Reflex large format cameras....this weeks obsession!!

[jnantz]

if you get one make sure you get a junker as a parts camera.
i've had a series d ( 4x5 ) for almost 20 years and have harvested parts off
of a junker i purchased a few months later. they aren't hard to take apart, fix
and put back together tweak the timing &c if you are careful ... and if you are lucky you can
get a bag mag that takes plates .. heavy as heck though ...
i've always wanted a home portrait 5x7 but somehow i opted to hold back ...
( and still sort of want one ... )

[skuuterboy]

I shoot 4x5 and 5x7 with Graflex SLR cameras and for portraiture they are great. I've acquired old beater cameras and have restored the shutters and modified the viewfinders by removing the hoods. the cameras no longer resemble black boxes, but they are a joy to use in the studio with either available light or flash. I am constantly amazed at how simple and functional the design of the Graflex SLRs are. And they are not so difficult to repair as long as the springs are intact. I use the old Graflex style backs on my cameras and mainly use 18 sheet cut film magazines. I've never had any issues at all with dust in either the cameras or the magazines. These cameras are marvelous for anyone interested in customization.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

...These cameras are marvelous for anyone interested in customization.

Could you attached some images of your cameras? I would love to see what you did.

[EdSawyer]

agreed, they are great, and very versatile. a good platform for mods, and common enough to not feel bad about modifying one.

[djdister]

I have the 5x7 Graflex Series B and the focal plane shutter still works fine. Need to adapt the back to take modern 5x7 or 4x5 film holders - has anyone done that?

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I have the 5x7 Graflex Series B and the focal plane shutter still works fine. Need to adapt the back to take modern 5x7 or 4x5 film holders - has anyone done that?

I have done it, or rather I asked the Grimes boys to do it for me. Description is here.

[skuuterboy]

Here is a shot of my primary 4x5 studio camera which has in the rear a modified Graflex RB Series B camera and a modified Toyo G front standard. I put this camera together to accommodate a 2.5/306mm Aero Ektar lens which I use for portraits with both daylight and strobe. I use mainly 12 sheet or 18 sheet cut film magazines and don't have any trouble with dust or scratches.

[skuuterboy]

This is a modified early Auto Graflex non-rb 4x5 which has a 7" Aero Ektar lens and is my primary travel 4x5. I stripped the cracked and dried rubber coating off the original curtain and recoated it with black acrylic ink and it works just fine now. I get shutter speeds ranging from about 1/4 secand to about 1/300.

[Tim Deming]

Great looking mods skuuterboy!

[skuuterboy]

Thanks Tim. This is a non-RB Series B 5x7 with a 12 sheet cut film magazine onto which I have mounted a Buhl 2.5/240mm projection triplet lens. I made a shorter custom hood for this camera and have a magnifying eyepiece which sits atop the hood for precision focusing. This camera was made in 1924.