Service/parts for Graflex Super D. Advice needed, please.

[Ole Dyre Hesledalen]

-Oh my, I just couldn't help it; a nice enough 4"x5" Super D auto-diaphragming model with a Kodak Ektar 190/5,6 showed up for sale and of course I bought the darn thing!
(I know; pretty silly, huh?) So now there's the usual stuff to sort out: Slow, sticky shutter -possibly old age and dead springs, I guess- and then I'll have to figure out how to put a standard type spring back on it. (And what on earth are all those buttons, knobs, levers, cranks and such for?...)

Do any of you know of any sources for getting parts and/or service for this thing?
Obviously my primary needs are to get the shutter fixed/replaced and to get either parts for a back conversion or having someone put this on the camera.
I'd be very grateful for any information regarding this!
(I guess I also could use any tips and tricks you seasoned reflex Graflex users might want to share regarding the care and feeding of a Super D...)

Ole

[Mark Sampson]

Have you looked at graflex.org? It seems that the best Graflex repair person, in the USA at least, is named Fred Lustig, somewhere in Nevada (that's far west). I can't say anything about Europe- but where I live, in the city where your camera was made, there's no one who repairs them.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I'm not sure a Graphic spring back will fit the Super Graphic. There is one old time Graphic repairman left. He has the last remaining inventory of factory original parts. The problem is location/shipping cost. If you can bear shipping cost back and forth to the U.S., the man you want is Fred Lustig, in Reno, Nevada. He has no web presence, just his home phone. Daylight hours (u.S.) only, please. Go to http;//www.graflex.org and pull up a search for Fred Lustig to get the number. Welcome to the world of Graflex!

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, Bert Saunders in Bakersfield, California repaired my RB Ser. D shutter and restored the camera very well. He is happy to provide advice on these cameras via email if you want to fix it yourself. You can find his email by doing a google search, or send me a pm and I'll look it up.

Jon Shiu
Elk, California

[Ole Dyre Hesledalen]

Mark:

Yes, I did find Mr. Lustig's contact info at graflex.org but decided to post here in case someone had any recent information regarding this particular gentleman and his hopefully thriving business. (Yup, Reno is pretty far west from were you -Rochester, right?- and I currently are situated. Funny, this; it used to be northeast of where I previously lived. I'd sometimes go through there on motorcycle rides when I called San Francisco home. )

Glenn:

Well, that's one more count for Mr. Lustig. I'll see if I can diagnose what kind of back will fit with some modification; it'd be nice to retain the revolving back, though. I'm sure I'll enjoy photographing with the contraption once I get it properly sorted out!

Many thanks to both of you!

[Bill_1856]

Forget putting a spring back on your Graflex. The problem is that the ground glass must be matched with the focal plane on the back, and is why they charge big bucks to do it.
Instead get yourself a couple of 4x5 Bag-Mags (be sure to get ones to fit the Graflex back). They hold 12 sheets of film, and change them quickly (like a Grafmatic).

[Ernest Purdum]

I'm a little confused about your remarks concerning the back. Is it that you doubt being able to find correct holders, etc.? They are around, but it might take a little patience to turn them up. Converting to a Graflok back is feasible, but neither simple nor cheap, since it involves readjusting the height of the groundglass. Nice when done, though. (Some Super D's came with Graflok backs.) A standard spring back would be quite out of place on any graflex SLR, I think.

Whether modified or not, the back should still revolve.

The Super D is a capable camera. It would be my first choice if I were out to make handheld LF photos. Enjoy it.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I use "bag mags" and, though slower and more fiddly to use than Grafmatics, they are great items because of the film capacity. You can even mix different film types in one magazine, if you keep tack of what film is in what septum number. If a fellow is really lucky, he would find an 18 shot magazine. I have one for my 3X4 Speed Graphic. BTW, bag mags fit ONLY cameras with the Graflex back, which is what you have. The drawback? Finding one with a good leather changing bag. A good shoe shop could make a new bag. (Are there still shoe repair shops around?)

[jnantz]

Hi, Bert Saunders in Bakersfield, California repaired my RB Ser. D shutter and restored the camera very well. He is happy to provide advice on these cameras via email if you want to fix it yourself. You can find his email by doing a google search, or send me a pm and I'll look it up.

Jon Shiu
Elk, California

i would second mr sauders.
he is a very nice guy, and
very knowing when it comes
to graflex cameras.

john

ps i have and use a rb series d (4x5)

[Leonard Robertson]

As you are located in Europe, it may be worthwhile to contact this gentleman in the Netherlands: http://www.xs4all.nl/~lommen9/parent.html
His site is devoted to press style cameras, but reading his wonderful site shows how much he loves Graphics. Since the shutter in your Graflex is more or less the same as a Speed Graphic, he may be willing to work on your camera, or know someone in Europe who can.

Here is a site with a scan of a Graflex instruction book: http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info.html
Go down to "Instruction Manual for Graflex Cameras (SLR's)"

This site has a copy of a Pacemaker Speed Graphic service manual:http://www.southbristolviews.com/pic...icmanuals.html
If you know anyone in your area who does camera repair, they may be able to clean and lube your focal plane shutter with the information given in this manual.