Just bought a Speed Graphic KIT! Unreal!

[sper]

It comes in a beautiful case, and includes the 'lightsaber' flash with around 10 bulbs. The Graphic is in great condition, one of the best I've seen. I don't know much about them though... It has no tilt, just rise and fall. The 135mm Wollensak Optar ƒ4.5 is remarkably clean, though the shutter sticks when slow. I need to take it in the the repair shop. It also came with two packs of 4x5 pack film. Tri-X and Verichome Pan. The Tri-X says process before 1957, the Verichrome 1961. Two cut film holders and a pack back. Instuctions for the flash, and various odds and ends, cables, filters, etc...

I got the whole set up for...$200 dollars!

If anyone has pictures from this lens or speed graphic experience please share! I'm so excited! It's no replacement for a proper field, but I couldn't turn it down.

It really pays to work in the Used Dept of B&H. 😉

 

[degruyl]

You obviously got it on employee discount...

Sounds like a nice kit, although I would go for a modern shutter (and I did) or repair the existing.

If you decide to shoot the old film, I really want to see the results.

As for experience / pictures... did you check flickr? Check the graflex group out.

I do not have a speed (I have a crown, and it is newer), and I do not have that lens... So I suppose that I don't have the relevant experience.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Nice camera set. The slow shutter probably needs some exercise.

I have an Anni SG from 1945 with a 1946 127mm Ektar lens, so no experience with the Optar either.
The workflow takes some getting used to. It really requires you to slow down, or you'll forget to open one of the shutters or remove the dark slide
(am there, doing that 😉)

Looking forward to seeing what you can do with it.

 

[ethics_gradient]

The shutter may just need some isopropyl alcohol to get things running smoothly. I bought one where the high speeds were dragging due to some oil on the blades, so I took the lens cells off (they just unscrew) and treated it a couple of times. It's now working properly. As others have said, simple exercise might be enough.

Unfortunately mine came with a jammed focal plane shutter as well, and for that reason, off to eBay it goes 🙁 A lot of people never use it, but I've got an Aero Ektar I'm planning to use so I need something with an FP shutter.

 

[sper]

I took the shutter in to my local repair shop, it'll be back by Friday. I actually didn't get an employee discount. They priced it at 200 dollars and I jumped on it. Were I to get a discount I would have had to basically ask for one, and they won't give me one on an already cheap item.

I'm going to use it on my landscape series in Brooklyn. Much less risky than using a more expensive modern camera. I just wish it took the Fuji PA-45 back.

 

[venchka]

It does. You can use the Fuji 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 or 4x5 material with the correct holder. Polaroid 550 for 4x5 or 408 for the smaller size packs. Fuji makes holders as well.

 

[venchka]

Are you sure it's a Speed? My Speed (1953) has a focal plane shutter and front tilt.

 

[burninfilm]

Are you sure it's a Speed? My Speed (1953) has a focal plane shutter and front tilt.

The camera above is indeed a "Speed" for several reasons:

1. It says "Speed Graphic" right there on the lens standard
2. They didn't make Crown Graphics when this camera was produced

Your Speed Graphic is an "Anniversary" model, made from 1940-1947. If in original condition, this camera will have a Graphic "spring" back, which severely limits the accessories you can use (for instance, Polaroid film backs). Ideally, a Graflok back is best. However, if you can locate a Graflok back, it should mount right up to your Speed Graphic.

 

[venchka]

The part that says Speed Graphic is easily replaced.

Glad mine was born in 1953. It has all the goodies including a Graflock back.

The lens board is more Crown like than later Speed Graphics also.

 

[sper]

Thanks for the info there! The back looks screwed in so I feel wary about removing those screws. Never know if I'll be able to get them back in again...

If I'm shooting negative film, I don't absolutely NEED to proof. But it would be fun with my pack back.

 

[venchka]

It sounds like your "pack back" was designed for Kodak 20 sheet film packs. Sheet film on a roll film base. Great for newspapers. Not so great for anything else. Discontinued long ago. Apparently your early Speed doesn't have a Graflok back. Therefore, the Polaroid 408 and 550 holders nor the Fuji equals will work. Too bad. Buy a Pacemaker Speed Graphic. Grinning.

 

[thetooth]

here you go http://graflex.org/

great camera' s . i have since sold mine and bought a wisner . sometimes i regrett that move :bang: . i wouldn't sweat a graflock back to much unless you want to shoot roll film or polaroids . enjoy it .

 

[thetooth]

just a note if you need film holder's i have plenty just shoot me a pm.

 

[burninfilm]

Thanks for the info there! The back looks screwed in so I feel wary about removing those screws. Never know if I'll be able to get them back in again...

If I'm shooting negative film, I don't absolutely NEED to proof. But it would be fun with my pack back.

There's really no need at all to worry about those screws. Just unscrew them, and mount up a Graflok back in place of the original Graphic spring back. Those screws are just simple wood screws, which screw into the wooden camera body. If you strip out a hole, just fill it back with wood filler, redrill the hole, and you're good-to-go. However, you probably won't run into that sort of problem, and changing the backs is really quite simple and trouble-free.

Also, be sure your rangefinder is properly calibrated for your lens. It's easy for them to be knocked out of adjustment, or possibly adjusted for a different focal length. So, you might check that the rangefinder focus and the focus on the ground glass match at all distances. Luckily, your rangefinder appears to be a Kalart unit, meaning you can adjust it for just about any focal length you wish to use (on the downside, once adjusted, it can only be used with that particular focal length unless adjusted again).

Which particular type of flash did you recieve with the camera? I only ask because some are mostly worthless, while the actual Graflex 3-cell flash unit is worth $100+. So, if you have the appropriate flash, you could actually turn it to help knock $100 off the price of the camera, or pay for a shutter CLA. However, you could always fill it with 3 fresh C-cells, some No.5 Press flashbulbs, and go blind people.

The part that says Speed Graphic is easily replaced.

Glad mine was born in 1953. It has all the goodies including a Graflock back.

The lens board is more Crown like than later Speed Graphics also.

True, the "Speed Graphic" nameplate on the lens board can be easily replaced, but again, they didn't ever make a Crown Graphic when this camera was produced, and the plaque on this camera is of the correct type for an Anniversary Speed Graphic (the nameplates on the Pacemaker Speed and Crown Graphics looks much different). Also, what is your last comment referring to? All of the Pacemaker series cameras (like the Crown Graphic and post-1947 Speed Graphics) used the same lens boards. Heck, even the Super Graphic used the same lens boards. So, I can't see how the lens boards can be "more Crown like" when every Graflex Speed/Crown/Super Graphic 4X5 camera after 1947 used the exact same lens boards.

Cheers!

 

[venchka]

A friend has a Crown Graphic. Square board. Square corners. My Pacemaker Speed boards have rounded corners. Look at the photo of the lens and board up above.

Board like mine, including the solenoid holes & the dimple for the screw head on the back of the shutter..............

 

[burninfilm]

Are you sure your friend's camera is indeed a Crown Graphic?

All Crown Graphics used the same "rounded corner" lens boards as the later (post-1947) Pacemaker Speed Graphics. It was the earlier camera, utilizing wooden lens boards (and in some cases, cast metal like the Graphic View series of cameras), that had the sharp, 90 degree corners. So, consequently, your friend's Crown Graphic and your Speed Graphic should be using the same lens boards.

The OP's camera pictured above has the correct type lensboard for an Anniversary Speed Graphic. So, the square lensboard with 90 degree corners is perfectly correct for that particular camera model. It is NOT correct for a Crown Graphic, which is part of the later Pacemaker series of cameras. Since your Speed Graphic was produced in 1953 and uses the metal lens boards with rounded corners, it is obviously a Pacemaker model as well.

If you could provide a picture of your friend's Crown Graphic that uses the earlier style lens boards, I'd love to see it!

I'm well aware of what the lensboards for the different Graflex cameras look like. I own a complete Pacemaker Speed Graphic kit myself, as well as Pacemaker Crown Graphic and Graphic View II. I've also used/handled/purchased/sold several other different Speed/Crown Graphic models, including the Pre-Anniversay and Anniversary Speed Graphics. I even have a little experience with their earlier SLR cameras like the Auto Graflex. So, I'm fairly familiar with this vast and interesting line of cameras. Even my avatar picture is Graflex associated: my grandfather made that image with a 4X5 Graflex camera in the early 1960s in Kansas City, Missouri.

 

[venchka]

It's ancient. He calls it a Crown. Could be wrong.

The camera pictured above has a wooden lens board with sharp corners. Does it not?

No worries. Just use it!

OK. Now I get it. From S.K. Grimes:

Graphic

3.65" x 3.71" stamped aluminum. Overall thickness is.22. Features two bumps on at least 2 of the fours sides. Used on Speed Graphic and Crown Graphic lens board.

This is a stock item.This is a stock item available predrilled with a #0 or #1 hole or it can be custom bored.

Graphic A

3.3" square wood board with a 2.97x2.85" plateau. Lip thickness is .14. Overall thickness .265. Square corners and one edge is tapered/beveled.

This is a stock item.

 

[burninfilm]

Haha! 🙂 "Just use it." I totally agree with you there!

Normally, I'm not one to dwell on particulars, but when it comes to Graflex 4X5 cameras the particulars start becoming fairly important. Also I didn't want people reading this thread to believe Crown Graphics use different lens boards than the later Packemaker Speed Graphics. It's the earlier pre-1947 Speed Graphics that use the wooden, sharp edged lens boards. There's even two different sizes of wooden lens boards for the pre-1947 Speed Graphics, as the earlier "Top-Handle" Speed Graphic models (made up until the late 1920s) used smaller wooden lensboards.

Now, to counteract this sleep-inducing history lesson, I'm going to load up some film holders and burn through a few sheets of 4X5!

Just use it.... indeed!

 

[JoeV]

If it's a Speed Graphic it will have the two round, knurled brass knobs on the right side for controlling the film plane curtain shutter. And a decoder plate for setting these two knobs to specific shutter speeds.

The OP's attached photo also shows what looks like a Kalart rangefinder on the right side, which is what my Anniversary Speed Graphic has, too.

The OP asked about Speed Graphic experiences. Mine has the Kodak Ektar 127mm lens, so I'm not personally familiar with the Wollensak. I find the curtain shutter to be this camera's best feature, because I can attach, via a handmade model aircraft plywood lensboard, virtually any kind of lens that focuses an image within the bellow's distance range. Pinholes, improvised glass lenses, etc, and still permit timing the exposure via the curtain shutter.

If the OP wishes to use the original lens with the rangefinder focuser, you want to extend the lens board out to the preset stops on the focusing rail, then ensure that the rangefinder is calibrated such that the double images converge at the same time that the image is sharply focused on the ground glass. There's a procedure for doing this with the Kalart rangefinder on the [graflex.org] website. Once this calibration is set, then you just focus the image using the Kalart, and compose using the wire frame finder on top, and thus can keep a film holder loaded, ready to go, press style.

Or, you can use the camera in the traditional landscape view camera mode. That's what's great about these, their flexibility.

Good luck and hope to see some images.

~Joe

 

[sper]

I get the lens back Friday, film back...when I can? We New Yorkers are being hit by a blizzard at the moment, and I don't even like to shoot in the cold! All things in time. I'll hopefully remember to post.