Be aware that even the Super-D has very limited strobe sync that runs at about 1/5 of a second.
Be aware that even the Super-D has very limited strobe sync that runs at about 1/5 of a second.
Graflex RBs of all different flavors are all over ebay...if you're patient you can find a deal on the model you want. Unless you can find one that's being sold by someone who knows what they're doing, be prepared to give it a CLA. Most of these are from estate sales and have been sitting for years. And as mentioned before, the stock Graflex camera uses slotted film holders that were different from every other 4x5 film holder ever made. There are a couple of other options though...a 12 shot "bag mag" will go right on the back of it. The trick is finding one with decent leather. The other option is finding one that's been converted to a Graphic or Graflok back (or having a conversion done) so you can use standard film holders. I have a Tele-Graflex in my collection that had the back swapped at some point in it's life (along with a bunch of other mods). They're fun cameras.
Graflex.org is a good resource for all things graflex. the RB Tele will work with longer lenses than the Super-D. Generally the superD will probably be newer so it may be in better shape. Flash sync on any of the focal plane cameras is pretty compromised in general - basically it's bulb mode with flash triggered while the curtain is open. If you are into flash, use a lens in shutter with flash sync. The SuperD is nice, will work well with up to a 270mm Tele at least, maybe longer, and still reach infinity. I use a 3x4 RB SuperD converted to a 4x5 back. Converting any of these to a Graflok back is a good idea, and makes life a lot easier in general.
i believe kurt camera repair i. san diego will do a shutter cla as well
i have a series d and a parts hog i pick through for bits and pieces i might need to replace.
...i've cla'd the shutters and worked on it since the 90s .. great camera for continuous light or available light
the dark/b/flash/close shutter thing gets old the first time you do it.
with slow emulsion, like paper, or a dry plate you could do it with the lights on at least
wisner made a modern slr with a modern shutter with a sync .. ( copal )
if you need a flash it might be something to look for ..
although it was nearly 10 years ago, and he probably only made a handful ....
( he advertised it in vc magazine in about 2004ish )
really nothing like the graflexes, no THWACK when you make the exposure
I am by no means an expert as I'm quite new to the field but I have to ask. Are you just looking to get into large format, maybe the graphlex way, or is this the very camera you really want? It strikes me there must be so many easier and perhaps even cheaper cameras to start with. Just a thought.
The RB Tele/SuperD/etc. make nice portrait cameras. that's a plus, also they work well with barrel lenses so if those are a consideration it's a good choice.
they are an extremely simple camera ...
and the film holders / bag magazines
aren't much harder to find ( or more expensive ) than anything else ...
The slotted film holders that these need can be found on eBay for about $10-$20.
I just want to jump in and say that when I was a kid Modern Photography published an annual used camera guide. I saw the RB Auto Graflex, and it became my one burning object of desire. A few years later, a friend whose studio I worked in when I was in high school, landed me a 4x5 Super D. I have been through three or four total divestitures and abandonment of photography in the intervening 45 years, but that camera and a Leica IIIa are the only two photo items that I never wanted to sell.
They are great cameras, and everyone needs one. Where they really shined, unfortunately, was with 3000 speed Polaroid film, in available light, but the drop shutter isn't a difficult problem at all for flash in normal situations. It's real simple:
1/ pull down the mirror
2/ set shutter to H tension, and O for open
3/ load film and focus
4/ expose
What happens is that the mirror rises, revealing the film, since the shutter is already open; this triggers the flash, and simultaneously starts closing the shutter. It all takes about 1/5 second, which in normal situations where you'd use flash, is fine. Not a fuss at all--it's just like making a normal exposure with any camera at its sync speed, which in this case is 1/5, that's all.
Thanks, but I'd rather just watch:
Large format: http://flickr.com/michaeldarnton
Mostly 35mm: http://flickr.com/mdarnton
You want digital, color, etc?: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stradofear
Please ignore my ignorant advice; people swear by this old camera model. I know what *that's* like! Get one and love it.
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