Field Camera Recommendations

[Frank Petronio]

Second Peter's recommendation and Michael, who is listing the Toyo, is a good seller. Those are rugged, good values with plenty of movements for landscape.

[Kuzano]

I get so sad when I see graphics stripped of their RFs. I have a Super Graphic myself, and I was just wondering as well, why if the OP is shooting landscapes he finds the SG's movements lacking. 15 deg. tilt, both directions, 25 deg. swing, both directions, about an inch and an eighth of rise, 15 deg. bed drop, and 3/4" shift on the front standard.

I use my SG as a handheld with Instant and as a view camera. I think it's a wonderful, inexpensive field camera, and it's stone-axe tough too.

Well, if it's any consolation, I would never gut or strip a redeemable Super Graphic provided:

1) The rangefinder is usable, or fixable with a little work.
2) The bellows still has working foil ribbon connectors showing continuity through the bellow. In case some don't know, the connection from the camera body to the front standard solenoid is built inside the inner and outer covering of the bellows. In my search to find someone to build such a bellows, I have come up "nada".
3) All my parts are scavenged from parts only cameras OFTEN found on eBay. For instance there is one right now on eBay which is only a body, front standard and door, if I recall.

I occasionally talk with Fred in Reno, and he no longer has new bellows for the Super Graphic. I did pay him quite a bit to round up a good condition used bellows and install it on my full working Super Graphic.

Yes, I agree, unigue camera's should be restored. But, and I also believe this, Parts Is Parts and making them work in functional camera's is as rewarding as saving a stock camera. There are tons of parts out there. I have two boxes of them.

Hard to find are proper bellows, electrics for the Super Graphic, rangefinder cams for various lenses (however there are a couple of sites that have schematics for cutting new cams). Easy to find are camera's that have been stripped or torn down, with many missing parts as noted in this paragraph.

[unixrevolution]

Well, if it's any consolation, I would never gut or strip a redeemable Super Graphic provided:

1) The rangefinder is usable, or fixable with a little work.
2) The bellows still has working foil ribbon connectors showing continuity through the bellow. In case some don't know, the connection from the camera body to the front standard solenoid is built inside the inner and outer covering of the bellows. In my search to find someone to build such a bellows, I have come up "nada".
3) All my parts are scavenged from parts only cameras OFTEN found on eBay. For instance there is one right now on eBay which is only a body, front standard and door, if I recall.

I occasionally talk with Fred in Reno, and he no longer has new bellows for the Super Graphic. I did pay him quite a bit to round up a good condition used bellows and install it on my full working Super Graphic.

Yes, I agree, unigue camera's should be restored. But, and I also believe this, Parts Is Parts and making them work in functional camera's is as rewarding as saving a stock camera. There are tons of parts out there. I have two boxes of them.

Hard to find are proper bellows, electrics for the Super Graphic, rangefinder cams for various lenses (however there are a couple of sites that have schematics for cutting new cams). Easy to find are camera's that have been stripped or torn down, with many missing parts as noted in this paragraph.

Well, okay, yes...a non-working camera is a different story. It's like how you may cringe at a hot-rodded rare automobile, only to learn there wasn't enough left to restore. So yeah, in that case I have no problem with it. In my head I saw an entire working RF mechanism sitting in a trashbin.

My SG is working, but I need to get the RF back in line.

[Kuzano]

Well, okay, yes...a non-working camera is a different story. It's like how you may cringe at a hot-rodded rare automobile, only to learn there wasn't enough left to restore. So yeah, in that case I have no problem with it. In my head I saw an entire working RF mechanism sitting in a trashbin.

My SG is working, but I need to get the RF back in line.

I've had some interesting discussions with Fred Lustig in Reno. When he fitted a good used SG bellows onto my "good" SG, I spoke to him about the Super Graphic. He had some interesting observations about:

The change in the camera when Graflex sold the rights and tools to Toyo for them to continue the Super Graphic. They did this for a while before the metal Toyo fields came into play (no rangefinders there)

The possibility of raising the Super Graphic up as a new project, and selling refurbished or renewed SG cameras whole.

He probably could get your RF in great shape in a hurry, but he's had some issues. When I last spoke with him he was very busy with his work in Reno. He's pretty easy to contact, although often his wife answers as he is at his shop.

BTW. I also notice that there are some rangefinder cams popping up on eBay from time to time, and there is a true Super Graphic lens board with the internal shutter actuator on eBay presently.

[Kuzano]

Well, okay, yes...a non-working camera is a different story. It's like how you may cringe at a hot-rodded rare automobile, only to learn there wasn't enough left to restore. So yeah, in that case I have no problem with it. In my head I saw an entire working RF mechanism sitting in a trashbin.

My SG is working, but I need to get the RF back in line.

I've had some interesting discussions with Fred Lustig in Reno. When he fitted a good used SG bellows onto my "good" SG, I spoke to him about the Super Graphic. He had some interesting observations about:

1) The change in the camera when Graflex sold the rights and tools to Toyo for them to continue the Super Graphic. They did this for a while before the metal Toyo fields came into play (no rangefinders there)

2) The possibility of raising the Super Graphic up as a new project, and selling refurbished or renewed SG cameras whole.

He probably could get your RF in great shape in a hurry, but he's had some issues. When I last spoke with him he was very busy with his work in Reno. He's pretty easy to contact, although often his wife answers as he is at his shop.

[Frank Petronio]

You could of course, use the inexpensive Super Graphic (or similar) as the rugged field camera and have budget left over for a proper metal monorail. I mention this not to piss Brian off ;-p but because it would give you a full movement camera for local or close to the car work, yet also give you a good packable beater. For less in total than a lot of popular cameras.

[Brian Ellis]

You could of course, use the inexpensive Super Graphic (or similar) as the rugged field camera and have budget left over for a proper metal monorail. I mention this not to piss Brian off ;-p but because it would give you a full movement camera for local or close to the car work, yet also give you a good packable beater. For less in total than a lot of popular cameras.

I'm really pissed

: - )

[Frank Petronio]

You live in Bend, not Bent!

[Kuzano]

You live in Bend, not Bent!

Well Frank, it's not entirely impossible to get Bent in Bend. However, you may recall that I lived in Eugene for a long time, and have now been back in Bend for 20 years.

That said, it's virtually impossible to get Bent in Bend after you've lived in Eugene. But 20 years later, the mellowness of Eugene is wearing off.

The most popular ideological quote describing Bend (long before the meltdown)

"Welcome to Bend.... Poverty with a View!!"

It was that way in the 60's when I finished highschool here and before I got out. It was that way when I came back in 1992, and clearly it's that way now. It's just gratifying to see the rest of the country sinking to our level, economically speaking.

But we do have spectacular views. As was said and remembered on Seinfeld. "They're REAL and They're SPECTACULAR." re Teri Hatcher.

[Alan Gales]

Second Peter's recommendation and Michael, who is listing the Toyo, is a good seller. Those are rugged, good values with plenty of movements for landscape.

I'll make a third recommendation for the Toyo. A very good friend of mine owns one. Rugged, good value and plenty of movements for landscape just like Frank says.