Graflex Reflex 3 1/4 x 4 1/4

[Jay DeFehr]

This is a personal decision. I regularly contact print 3x4 and 4x5, and find both sizes very satisfying for portraiture.

Me too. Making 3x4 carbon prints is much less demanding of resources, and allows me to make more prints/ get more practice for my $$/time.

[Mark MacKenzie]

Hey Jay, I have a bag mag. Its a little different than the two that Jim Fitzgerald has listed here. I am looking forward to trying this camera out. I ordered some EFKE and hope I don't have the quality problems from that thread, Jason. Jay which film do you use?
I am hoping for a vintage look from the 100 year old Tessar that I bet the RB can't do. Course I can't synch flash either. The Combi Plan can hold 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 also I think so processing shouldn't be a problem.
There's just something about shooting a Stieglitz era camera. I'm hoping to get good portrait response to it. I do have a longer 162mm Zeiss Tessar I will try out as well.
I haven't gotten bold enough to try alternative prints but I bet the carbon prints are beautiful.

[Jay DeFehr]

Hi Mark,

I bought a bunch of Forte 200 and 400 when it was available, and it's been in my freezer since. I haven't shot any EFKE, but my recent experience with ADOX roll film doesn't inspire much confidence in them.

[IMG] Juliet in satin by Jay DeFehr, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG] Untitled by Jay DeFehr, on Flickr[/IMG]

The above were made with my 3x4, the first on Forte 400, and the second on 6x9 roll film TMY-2

[Mark MacKenzie]

Very cool, Jay. What lens is that? And is it natural light? Exposure? Handheld?

I just read the Flicker post. 12" Reflector and 150mm lens. Is the roll back a knob or a lever? I've read the knobs have film flatness problems. Very nice.

[Bill_1856]

This is a personal decision. I regularly contact print 3x4 and 4x5, and find both sizes very satisfying for portraiture.

So did Edward Weston, but I think it is the exception rather than the norm.

[Jay DeFehr]

Very cool, Jay. What lens is that? And is it natural light? Exposure? Handheld?

I just read the Flicker post. 12" Reflector and 150mm lens. Is the roll back a knob or a lever? I've read the knobs have film flatness problems. Very nice.

Thanks, Mark. The top one is a carbon print, and not a very good one, but one of my first. The lens is a 150mm Xenar, the light was a fluorescent spiral in a 12" reflector, shot on a tripod, with a knob wind roll back. I've only shot the one roll with the roll back, and I haven't scrutinized corner to corner sharpness, but they look pretty sharp by casual observation.

[Michael Cienfuegos]

I have both knob wind and lever wind roll backs. I really haven't noticed a difference between them, other than the lever wind backs are much newer and probably in a bit better shape. I had one which was sticking, and when I took it apart I didn't get it back together properly, so now it is sitting in a box in pieces. I have the factory repair manual, but it didn't help me any. I'll leave the rest of them alone.