Almost forgot Grafmatic (AKA Graphmatic) holders! They are semi-automatic holders you could pre-load 6 sheets of cut film into via septums, and a push and pull on the darkslide stored the exposed sheet and loaded a fresh sheet without having to remove the holder from the camera.
Here is one illustrated resource: http://graflex.org/speed-graphic/grafmatic/
Cheers,
Nice article. But if you want to be comprehensive, perhaps some mention of large format Polaroid backs? Or big roll-film backs? Or (*shudder*) digital backs?
Hi, Brian,
You're absolutely right That's why in the article I do call them "spring backs" (although I mention that they are sometimes called "Graphic" backs, and they are, for the benefit of readers who want to know what's being spoken of when they read a reference to "Graphic" backs).I think you might simplify things a little if you just called spring backs "spring backs" and forgot about use of the term "Graphics" for them since spring back is the term in use today (at least I think it is though perhaps that's where my ignorance comes in).
There are only three spellings relevant here:
- "Graflex" (I explain in the article various things that means).
- "Graphic" (I was going to explain that, but I decided not to; hopefully its origin is evident from the discussion).
- "Graflok" (I explain that in the article).
Thanks for writing in.
Best regards,
Doug
Hi, Jack,
Sure. The article is about backs, not every possible thing that would go into them. But I might expand its scope the next time around.Almost forgot Grafmatic (AKA Graphmatic) holders!
Thanks for the thought.
Best regards,
Doug
Hi, Mark,
Again, I wasn't trying to explain everything that would go into a back. But I may expand the scope of the article the next time around.. . . But if you want to be comprehensive, perhaps some mention of large format Polaroid backs? Or big roll-film backs? Or (*shudder*) digital backs?
Regarding digital backs, I am so far only aware of digital backs that play the role of a medium-format back (not any that go into a large format "film" back). And I had intended to make clear that the article was about film backs. But again, I need to see what I might do about this related field the next time around.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Best regards,
Doug
Hi, Jack,
Well, now you've done it! I decided to write a section on bail backs for the article, but I didn't have any good pix (and no bail backs here to photograph), and my friend Will (who has several such) was out moving furniture. So I went to the evidently-unmentionable online auction site (not Sotheby's - can I say "Sotheby's" here?) to look for a nice picture of a camera with a bail back, and found a lovely picture of the bail back on a Calumet Standard 4x5, and the auction was about to close, and the camera looked really pretty, so I bought it!
Now I have another machine to learn about!
Are there bail backs that are basically of the Graflok formulation? The ones I am familiar with are all of the "spring" type.
Best regards,
Doug
Hi, Jack,
Well, it's dirty work, but somebody has to do it!Sheesh! I didn't expect to send you out on a spending spree
That's what I've seen too, but of course that would be equally beneficial on a Graflok (international) back. But I don't know if it has ever been implemented there.I am no expert on backs, but most of the bails I have seen were there simply to make it easier to open up a spring back without moving the camera.
Thanks. I'm sure it will be lovely.Congrats on your new toy!
Best regards,
Doug
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