.

IMO, the $US 60 for the Intenscreen was borderline rip-off, the $US 200 
for the Brightscreen is *way* over the top!

Currently they offer a 20% discount, but even at $US 160 the price is 
still $US 120 more than I consider reasonable for a postage-stamp size 
piece of translucent plastic.

Pity...

"Dr. Joseph Yao" <yaojkfdr@netvigator.com> added:

>the ones I have for my Nikon F/F2/F3 have severe 'vignetting' when
>anything wider than 28mm is used.  You get very dark corners in the
>viewfinder, rendering the screen completely useless.

I agree.  With the 16mm Elmarit R Fisheye, the corners go black.  :^(

I have also noticed the screen adds a slight blue colour-cast to what 
you look at.  Of course this has no effect on what ends up on film, 
but it is a little disconcerting.

On the plus side though, the Intenscreen gives me a 45-diagonal
rangefinder prism (which I find much more useful than the standard 
horizontal supplied with the R6.2 - Brightscreen don't offer this
BTW), and have also found that focusing on the plain parts of the 
screen is easier because the image is a *little* clearer & brighter
than the standard Leica screen.

At the end of the day though and weighing up all the pros and cons, 
had I been able to try out Leica R Intenscreen before buying, then 
I most likely would not have done so.

Regds,

Andrew N.
www.nemeng.com