I so lucky!

[ViewIIguy]

Hey all!

I just wanted to share my fortune with you. As some of you might know I recently got a View II, which is at the moment out of action till I replace the ground glass, BUT! My dad told me he had an old 4x5 and dug out an old Graflex speed graphic! It seems to be working fine, I'm about to go develop the two sheets I took last night and see, but it's so great to have. A backup easy(ier?) to carry 4x5 that uses the same holders and has a seemingly nice Kodak 127mm Ektar. If nothing else I'll have that to use on my view II!

Also in the box he gave me was a Kodak Ektar 7 1/2" f/4.5 with a No4 Acme Synchro Shutter. It's on a wooden lens board that measures 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 about. I'm not sure what it goes to really, but it is so big I was assuming an 8x10 perhaps? It's a little worse for the wear it seems, but optics look quite clean.

Anyways, just wanted to share!

-Will

[MIke Sherck]

The 7 1/2" Ektar might cover 5x7 but it's really a 4x5 lens. Unless it's a Wide Field Ektar, which might actually just cover 8x10. A useful focal length, too. Ektars are really good lenses, so you're quite fortunate there.

Don't discount the value of the Speed Graphic as a 4x5 handheld camera! I just got a Crown Graphic and intend to use it for spontaneous handheld "people" photography. That 7 1/2" lens would be perfect for that purpose (I'll be using a 203mm Ektar, just a little bit longer focal length than yours.)

Note that the Speed Graphic's grown glass will probably fit your other camera, and they're easy to change. Other sources of emergency replacement ground glass includes window glass covered with frosty scotch tape, thin plexiglass covered with scotch tape, or really just about anything thin enough to fit into the space and reasonably transparent.

Good luck!

Mike

[Glenn Thoreson]

Good on ya! I have a whole herd of Speed Graphics in all sizes. I love 'em! Ground glass isn't hard to come by. Lots of it on ebay. Search this site for suppliers. You can make your own emergency glass using NoVue window frosting spray from the hardware store. Your local glass shop may be able to fix you up, too. Have fun.

[epack]

The real good luck is that two generations share the same great hobby of LF photography.
Cheers,