Speed Graphic focal plane shutter and camera shake

**Erik Ryberg** · 3-May-2000, 22:06

Stephen,

The "T" setting works fine. What I meant is speeds like 1/5th, which are kind of hard to do with the "T" setting and don't exist on the focal plane shutter. Or at least they don't exist on mine.

It's true about the shutter curtain requiring quite a bit of travel time. It think it's about a 30th. But as for the thing being not suitable for "high quality images," well, I have two words for you: DOROTHEA LANGE. Make that four words: ALFRED STIEGLITZ. Actually, I could come up with a lot of words.

And with regard to the curtain travel time, if you go to the link above posted by CW Dean you will see a nice picture of some people suspended in the air.

I'm sure your Wollensak lens will serve you very well. There were many varieties but an f11 process lens will make awesome images. I use several of them. Keep your eyes open for the wollensak f4.5 telephoto lenses in barrels. They are quite inexpensive, coated, and very good performers. The important thing is learning how to use your gear, not fretting over whether it lives up to somebody else's standards.

**jim Ryder** · 3-May-2000, 22:57

With my speed on T, the curtain will work fine to open the shutter with a cable release screwed in the release button, but sluggish to close. So, I just use my hand or a lens cap to stop the exposure. Works fine, nice sharp images, timed nicely with a sweep second hand, or just counting. I think these kinds of long exposures give nice round, thick, carefully thought out densities, I think they may be deeper than "instaneous" exposures. Shutters were a nice invention though.

**Pete Andrews** · 4-May-2000, 06:02

Give your existing gear a try before you spend any more money! You'll probably find you get pin sharp results. What can you lose? The price of a couple of sheets of film at the most. Don't worry about the small aperture of the process lens, you'll need to stop it down even further for sufficient depth-of-field anyway. I can't even remember the last time I took an LF exposure at wider than f/16.

Back to your vibration problem. Has your tripod got a good broad platform that contacts the camera base over a wide area? If it hasn't, then that could be the reason for the excessive wobble. I get much better stability from an old Kodak tripod with a top like a small coffee table than I do from a modern tripod with a tiny platform, even though the rigidity of the two is about the same. Try putting a sheet of plywood between the tripod head and the camera body with an oversize hole for the tripod screw. That way you should be able to really pull the camera body down hard onto the tripod head (assuming the screw is long enough of course). The usual cork or rubber padding on the top of most tripods gives a really sloppy coupling to the camera unless it's compressed really hard. OK, enough of my theories about tripod design. Good Luck.

**John Miller** · 8-May-2000, 20:38

I have a Speed Graphic and the shutter works just great...I had it tested at two camera repair shops. I also have a couple of barrel lenses a 15" telephoto and a 20" telephoto, both designed for a Speed and as long as I use a fast shutter speed with a good (heavy) tripod or use my hand and a time exposure. The sheet film that comes back after processing is tack sharp. They were the press corps standard equipment years ago...You should see what a press #5 bulb does with sheet film. Don't give up! Hope this helps.