Graflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic..anyone?

W

wblanchard

Guest
I've fallen in love with images by Weegee and others who have used a Graflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic.

Anyone use one of these? I'm thinking of buying one and using it on one of my model shoots. I think it would be a blast.
 
I hope that you're in good shape! Do you have any idea what that thing weighs? Then there's the shoulder bag with a dozen double sided film holders. I think that Kodak stopped making 4x5 filmpacks so you have to use sheet film, no choice! Have you priced sheet film? Have fun!
 
Oh yeah, get the Crown Graphic. I doubt that you have much use for the focal plane shutter in the Speed Graphic and it adds to the weight and size.
 
I'm taking my Anniversary Speed Graphic out for a whirl this weekend, though I've yet to use Sheet film, I mainly use a Graflex 23 roll film holder or my Polaroid 403 Land back with it.

It's big, It's heavy, and people tend to stare at ya.


Adox 100 4x5 sheet film costs about $30 for 50 sheets I believe. That's the easiest for me to acquire.
 
Al Kaplan said:
I hope that you're in good shape! Do you have any idea what that thing weighs? Then there's the shoulder bag with a dozen double sided film holders. I think that Kodak stopped making 4x5 filmpacks so you have to use sheet film, no choice! Have you priced sheet film? Have fun!
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If Clyde Butcher can run around the everglades with the large camera he shoots with, I'm sure I can pull it off. The sheet film though, just looked at the prices. Ouch.
 
Too bad that you don't live in South Florida. I'd let you borrow mine for a day, complete with the big side mounted flash gun. I sat it on a table next to my coffee cup at Starbucks one day. It got a bit of attention.
 
Mr_Flibble said:
I'm taking my Anniversary Speed Graphic out for a whirl this weekend, though I've yet to used Sheet film, I mainly use a Graflex 23 roll film holder or my Polaroid 403 Land back with it.

It's big, It's heavy, and people tend to stare at ya.
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Well Im big, heavy, and people stare at me already, so Im already prepared. :D That foll film holder is nice from what i read on it.
 
Al Kaplan said:
Too bad that you don't live in South Florida. I'd let you borrow mine for a day, complete with the big side mounted flash gun. I sat it on a table next to my coffee cup at Starbucks one day. It got a bit of attention.
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Actually, I live in Tampa now. Just need to update my profile. Sounds like its an attention getter for sure. Thanks for the offer too.
 
I just bought a Super Speed Graphic and developed my first HP5 4x5 sheet film in a HP Combi developer, which I bought from Adorama for an outrageous $75 retail. The good news is that my first sheets came out great! There's no grain, and the size and detail are amazing, even if I did waste a lot of the real estate on the negative with my own poor framing. I'll try to post a thumbnail sample later tonight. I say go for it.
 
wblanchard said:
Well Im big, heavy, and people stare at me already, so Im already prepared. :D That foll film holder is nice from what i read on it.
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Unless the roll film holder is 6x12 or wider to do panoramic shots, don't bother, MF cameras are faster and more versatile for 120 films.

As for Speed-Graphic, I say go for it! I have one, and the focal plane shutter is a hoot to use, plus barrel lenses are way cheaper than shuttered ones that you'd have to get for Crown-Graphics.

I think Al is just bitter because he can't smoke while focusing inside a darkcloth ... :p
 
shadowfox said:
Unless the roll film holder is 6x12 or wider to do panoramic shots, don't bother, MF cameras are faster and more versatile for 120 films.
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Funny, I'm setting myself up to do just this with a newly acquired Super Graphic. :D In addition to panoramic shots, I'll add that roll film backs can also be nice for using a view camera with film not available as 4x5 sheet film. There are tons of 4x5 view cameras that cost a fraction of what an MF camera with tilt/shift can run.

BTW, can anyone comment on how the weight of the 2x3 graphic cameras compares to their larger 4x5 bretheren? Are they enough smaller/lighter so as to make the difference noticable?
 
1953 Pacemaker Speed Graphic. Original 127mm lens. Second owner. Shutter and rangefinder calibrated. Grafmatic backs are the answer for hand holding. Arista.EDU Ultra film from Freestyle works & is cheap. HP5+ at 400 is the ticket for street work.

Wouldn't be without the focal plane shutter. You find the nicest old barrell lenses cheap.
 
I have an Anniversary Speed, and find the curtain shutter is its best feature, enabling you to use, not only shutterless barrel lenses and process lenses, but adapted lenses, like any old set of optics you can find. I use a front objective from a 7x50 binocular, which is a 150mm focal length, 50mm diameter coated doublet. Wide open it has wild bokeh, but stopped down it's a decent portrait lens.

~Joe
 
jwhitley said:
Funny, I'm setting myself up to do just this with a newly acquired Super Graphic. :D In addition to panoramic shots, I'll add that roll film backs can also be nice for using a view camera with film not available as 4x5 sheet film. There are tons of 4x5 view cameras that cost a fraction of what an MF camera with tilt/shift can run.
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Sure, sure, I'm not saying don't do it :)

Btw, if you're looking for big neg. MF with low cost, consider a Mamiya Universal Press with 6x9 back, even the 6x7. That one should run you somewhere between $200-300, about what you'll end up paying for a working Speed/Crown/Super Graphics (any format variation) anyways.

It is also almost just as fiddly, I remember wasting one roll of precious FP4+ because I forgot to take out the darkslide!! No Hasselblad-like idiot-proofing here :bang:
 
Great Camera, albeit a bit heavy (which was already mentioned). It is great for environmental portraits, and the tonality and creaminess of that quite decent 127mm Ektar lens (coated) is stunning.
Nice thing is that its a hand-holdable camera. The 127 translates to roughly 35mm in 135, but with a total different DOF. Quite a unique look. I am thinking of getting a Monopod for it, because you really need high speeds for shooting hand-held. My first attempt in portraiture is a bit blurred (shot with 1/60) so I think I need to improve my technique. But its fun...
 

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And here's my second attempt: An exercise of all the things you can do wrong with that beast:

Focusing off (my fault, the rangefinder is spot on), forgot about parallax compensation with that funny viewfinder, f***ing up the film while developing, plus a really bad film in too warm Rodinal (Classic Pan 400): enourmous grain.

The jpgs don't really show the specific beauty of the prints, though

I really need to do a bit more shooting with that thingy, there is a bit of a learning curve here...
 

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