Some very newbie questions

[southy]

Hi all!
This is my introduction to the LF forums. I registered a while ago after making a purchase off of craigslist with the intention of getting into LF. Unfortunately, I went on a buying spree of 6x6 cameras along with my collection of 35mm cameras and I let these sit on the shelf. I was considering just selling them because I wasn't using them, but think I will jump in and try to get started in LF.

I have two cameras I purchased from the same person, they were left in a basement and the landlord sold them to me as abandoned property to me, and both of us had no idea what they were or how much they were worth. Well, I have read all the information on this site on the articles section, and have read through graphex.org and I now I need some advice.






One is a Speed (not crown) Graphic, looks like pre-anniversary (graphex.org). It currently has a CZJ 135mm 4.5 lens in a Compur shutter. The other is the a Calumet rail camera, with a Ektar 135mm 4.7.

1- There is a lot of tape on the calumet lens board. I'm guessing the owner swapped the shutter and lenses into the monorail camera and it didnt fit. I'm afraid to remove the tape, as it is very old. Are compur and graphex shutters the same size?

2- It seems like the shutter speeds for the slower speeds don't work at all on the Compur. Is this something worth trying to get fixed? Can I put the CZJ on the Graphex and the Optar on the Compur? I guess I mostly prefer night shots on film, so I think I will use bulb mode the most and it might be moot. Are the lenses going to be similar enough in quality that it doesn't matter?

3-Which camera would be easier for a beginner to start with? Should I just leave the rail at home and use the speed graphic outdoors to start?

4- What is the best way to store the cameras? The city is pretty darn dusty, and the bellows on the rail are already getting a coating of dust. Should I store with the bellows collapsed? or the bellows extended?

Thanks for the advice! And I apologize, I'm going to be posting questions all over the different sub forums.
-Southy