Hasselblad Acute Matte screens

[seadd]

So, it was destiny... After colleagues from my former workplace gave me a Hasselblad Manual as parting present three years ago, there was no way for me to avoid being pushed from 35mm to this forum: last Friday, an old friend from Sweden came with a 500 c/m he has no use for. After wiping my tears, I realized I still think in frames of 35mm SLR's, and I specially miss my split-image finder.

I checked around, and it appears that Acute Matte focusing screens are several times more expensive than third party ones. My question is: is there any fundamental flaw in cheap focusing screens? Such as not being properly aligned, etc...

Otherwise, I really started liking the machine, I never expected medium format could be so much fun

[Mark Fisher]

So, it was destiny... After colleagues from my former workplace gave me a Hasselblad Manual as parting present three years ago, there was no way for me to avoid being pushed from 35mm to this forum: last Friday, an old friend from Sweden came with a 500 c/m he has no use for. After wiping my tears, I realized I still think in frames of 35mm SLR's, and I specially miss my split-image finder.

I checked around, and it appears that Acute Matte focusing screens are several times more expensive than third party ones. My question is: is there any fundamental flaw in cheap focusing screens? Such as not being properly aligned, etc...

Otherwise, I really started liking the machine, I never expected medium format could be so much fun

I've used Rollei,old hassy, rb67, maxwell and the acute matte. Nothing is close to the acute matte especially with a prism. It makes photography fast and certain.....and fun. Mine has a split image which is helpful for me.

[segedi]

I've used the acute matte and the acute matte with the split. I had used split prisms with 35mm and loved 'em. But the Hasselblad split seemed to be far worse than the regular acute matte. The acute matte and the Hasselblad viewfinder being large as it is makes for very easy focusing. Sorry, I don't have experience with the 3rd party screens.

[Slixtiesix]

So you mean the acute matte with split is overall worse than the acute matte without focusing aid? What were the differences?

[segedi]

I found it easier to judge focus with the non split acute matte. It has a 3D pop for the focus point. In my experience, the split was small and the surrounding area was harder to judge focus. The split is also in the center, where it should be, but the non split makes it easy to judge focus on everything in the viewfinder.

[Slixtiesix]

Where these acute matte or acute matte D? I´m asking because I think about getting into the Hasselblad system myself ;-)

[Mark Fisher]

mine is the plain acute matte. I'm sure the D is as good or better.

[segedi]

My comparison was with the D and the split