Testing a Miniature Speed Graphic

[Mr_Flibble]

I bought a 1941-dated Graflex 'pre-anniversary' Miniature Speed Graphic with 1946-dated 101mm Ektar last december. And I was waiting for a friend to manufacture me some brackets so I could use a Graphic 23 rollfilm holder on the original spring back. When after 8 months the brackets hadn't materialized I decided to spring for a 2x3 Graflok back.
In my over-optimistic view I assumed the back would screw straight onto the body.
Of course the screw holes didn't line up. They were off by a millimeter or so. So I reached for my handy dremel tool and within 5 minutes I had a Baby Speed Graphic with Graflok back! Sweet! 😀

My expanding Graflex family

Now what I should have done was check and adjust the focus and RF for the new lens/film distance. Of course in my eagerness to run film through the camera I totally forgot.

Luckily the DOF saved some of the results!

I shot a roll of Ilford XP2 Super at a Living History Event at Fort Veldhuis, near Heemskerk in The Netherlands.

Bren gunner and assistant re-enactors of the 1st Borderers of the British 1st Airborne Division. I was focussing on their faces...honest.

A quarter size crop of the original image, cutting away the OOF people who I was actually focussing on.

A GI from the Blue & Gray cleaning his Browning Automatic Rifle

1st Borderers receiving some last minute orders before picking a fight with the Jerries.

The Jerries of the 716th Infanterie Division lined up for the after-battle weapons clearance routine.

Despite the focus issues the Ektar seems to be a fine performer (as expected).
Next time, after the focus adjustment, I'll also be using a cable release for the front-shutter. I couldn't find a comfortable position to fire the shutter without my fingers getting in front of the lens.

You live and learn 😉

 

[acheyj]

Thanks Rick as you say the DOF saved the day, time to time a 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 turns up on ebay and I get the urge but not followed thru yet, I have a Press universal and a Bretram press as well as some 6x7 slrs.
The pics of the Bren Gun bring back memories spent a fair bit of time behind one as #1, a mighty weapon in the days of the platoon rifleman just armed with a bolt action rifle.

ron

 

[paulfish4570]

fun shots with the mini.
can a person own a bren gun or BAR in europe? or are they kept in an armory and released only for such events?
here in the states, a citizen can legally own an operable automatic weapon, but only under a strict - and costly - licensing procedure ...

 

[graywolf]

Adjusting the focus on the MSG is simple. Just release the rail clamps, slide the front standard back until the lens is in focus at infinity. Tighten the clamps, then move the stops back to where the standard is now.

If the RF is properly set for that focal length then you are home free. If it needs to be adjusted, I believe there is an article on graflex.org telling you how to do that.

Actually, your problem is that someone may have misadjusted the focus at some time in the past. I have worked on several Graphic cameras that have had things messed up idioticly. The ground side of the ground glass should face the lens. The Fresnel, if fitted should be in front of the ground glass with the ridged side facing the GG. I highly suspect that something like that is messed up as, IIRC, the Graphic back and the Graflok back have the same register. I am not sure about the old Graflex back as I have mostly worked on Pacemaker versions.

Lots of luck getting that old Minture Speed Graphic working the way it is supposed to.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Thanks for the respones everyone.

Acheyj, my dad was a #1 as well during his time in Dutch military service. He didn't quite make it to gunner first class before his hearing became messed up.

Paul, law is a bit complicated here; You'll need a fire arms permit to own a working (or at least blank fire adapted) fire-arm. And for an automatic you'll need a dispensation from the Justice Department.
Deactivated bolt-handle rifles are free to own. Deactivated semi-automatic and full-automatic rifles still require a permit.
Also we're the only country in Europe where airsoft replicas are outlawed. Go figure.

Thanks for the hints Graywolf, I was thinking about sliding the focus indicator to match the actual focus, and then turn the screw in the RF so the mirrors would line up as well, but I think the method your described saves a bit of trouble.

 

[Dez]

Kalart adjustment manual

Kalart adjustment manual

The manual showing how to adjust the Kalart RF on a Graphic can be found here:
http://graflex.org/speed-graphic/kalart-manual.html

Cheers,

Dez