So I got a crown graphic :)

A

atlcruiser

Part Yeti
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Funny enough I got a 2x3 crown on E bay. it was listed as broken with a bad lens. All I really wanted was the 2x3 glock back, GG and roll film holder for my yet to be designed DIY 6x12!

Once I got it I figured out it was in good shape. I cleaned the lens... kodak ektar 101/4.5 and it seemed to work well. I found a Wollensak 90 on e bay in LN condition really cheap so I got that to go wider.....

It took 2 rolls of film to actually get a successful roll :). The mix of darkslide, adv film, adv release lever, shutter, blah, blah conspired to kill 2 rolls quickly!

The rangefinder is still off and I need to calibrate it again but so far so good. It is complicated, heavy and rather difficult to use......I like it!

Oh yeah....framing? WTF is framing with this guy?

First succesful picture!

5483984838_388274c7ba_z.jpg
 
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So I take it it doesn't come with a viewfinder or a wire frame?

Good catch anyway. Looks like you are getting used to it quickly.
 
It has a VF that is sort of accurate but the VF needs a mask to match the lens......all of the above were shot with the wire frame "big"finder. It sort of works....
 
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Well, nothing but the GG will be close to completely accurate, but you can learn from the wire frame and the GG, about what will be on the film. It shouldn't take you long to get what you want. It would no doubt be tedious, but you should be able to make masks that could be taped on, unless you don't have easy access to that area of the RF. You could even make masks for the wire frame, but some just learn approximations and go from there.
 
I am not really stessing it.....the neg is really big! Right now I need to re calibrate the range finder to match the lens and get sharp images then I will worrry about framing.
 
Great cameras, and nice to see someone shooting the smaller versions. The ones I owned were all the larger 4x5 models. You can buy a mask for the viewfinder, but it's simple enough to make one out of card stock. This link should take you to info on adjusting your rangefinder.

http://graflex.org/

The first shot you posted shows that your lens is a keeper. Nice sharpness to it. As for your self portrait, you may have the makings of a Bad, Cheap, Sci Fi Film Director! All you need is a pie pan on a string hanging from your background trees.
 
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I have some very sharp areas in all the photos.....they are just not where I want them to be sharp!

I found the link above and "thought" it was adjusted...turns out i was off about 5' in all directons:)

One big problem I have is the GG. I bought a new one with lines on it but I jsut cant see the focus for crap. I am using a loupe and it helps but I must be blind. I like the DSLR/zoom trick but I dont have one. I will go out this afternoon, very sunny, and try the GG glass again to set the infinity and go from there.

You get a lot of looks with this guy!

One guy asked me if it worked or if i just had it cuz it looked cool
 
Nice to see someone else using these larger cameras. I've got a Horseman 980 with a f/3.5 lens, and even with my 30 year-old eyes I can't see the image on the ground glass well. When using the glass, I use a black cloth and a loupe. But, once the Velvia is processed, I can just hold the 6x7 transparency up to the light without the loupe.

Once you get your framing figured out, you'll really enjoy this anachronistic beast.
 
Hello:

You may find the circular dial at the back of the finder rotates to compensate, crudely, for parallax.

The #2 Mask is appropriate for 101mm and, unmasked, the VF is a ~75-80mm.

Try MPEX, they often have the Masks.

yours
FPJ
 
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I am using a 90 on it so maybe I can just slightly block the VF with a home made mask....that is good info; thanks!

Once the foucus is back into the realm of normal i will set up some test targets and see what I can figure out on the framing.
 
Depending upon how much has been "fixed" on your camera, it can be a jewel or a nightmare. The fresnel, ground glass, etc has to in the correct order, and facing the correct way. The infinity stops have to be set properly, and that is just so you can focus it on the ground glass. Then you have to adjust the rangefinder.

Everything working properly, Graphics take superb images. Anyone who tells you differently, has used one that has been "fixed" by someone who did not know what they were doing.
 
Infinity stops will be worked on tomorrow, I swapped the lens and I think the PO swapped one as well so who knows what it is set at. No fresnel on the 2x3 as far as I know and I know this one did not come with one but the GG is new and isntalled correctly.
 
If you like that, do yourself a favor and get a 4x5 next. The first time you see a real negative in your hands will change how you think about photography. Seriously.

And for an even bigger mind bender? 4x5 E6...
 
Congrats! I'm in a similar situation, having just received as a gift a Graflex XL with 3 lenses, including a well-regarded 80mm Planar. It includes a graflock back, so I just bought an RH-10 roll film back to enable shooting 120 film for 6x7 negs and ordered 120 film. I've never used a Graflex before (any variant), so my first experience should be interesting to say the least.
 
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