Crown Graphic

P

PumaAnn

Guest
My newest toy! A sweet, well-maintained 4X5 Crown Graphic with Kalart Range Finder. This is the camera that took the famous Iwo Jima photo. There's a huge focus screen, for use on tripod, mainly, then those wire framing things, and the Kalart. I can get a really sharp photo even handheld (well these are designed as press cameras, but I have little hands, so I was surprised). Even sharper on tripod. And I really like the creaminess of the lens. of course 4X5 negs are not to be trifled with. Won't replace my 35 or MF but I'm so glad I got the thing...
And it will work with electronic flash, though I do have the old bulbs and solenoid stuff too.

Anyone else out there using these?
 
Was this model really used to take the Iwo Jima shot? I certainly don't know differently but would have thought that if a press camera was used it would have been a Speed Graphic.

Dick
 
According to the official histories the Crown Graphic was introduced in 1947. The Pacemaker was the same year. The Anniversary was made during the U.S. war years. As a practical matter there wasn't much difference in how their basic operations worked.

If you have the infrastructure to operate a 4X5 Graphic, developing tanks or trays, enlarger, etc. they can be downright addictive. I once worked for a guy whose quality standard for B&W enlargements was 4X5 Professional Tri-X developed in Microdol-X and enlarged only to 8X10. We used a Super Graphic.

Visible grain was simply not allowed.

-Paul
 
PumaAnn

I have a Busch Pressman press camera with the Kalart rangefinder. I'm using mine as a field camera so I use the ground glass instead of the rangefinder but the rangefinder is calibrated for the 135mm lens I have. I also has a 90mm wide angle for it.

Shoot and developed my first negative with it last week. The Freestyle version of HP5+, developed in Rodinal. Took a picture of the concrete block and wood wall in my backyard just to check everything out. You can see splinters in the wood with a 5x loupe. Pretty sharp for a 50 year old camera and lens.

Good luck with your's and have fun.

Brian
 
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