Ebay win - another rangefinder!

[DrLeoB]

Chris -
Whan I took photography at Livermore H/S in California, in 1962 various versions of this camera and the Crown graphic were used as the standard teaching camera. I still love 'em. I, too, have been trying to pick one up... so far not successful.

I used mine at the time, as a sports photog. for the school newspaper and shot with a HUGE megablitz flash, all handheld, night shots with TRI-X pushed to 1600 and developed in hot microdol or acufine. Just a little shove.... great, intense grain and really black blacks.

Loved it.

 

[DrLeoB]

Hmmm... in thinking, I also remember shooting 120? Ektachrome and mounting these huge slides 2x2?

 

[ChrisN]

Hi Wayne - I'm an absolute newbie to large format, but from my intense reading these last few days, gleaning everything I can from the web, I think you're right about that 75mm lens. Even for 6x9 that gives about a 62 dedgree field of view, equivalent to a 30mm focal length on a 35mm camera. On 4x5 it would give about 81 degrees, or equivalent to a 21 on 35mm! Interesting, but I think I need something closer to a "normal" perspective to start with.

And yeah, that baby Linhof. I have a serious weakness for toys like that; old, mechanical, finely-made stuff. Luckily I'm down on spending money this week!

Leo - Keep trying! I've read posts by people asking about how to get apparent grain with 4x5, and your technique would seem to give the answer. I've got a big Metz handlebar flash, but I'm thinking even that will be dwarfed by this camera!

 

[ChrisN]

Some of my research:

Pacific Rim has a good page on backs, at http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/graflex/backs.htm.

And Karen Nakamura has some good pics of her 3x4 Graphic at http://www.photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/index-frameset.html?SpeedGraphic.html~mainFrame . From looking at the pleats in the bellows of her camera, I think mine has more pleats - longer bellows and therefore the bigger 4x5 (hopefully!).

 

[venchka]

Stop worrying. Start working out. It's a 4x5.

 

[ChrisN]

Yeah, I know, I'll think of something else to worry about! I wonder what cam is in the rangefinder - what lens was supposed to be on the camera? Apart from checking focus via the ground glass with any particular lens, are the cams marked for a particular length?

 

[DougK]

WWII dated ones over at Shorpy - The 100-year old Photo Blog

Fort Knox 1942

Madonna of the Sandbags

Art Star: 1943

All are Kodachrome transparency by Alfred Palmer.

I should NOT have looked at these... those are simply gorgeous colors. My wife will kill me....

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Yeah, sorry about that....

As your wife is going kill you anyway, you might as well have a look at some of the pictures taken by Jack Delano on that website. 😉

 

[DougK]

Yeah, sorry about that....

As your wife is going kill you anyway, you might as well have a look at some of the pictures taken by Jack Delano on that website. 😉

I'm safe...for now. I showed her both the Alfred Palmer and the Jack Delano pictures and she was blown away. Now I can start working on my evil master plan to acquire a LF camera MWA-HA-HA-HA!!

EDIT: Sorry, too much chocolate and caffeine there. I'm better now.

 

[venchka]

Just do it!

Just do it!

I'm safe...for now. I showed her both the Alfred Palmer and the Jack Delano pictures and she was blown away. Now I can start working on my evil master plan to acquire a LF camera MWA-HA-HA-HA!!

EDIT: Sorry, too much chocolate and caffeine there. I'm better now.

You won't be sorry. Kodachrome sheet film is gone. The good news is that Fujichrome and Ektachrome are still around. Home processing of E-6 film isn't too hard to do. There are lots of B&W sheet film emulsions too.

Get a Grafmatic holder. Get several. They are the greatest thing since sliced bread. 😀 A Grafmatic back on a Graphic camera with a properly calibrated rangefinder is a liberating experience. Can you say 4x5 point & shoot? 😱 😀 😎

 

[ChrisN]

Well, it arrived! It is a 4x5, as confidently predicted above by several members. It seems to be complete, right down to the (unsuitable) 75mm Nova Anastigmat lens, which will soon be replaced with a 127 Ektar. It does have some pinholes at the corners in the bellows, which I'll patch with Liquid Electrical Tape. I've also got some 4x5 sheet film on the way, but I don't know how I'm going to develop it!

I'll burn a roll of 120 through it today in the roll-film holder, to see if the shutter speeds are anything like they should be. The rangefinder is cammed for a 127mm lens, so with the 75 I'll have to focus on the ground glass. And I have my doubts about the 75mm lens - one of the elements is rattling loose inside! This is going to be interesting!

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Good luck,

How are the focal-plane shutter speeds? Those on my Crown Graphic are slow. I think someone left it in the c*cked position for too long. So I mainly use the lens shutter.

Practicing the routine for making exposures is a good idea too. So many easily forgettable steps 😉 I confess I've forgotten a few when I was in a rush to get a picture.

 

[ChrisN]

Just rinsed the roll and hung it up to dry. You are certainly right about the "easily forgettable steps"! I think I'm lucky there's only one completely blank frame on the roll! I probably forgot to pull the dark slide! Won't be the last time either, I'll warrant!

The negs all look a little dark, so I think the shutter is a little slow. And as for that lens - I think some of the elements must be in backwards! Only the f/22 shot is anything near sharp, and even that's pretty blurred! I'll scan them in the morning, just for posterity, but I'm not expecting any keepers!

 

[ChrisN]

Shutter speeds ok, both focal plans shutter and in-lens shutter. But the lens performance is something else! OK, here's the evidence.

1st shot, lens wide open at f/4.5, and 1/1000.

2nd shot with the lens closed down to f/16.

Another shot at f/16 with the focal plane shutter at 1/50.

I think this will be a lens for special occasions!

 

[mikeb380]

Cool! here's a newbie question, are these models portable, meaning they are usable without a tripod?

My first camera was a speed graphic and I carried it all over, including the top of the Washingtom Monument and all without a tripod. I even shot sports photos with it using sheet film. I didn't know any better.

😎

 

[cmogi10]

looks like a noctilux =D

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Wow...some far out photos there. I'm pretty sure the lose lens element is to blame.

Good thing you won that Ektar lens Chris 😉 I also have an Ektar on my Crown Graphic. Quite pleased with what it can do.

My old scanner didn't really do the photo any justice (perhaps one day I'll rescan them with my new one)

(yeah yeah, that thing's heavy....sorry for tilting)

 

[ChrisN]

Interesting shots there, Rick. Military re-enactment?

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Yes, I do the Living History thing every few weeks. I sometimes dress up as a US Army War Correspondent Photographer and use some of my vintage cameras. I used the Crown Graphic before I got a 1945-dated Speed Graphic.

The first image was taken on the parking lot of the 40-45 Museum in Hengelo (NL), the other was taken in the Vehicle Park of the Royal Dutch Engineer Museum in Vught (NL) on a training day.

 

[ChrisN]

The 127 Ektar lens arrived, so I tested it yesterday with another roll through the roll-film holder. Big improvement over the previous effort, but I might have a little of the "film flatness" issue that is often mentioned wrt the roll-film holder.

I'm really looking forward to shooting some 4x5 with this, but I need to wait until I have the gear to develop the film!