Graduated (and Plain) Borosilicate Ground Glass Screens
Graduated (and Plain) Borosilicate Ground Glass Screens
-For plain borosilicate focusing screens, please see the drop down options.-
These ground glass focusing screens combine the superior qualities of borosilicate glass with a unique Burley Cameras designed metric and imperial scale around the outside edge for the marking of smaller formats, grids, and more. These are perfect for combining with my brightness boosting Fresnels. The glass is sourced, printed, and ground (by me) in the UK.
4×5” in stock now. Choose square or clipped corners.
5×7” and 8×10” available to pre-order for September 2025 at a 10% early bird discount. Alternatively sign up to the out of stock email notification service on the non-preorder drop down options.
with Burley Cameras Fresnel fitted (available separately). 180mm f5.6 Lens. Formats marked; 35mm, 6×7, 6×9, 3.25×4.25” film.
with Burley Cameras Fresnel fitted (available separately). 180mm f5.6 Lens. 6×12 format marked with horizon line.
These graduated ground glass focusing screens are made from Schott Borofloat 33, a borosilicate glass used in industrial optical applications such as laboratory work, aerospace, etc. Compared to standard soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass is colourless, more transparent, harder, tougher, highly scratch resistant, as well as having more heat and chemical resistance.
The metric (1mm increment) and imperial (1/16" increment) scales around the outer edge of the glass allow you to easily :
Mark smaller formats easily and accurately. Examples include: roll film holders, reducing backs, panoramic backs, internally reduced plate/film holders, instant film backs, as well as many other DIY film holders.
Create your own custom gridlines, squares, crosshairs, dotted lines, etc.
Align the horizon or other straight lines using the imperial edge markings. Ideal for seascapes.
Mark the ground glass for double exposures and other special effects.
I grind these borosilicate ground glass screens by hand to the finest possible grind whilst avoiding the lens hotspot effect.
The ground glass screens are true to size stated or rounded down to the next closest millimetre. For example the 4×5” screen is 101×127mm ± 0.5mm.
Supplied in a foam lined tin. Ideal for storing a backup ground glass screen in your car or camera bag.
Please allow 10 days for grinding and packaging.
Care and usage: The markings are screen printed on the outward facing (unground) surface of the glass. Use the unground surface to draw your grids etc. *Do not mark the ground side of the glass. It will be nearly impossible to remove without regrinding*. Use a little water or rubbing alcohol with a soft cloth or cotton bud to remove your markings. Do not scrape or use abrasive cleaners on the screen printed scales. To further protect your marking and the screen printed scales, consider using one of my Fresnel lens screens.
Marker pen recommendations: A good starting point would be the Uni Super Ink Marker (PNA-125). Highly opaque paint markers like the Uni POSCA PC-1M and PC-1MR can also be used, however the amount of solids in the ink requires extra cleaning.