Crown Graphic question

[rdenney]

thanks Jack, cool info.
Handheld is ok? I'm using strobes so maybe the strobes would freeze the image? I do have a tripod, but actually am a handheld 35 guy.
Is it rangefinder like 35 or top down? Obviously, 35 style is more comfortable for me.
Have you heard of focusing beams for Crown? Someone mentioned it.
How do you know the rangefinder is calibrated? do not know what that means.
What is the widest lens one can put on it safely, and why don't I "need" wide angle as much with LF. thanks!

To add (you wrote this as I was writing my previous response): A Crown Graphic with a 127 or 125 can be focused using an attached rangefinder, either on the side or the top depending on which model you get (and I suggest a Pacemaker which could have either). That is not used for composing, just focusing--it won't show the whole frame. The viewfinder is not much use, but the wire-frame sport finder is more useful. Or, you can open the lens and focus on the ground glass, then close the lens, insert the film, and make the exposure.

For hand-held work with real viewing, just get a Crown with a 127 or 135 and forget the Gowland and similar cameras. It was designed for hand-held operation. You'll need a lens with a shutter that has an X flash synch, and probably a synch cord that will connect a vintage bi-post plug on that shutter to the PC connector used by most flashes.

There are other choices for handheld work, but the Crown Graphic was a press camera and was made for it.

Question: What is your favorite lens on 35mm for similar kinds of portraits?

Rick "noting additional requirements" Denney

[johnielvis]

the "focus beams" are an attachment that goes on the rangefinder and projects light OUT of the rangefinder onto the subject...you line the 2 beams up into 1 and you got focus in the dark.

I hanhold my crown with 65 all the time....bed dropped of course..but I don't bother with the rangefinder for that--not accurate enough...for the wides..just get a decent focus scale and do scale focus---tape another handwritten scale on the bed and you're in business...forget the rangefinder for the wides...leave it calibrated for the stock crown lens...which is wide itself it it's a 127

[kevs-2323668]

thanks rdenny, will send a PM about this.
John, cool, have you tried the focus beams? I'm not shooting in the dark! It's it just for the dark? I thought maybe it helped lock in focus in normal shooting situations.

[Kuzano]

Some things about the Gowland Pockets if you are still considering them. I have owned four of these, and liked them for their strong suit... monorail in VERY packable form. I don't think you can find a "many movement" camera as light as the Pocket anywhere else.

Some things to consider:

1) most variable camera in construction, I have ever seen. I had four and no two of them were identical. They all seem to be custom made to me. For that reason, you won't know exactly what movements you may get buying one, without close inspection of the camera. Seriously... custom construction I'd bet, all the way.

2) They can be very fiddly to set up...time consuming and somewhat frustrating to attain and maintain exacting movements and focus. That's partly because major movements, particularly locking the front standard in place is very iffy. It's totally friction wheel in a groove and must be precisely set to avoid slippage. And only one of the four I had were built with enough leverage on the knobs to tighten down most of the other movements. Therefore setup, setting perspective movements and focus are very time consuming and frustrating. It can be done, but if it had not been for the payoffs of monorail type movements, total breakdown in a pack, and 3 pounds total weight, with a lens on the board, I would never have gotten my 2nd, 3rd or 4th one.

3) the one that worked for me had many movements on front, and tilt and swing on the back, and locked down nicely because of leverage on the locks. But that damnable slipping front focus system forever eluded me as being workable. And that's to say that the tension on the very stiff bellows could often pull the front standard out of focus on lenses over 150.

They did have a great option for short lenses, as the rail was actually two short rails that met in the middle (tripod clamp). You could slide one of the rails completely through the middle clamp and have a very very compact short focal length camera. Again 3 pounds broken down in the pack WITH the lens. I used mostly 90 and 150 with the Pockets. I always found that the bellows were stiff enough that they would shift the focus standard when extended. After I gave up on them, it occurred to me that the solution to my biggest downside of the camera would have been to drill and tap a hole into the monorail space and put a knob with a threaded bolt into that hold to absolutely lock the front standard.

By then, I was done with Gowland Pockets, and now use a considerably hacked and lightened Super Graphic, which I intend to modify a bit more to add tilt to the back.

I might mention that rangefinders and hand holding do not work for me.

GG focus and a tripod are what I favor.

Good luck.

[John Kasaian]

Times a-wastin'! Get yourself a Calumet 400 or Graphic View I or II, put it on Tiltall, order a box of Arista and a lens and start shooting before you get too old

[Kuzano]

OLD, and still shooting 35mm:

[ki6mf]

If you go with a 65MM or other wide angle lens you normally need use a bag bellows. Bag bellows are used for a couple of reasons. To focus the wide angle lens you have to rack it back against the back standard (rear of the camera) and the accordions style bellows become compressed and make focusing hard. The other use is moving the lens up or down left or fight (swings and tilts). Bag bellows allows for more movement if needed. Keep in mind that you can swing and tilt so much that the lens does not cover part of the film and you get vignetting or an arc on your film. I think most Graphic do not use bag bellows and do not know if they are available. if you can get by with the regular bellows and wont use movements to much the crown will work fine. You may start shooing landscapes or architecture where you would use movement to correct perspective and a View Camera or Field Camera is better suited for those requirements.

[kevs-2323668]

I went for a Sinar F 4x5... thanks.

[Neal Chaves]

I have a TRF Crown with a 65mm f8 Fujinon SW cammed to the RF. I use a 20mm Russian viewfinder to compose accurately on 4X5 hand-held. The lens is positioned on the inner track, with the bed dropped. The infinity stops are placed behind the front standard. The lens folds up in the case when the stops are lowered and the front standard is fully recessed. 65mm cam is shown at lower right.

[rdenney]

I have a TRF Crown with a 65mm f8 Fujinon SW cammed to the RF. I use a 20mm Russian viewfinder to compose accurately on 4X5 hand-held. The lens is positioned on the inner track, with the bed dropped. The infinity stops are placed behind the front standard. The lens folds up in the case when the stops are lowered and the front standard is fully recessed. 65mm cam is shown at lower right.

Neal, would you be interested in making another one? Do you think it would work as well with a 65/8 Super Angulon? What about with a Speed instead of a Crown?

Rick "who has a TRF Speed and a lonely 65" Denney