Hasselblad Beattie Brightscreen: Measuring the Brightness Gain
Originally posted on Instagram. Notes from the repair bench, kept here as a searchable archive. View the original on Instagram
Since I made a post about a Hasselblad and a Beattie Brightscreen, I have been asked about how much brighter it can make the focus screen. Well, outdoors you really may not see a difference but under low light especially with a slower lens and/or prism, it can be of benefit. Of course, you have to decide how much are you willing to spend for the small increase. I made some measurements in the finder of a Hasselblad 500C (1962 model) with 80mm Planar lens and using very sensitive measuring equipment, barely saw much of a difference in light levels between a Hasselblad using a Brightscreen and one (a Hasselblad 500C 1969 model) using the standard drop in screen. If you look at the posted photos you can see the difference. Don’t expect to be needing sunglasses with the new screen. *sorry for the misspelled word on the first image (I can’t edit an image), I really do like Hasselblad cameras even though I specialize in Mamiya repairs! *
