Speed Graphic Rookie Tech questions

venchka

venchka

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As purchased, the Speed Graphic has the following arrangement: Lens - Fresnel - Ground Glass. While researching the possibility of buying a new ground glass I found at least one source that says my fresnel & ground glass should be reversed. I can measure from the film plane of a holder to the front standard and see if that matches the current ground glass position. However, my measurement equipment will be crude at best. Are the parts put together correctly for the Speed Graphic? Should I reverse the fresnel & ground glass?

Next: I also got the original flash unit with the camera. Long tube for batteries, row of household looking sockets around the top, red button, flash bulb holder & refelector. I have the double post to household sync. cord and I know where to buy a household to PC cord. Thanks to a RFF member. Short of duct taping my Sunpak 383 Super to the Graflex handle, is there anything I can do to attach a strobe to this monster? I sure miss the 3 accessory shoes on my long gone Koni-Omega! :bang:

Thanks!
 
My understanding of the arrangement of the ground glass should be:
Fresnel first, "rough side" (ridges) facing the the ground glass, and the glass should be ground side in (facing the lens), polished side out.

For my flash I use a Sunpak with the flash bracket that screws into the tripod mount. It makes it difficult to use the shutter release so I just use a cable release taped to the flash.
 
Thank you! That is exactly the way things are arranged on the back of my Grahpic.

I do have an old Sunpak flash and L-shaped bracket. It might work. I'll dust it off and see what happens.
 
Rookie question Part Deaux

Rookie question Part Deaux

I have the flash bracket that attaches to the rangefinder housing. What I don't have are the 3 tiny screws that hold the flash bracket to the rangfinder. Does anyone know what size screw this is? It's small and needs a countersunk head. Probably not very long either. Better still, does anyone have 3 of the correct screws that I could buy?

Thanks!
 
If you keep looking, you'll find a cap that fits the top of your flash tube that has a set screw to secure it there. It also has a 1/4 x 20 srew onto which you can attach a flash shoe. There is a similar rubber cap device with the same 1/4 x 20 on it but it isn't attached well enough to secure a strobe.

Does your lens/board combo have a solenoid on it? If so, find a cord. Use the "shutter" socket (I think that's how it's labeled) to connect the tube to the solenoid. Insert batteries. Release the shutter with the red button that falls under your thumb. Ans if you have a set of contacts on the RF, the same cord fittings will illuminate your RF and it will project two spots of light onto your subject. Bring the two together with the focusing rack and you're ready.
 
spyder2000 said:
If you keep looking, you'll find a cap that fits the top of your flash tube that has a set screw to secure it there. It also has a 1/4 x 20 srew onto which you can attach a flash shoe. There is a similar rubber cap device with the same 1/4 x 20 on it but it isn't attached well enough to secure a strobe.

Does your lens/board combo have a solenoid on it? If so, find a cord. Use the "shutter" socket (I think that's how it's labeled) to connect the tube to the solenoid. Insert batteries. Release the shutter with the red button that falls under your thumb. Ans if you have a set of contacts on the RF, the same cord fittings will illuminate your RF and it will project two spots of light onto your subject. Bring the two together with the focusing rack and you're ready.
Click to expand...

I'll search for the cap & screw thingie. I do have the solenoid and the tube to solenoid cord. I also have the shutter to household end cord. There is another pair of double pole contacts on the plate where the focal plane sutter speed window is. I assume that is for flash sync with the focal plane shutter? If the Speed Graphic is like my Pentax 6x7, sync speed is probably 1/30th of a second?

I need to do some looking at Graflex.org.
 
I want to say that the 3 small screws attaching the flash bracket to the bracket around the rangefinder are 4-40 machine screws. Though I can't be sure without the thing in front of me.

When I created a bracket for a cold shoe, I attached it to the camera where the old flash bracket attached at the range finder. The existing screws were not long enough so I took the whole thing to a local hardware store with a small screwdriver and tried the available screws until I got a match.
 
Yes, the contacts on the side are for flash synch to the FP shutter, but best can recall there is no X contact there. That's an FP contact. I've been scratching my head trying to remember the brand name under which I got my cap/screw device. There's a pretty good tip just above that will get a flash on it even sooner.

I loved the FP shutter, but rarely used it. If you think about it, you can easily 'stretch' a car by 15% by using it in the proper orientation. I almost exclusively stuck to the compur up front.
 
Of course, FP sync. Why didn't I think of that? I need the FP shutter for my old barrell lens. A keeper based on early results.

A trip to Sears Hardware may be in order for the screws. Belay that. I need to find a hardware store with drawers of loose fasteners. I reckon Sears, etc. are full of nothing but blister packed junk.
 
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