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Thread: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    San Diego, CA
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    36

    My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    I've been looking for a Speed Graphic off and on for a few months, taking my time looking for a good one at a good price while reading and learning more about them. I've only checked Craigslist once or twice and there were never any local, just ads up in Los Angeles for them but I was poking around on eBay and a few other sites and figured I'd check CL too. I'm so glad I did, two hours before I checked someone posted an ad for one local to me listed as being nearly new in box. I contacted him immediately and we made an appointment to meet so he could show me the camera.

    I went over to his studio this morning to take a look and there was no way I wasn't walking out with this. The Speed was in it's original box with all of the original paperwork and (for some odd reason) what looks like a brand new baby Speed film holder (this is a 4x5 SG) and came with a box of three brand new 4x5 holders, a brand new Graflite Reflector, a flash (not new) and a some bulbs (both blue and clear).

    The focal plane shutter works smoothly at all speeds and looks/sounds accurate but I'll test it later. The lens is a Kodak 127mm f4.7 in a Syncro-Compur shutter, it's going to need a CLA because it's sticky in all of the slow speeds.

    He said he's owned it for about 12-13 years and got it from a friend who worked at a small college. The college was cleaning out old storerooms and throwing everything away when they found a couple of boxes of photo equipment. His friend knew he was a photographer and called him and asked if he wanted any of it. He said he went over and took a look but most of it was junk except for the Speed. He only took it and the accessories here and has owned it since. It appeared to be brand new when he got it and he's never actually used it other than to unpack it and fire the shutter on the lens to see if it worked.

    Sorry, not the greatest photos but I was excitedly opening and taking quick shots when I got home. I can't wait to get this out and give it a go!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 20140410_ND4_0145.jpg   20140410_ND4_0146.jpg   20140410_ND4_0147.jpg   20140410_ND4_0148.jpg  

  2. #2

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    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    More pictures...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 20140410_ND4_0149.jpg   20140410_ND4_0150.jpg   20140410_ND4_0151.jpg   20140410_ND4_0152.jpg  

  3. #3

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    Mar 2012
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    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    And the last pics..
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 20140410_ND4_0153.jpg   20140410_ND4_0154.jpg   20140410_ND4_0155.jpg  

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Montana
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    102

    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    Nice! That's probably the cleanest top mount Speed I've seen in a while. I have three of them, but none are as nice as that. With the Graphic rangefinder, it was made in 1955 or later (IIRC production of that camera stopped in 1963). That's an excellent lens and shutter as well. While not the rarest Graflex camera, the top mount Speed isn't nearly as common the Crown. Great score!

  5. #5

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    Nov 2007
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    1,127

    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    Nice score !

  6. #6

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    Feb 2008
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    1,247

    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    Nice find!
    Are the batteries still inside the rangefinder?
    Real cameras are measured in inches...
    Not pixels.

    www.photocollective.org

  7. #7

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    Mar 2012
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    San Diego, CA
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    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    Quote Originally Posted by dsphotog View Post
    Nice find!
    Are the batteries still inside the rangefinder?
    No, there's a little block of black wood in the battery compartment.

  8. #8

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    Mar 2012
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    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    I thought the flash was used because it has scratches on it but I just opened the battery compartment and found the original manual still rolled up inside. I took the film holders out of the box and found the original manual for those as well.

  9. #9

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    May 2010
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    St. Louis, Mo.
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    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    Quote Originally Posted by Trevor Whitaker View Post
    No, there's a little block of black wood in the battery compartment.
    I think that is the way they came from the factory.

    Nice camera!

  10. #10

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    Jan 2011
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    Montana
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    Re: My amazing Craigslist Speed Graphic find (sorry, pic heavy)

    Quote Originally Posted by Alan Gales View Post
    I think that is the way they came from the factory.

    Nice camera!
    Correct...they left the factory with the block of wood as a filler to keep the battery door in place. You don't see them very often though, as they got tossed when people put batteries in them. I've got one sitting around on my bench somewhere...

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