I am still new to LF and still learning so please pardon my ignorance. I'am very intrested in using grafamatics with my 4x5 wista but have no idea whether my camera needs to have a graflock back (mine does not). Can i just insert it like a regular holder in to the spring back?
They work fine with my Tachihara's spring back.Originally Posted by stompyq
I wouldn't. Grafmatics are about half again as thick as a normal film holder. Two grafmatics are about as thick as three film holders.
On my cameras with spring backs you are really risking breaking something.
Also note there are two different types of grafmatics.
Graflex.org has the most information on this.
Grafmatics are great fun to play with but can be finiky, especially if the septums have been damaged which is easy to do.
If you are just starting out you will have more than enough problems without adding any more complexity.
Go with regular film holders or a pack film.
I"ve used them dozens of times with cameras with spring backs. Never a problem. I disagree with the statement that they are finicky. Unless the septums are bent (which you can tell right away by just looking at them) they are pretty rugged and dependable. It's nice to carry four of them instead of 12 regular film holders. I find that they hold the film very very flat,too.
W.
Grafmatics are wonderful, IMO. The question is will they fit under your camera's back. Some backs don't open enough for a Grafmatic to fit comfortably or at all. Don't force it in or you might bend the backsprings. You'll have to try it to see.
It will depend on the camera. My old Calumet C400 didn't have springs long enough for the grafmatic to fit under the spring back. My Cambo SC on the other hand is fine. Try putting two filmholders in at once, if they fit then the Grafmatic will be fine.
I love grafmatics and have twenty or so. Part of the reason I have so many is that I have been upgrading some of those that are too worn. These things are mostly 40+ years old now and were used by professional photographers so a lot of them had very hard lives. The septums will cause jamming if bent, but it is a simple matter to straighten them up again. I check the septums before reloading, it only takes a couple of minutes.
If you are buying on eBay I suggest you go for the newest looking ones you can lay your hands on. If buying at a swap meet or from a shop you should shuffle through the septums a couple of times. The action should be smooth and without any scraping noises.
I've written a few pages about grafmatics here that may help
Thanks everybody for the replys. Neal i've been shooting with LF for over 6 months now with my 4x5 wista wood feild (the one just before the wista DX). The back does open fairly wide. The main reason for going with them is that the regular holders are bulky and i frequently walk away from a shot b/c of too few holders that i had packed. I can't afford quickloads and can't justify there extra cost. Plus with 6 shots i could quickly shoot a changing scene without swapping holders. Lastly i am planning a lengthy vacation overseas sometime in the spring/summer. I want to cut down on the load plus by that time be comfortable with whatever i am carring
I use grafmatics with my 4x5 Wista wood field and have no problems.
Dear stompyq,
I have found that to avoid jamming, the best way to cycle a graphmatic is when it is in the normal camera orentation. When I first started using them, I would face the camera down while cycling to the next sheet. This caused me significant problems.
Neal Wydra
I own one Grafmatic, so I have a small amount of experience with them. They were wonderful for press photographers back in the days when 4x5 Speed Graphics were the norm. In such an application, the Grafmatic gave them the ability to shoot many times faster than if they had to mess with darkslides and flipping holders, etc. Film packs were even better (yes, I actually used those when they were still available in the 1970's.)
Frankly, I don't understand the allure today. They don't make the photos better. Modern LF photographers, with one exception I can think of, don't have any need for the speed Grafmatics afford (the exception being David Burnett; my apology to anyone else who's using LF for "real time" photography.) The last excuse I hear people using for Grafmatics is that they are lighter and smaller than a stack of double holders; for those the better solution is Quick/Readyloads. Let's not forget that, with Grafmatics, you're pretty much stuck with waiting until you've shot all 6 sheets, unless you really enjoy the complexity of loading and unloading them.
I personally use mostly standard double holders, followed by Readyloads. I'll choose my Calumet roll holder and shoot 120 film before I'll choose the Grafmatic. What are Grafmatics worth these days, anyhow?
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