Fixcinater
Never enough smoky peat
I recently bought an estate lot of a local photog. Came with a bunch of stuff, some of what I already had/wouldn't use has been sold on ebay to make my money back so the rest of the equipment doesn't owe me anything. Skip to the end if you don't need context to add your 2c.
Pacemaker Speed 4x5, has an 127 Ektar in Synchro Compur, and a 127 Ektar in black paint with later elements, some extra unused Pacemaker factory boards. Only need one, so the other can go towards another lens. Obviously used but not abused, paint is worn off the inner frame guides where the bed "arms" get locked in place inside the body from previous owner using that as a grip. Graflok back, focus panel has Fresnel. Kit came with 3x Grafmatics, lots of Riteway holders so would be easy to shoot. If I kept this, I'd want to either find another longer lens or make a board for the B&L 210/4.5 Tessar that's on an Anniversary board as below.
My current Speed is a fair bit rougher, a wartime Anniversary with a Graflex back so takes the slotted holders. I have 6 of those so no problems there, and don't really have any complaints about it in use but the Pacemaker's focusing hood is quite a bit nicer. Nice 210 B&L Tessar, a weird old projection lens that I built a cardboard mount for and some spare lens boards if I would want to add another lens at some point. Easier to make these boards than the Pacemaker style of course.
This one shows more wear but being a war-time, most of the wear is not un-attractive brassing. Bellows have been replaced so are fine, body shutter is fine shape. I installed a Pacemaker front standard so I can do tilt on this if need be (rarely use it, though). I have a hacked together instant film back for this, could use the last two packs of Fuji instant I have on it. No desire or budget to buy more instant unless I hack together an Instax back somehow.
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TL;DR= I have two Speed Graphics, only can really justify keeping one around. One I traded a delicious SoCal burrito for (from a friend), the other is from a local photog of a place I'm soon moving from (back to SoCal) and is nicer to use but no real "connection to." I'd eventually like to make the keeper of them into a Burnett combo or add a Pentac 2.9, but that's probably a ways off due to budget constraints/finding a good deal on the lens. Which to keep? Thoughts?
Pacemaker Speed 4x5, has an 127 Ektar in Synchro Compur, and a 127 Ektar in black paint with later elements, some extra unused Pacemaker factory boards. Only need one, so the other can go towards another lens. Obviously used but not abused, paint is worn off the inner frame guides where the bed "arms" get locked in place inside the body from previous owner using that as a grip. Graflok back, focus panel has Fresnel. Kit came with 3x Grafmatics, lots of Riteway holders so would be easy to shoot. If I kept this, I'd want to either find another longer lens or make a board for the B&L 210/4.5 Tessar that's on an Anniversary board as below.
My current Speed is a fair bit rougher, a wartime Anniversary with a Graflex back so takes the slotted holders. I have 6 of those so no problems there, and don't really have any complaints about it in use but the Pacemaker's focusing hood is quite a bit nicer. Nice 210 B&L Tessar, a weird old projection lens that I built a cardboard mount for and some spare lens boards if I would want to add another lens at some point. Easier to make these boards than the Pacemaker style of course.
This one shows more wear but being a war-time, most of the wear is not un-attractive brassing. Bellows have been replaced so are fine, body shutter is fine shape. I installed a Pacemaker front standard so I can do tilt on this if need be (rarely use it, though). I have a hacked together instant film back for this, could use the last two packs of Fuji instant I have on it. No desire or budget to buy more instant unless I hack together an Instax back somehow.
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TL;DR= I have two Speed Graphics, only can really justify keeping one around. One I traded a delicious SoCal burrito for (from a friend), the other is from a local photog of a place I'm soon moving from (back to SoCal) and is nicer to use but no real "connection to." I'd eventually like to make the keeper of them into a Burnett combo or add a Pentac 2.9, but that's probably a ways off due to budget constraints/finding a good deal on the lens. Which to keep? Thoughts?
