Can anyone identify this Camera? I want one!!

Pirate said:
So what is the best body for building a setup like that?

Speed Graphic
Crown Graphic
Speed Graphic Pacemaker
Speed Graphic Anniversary

.....?

I like the idea of a top rangefinder vs. a side rangefinder.
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It depends. The Speed Graphic comes with a focal plane shutter in addition to the Copal type shutter mounted in the lens, so you can use it with older lenses that don't have their own shutters.

The Crown Graphic is similar, but without the focal plane shutter. There are is also later models, like the Super Graphic, or Super Speed Graphic.

Your best bet is to look for a complete kit on eBay, they come up quite often. The kit will include the camera, the lens (sometimes 2), assorted film backs, and the flash kit. These kits are not expensive as these cameras were carried by most reporters from the '40's to the '60's.

These old Crown Graphics and Speed Graphics are made of wood, which is covered by a leatherette material. If you are shopping for one, try to find one which has decent leatherette, and the later Grafloc back.

The later Super Graphics/Super Speed Graphics were made of metal.

Avoid the "baby Graphics" which used smaller 2x3 sheet film (the film, holders, and such are harder to find nowadays).

Operation of the Graflex cameras is simple enough, but you'll need some practice with the film holders. You have to focus, pull out the film holder slide, take the picture, push the slide back in, and then pull out and flip the holder over to take a second shot. With enough practice this can be done quickly. You can also get a Grafmatic 6 shot film back which holds 6 sheets of film. Operation is not that difficult, but it takes practice to load and unload.

These cameras are fun to use, and you can get an idea what the press photographers of the old days had to go through to get pictures.
 
My advice is don't buy something like this on a whim ... they take a lot of getting used to and they require some serious committment ... but the rewards are there.

The majority of my Crown Graphic shots have been hand held and it's the way I love to use the camera. Every part part of shooting one of these things is a hoot from loading the film holders to doing your own processing ... and keep in mind that even with the cheapest 4x5 film (Chinese Era 100) it's fifty cents per exposure and more like a dollar or so if you use Kodak or Ilford!
 
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FPjohn said:
It is both a skill and talent to load sheet film in a changing bag or tent.

yours
FPJ
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True, but you will need a darkroom for developing all the same. At least a light tight closet to get the sheet film into the developing tank.

I settled on a Horseman 970 with 120-spool roll film back, produces 6x9 shots that deliver files up to 21 megapixel when scanned skillfully. These files I easily get printed to 40x60 prints.
Won't shoot it from the hip though, getting a bit of DOF requires f5.6 and with 400ASA T-Max and the Dutch weather, shutter speeds drop to 1/60th max.
Seems the flash is no luxury when shooting hand-held!
 
Keith said:
My advice is don't buy something like this on a whim ... they take a lot of getting used to and they require some serious committment ... but the rewards are there.
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I don't know if it was on a whim or not. I bought the 3.25x4.25 from James the Crown 4x5 from KEH both the other day. I've always been intrigued by the large format stuff, and since getting bit by the Rangefinder bug, this seems to be the best of it all! As soon as I get home from this business trip, it's game-on. I plan to do a lot of learning and enjoying.

Alec, thanks for the link, I'll have to wait till I get to a bigger computer to check it out though, this iPod on this wireless won't even do pictures well.
 
If you want to have the benefits of the rangefinder focus, focal plane shutter and the rest, you'll want to spend a little extra and get a nice one from KEH or something. You can find cheap ones for estate sales on evilbay but they are often beat to sh#t, and none of the bells and whistles work properly. These where the topline pro cameras of their day and where abused accordingly.
 
Yep, picked up a couple the other day - see the bottom cameras in my signature below. Also just ordered a Metz 60 CT-4 flash assembly. I'm thinking of putting the CT-60 on the Crown 4x5 and getting a 45 CT for the 3.25x4.25 Speed.
 
alecj said:
Go here:

http://graflex.org/helpboard/viewforum.php?f=15&id=3755d37a3885cfd68403fce6d71201cd

to see my post on the Graflex.org/Helpboard. It links to a video of a guy actually using this outfit in New Orleans. I don't recognized this guy as being the same one on the video, but he might be.
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The guy from the picture at the beginning of this thread, is the guy that's after a minute or so accompanying the videos subject. You can see him sitting behind the street photographer being interviewed.

Beautiful video, really impressive. When the Tom Waits music set in I even got a little soft.:eek:
 
Used to own a Crown Graphic. I still have a Anniversary Speed Graphic in 4x5 and one in 3x4. I use the 4x5 a lot with a Graphic 23 roll film holder. I've not gotten round to using the 3x4, first I need film holders or roll film holders for this thing. Then I need to plug some holes in the focal plane shutter and possibly the bellows :(

Also got a nice big Stroboflash unit but no battery pack to go with it ...
 
new (but related) question: what kind of polaroid back and which Fuji film would that shooter use? And, is that film still available?
 
If it has a graflock back, which I guess it does. you can use the Polaroid Land 405 back with it. It works fine with Fuj FP-100b/c filmpacks.

I've shot about 200 instants with my Anni SG with this combination.


Pola0004a.jpg

SG, 127mm Ektar, Polaroid 405 back, Fuji FP-100b film pack. Roll on the Meuse Tour en route to Genappe.



Film for Polaroid 545 backs is going to be a lot harder to get from what I gather.
 
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I want the left hand grip on that camera too. It looks like the one on a Linhof with the release cable running through it.
 
Ezzie said:
It looks like a Speed Graphic to me. The Mamiya C220/C330's are TLRs, not press cameras.
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I used Mamiya C22 in 1965 for a weekly newspaper in a small Ontario town (Elmira). Other newspapers used C220/C330s. I did not like TLRs for news work. (they were not press cameras)

Previously I used a Speed and Crown Graphics and later, when I left newspapers, they all seemed to switch to 35mm Nikons and Canons.
 
Me too. In the late 40s when I first cubbed on a daily, it was all Graphics, B&J and other 4 X 5s usually with the side mounted Stobinars with battery packs as heavy as bowling balls, or flashbulbs for the die-hards. Later in the 50s came the Rolleis, and the 35 SLR changed the press world in the 60s.
 
robklurfield said:
Arthur Fellig. Have police scanner and Speed Graphic. Will travel. If the dead body isn't lined up nicely where it falls, I'll move it. I had a cat named Weegee.
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They didn't have scanners then, but he did get calls telling him to look to a certain street address at a certain time to find a fresh murder.

Creepy, eh?
 
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