Super Speed Graphic, cool?

[Kuzano]

Since buying a Super Graphic just for that high speed between-the-lens shutter is risky, why not consider the several other makes of cameras with similar features. The later B&J metal body press cameras have good front movements and a rotating back, and should be cheaper than the Super. They also use the same easy to fabricate lens board as the Anniversary Graphic. Busch and Meridian usually sell for more than the B&J. The Pacemaker series of SG were well made and had an extensive variety of available accessories. Don't be put off by their wooden bodies: the company had well learned how to make quality cameras by then.

The Super Graphic has two additional movements on the front which are not often found by many users. There is a chrome tab at the bottom of the front standard, and if you push down, you will find swing and side shift on the front movements. There is a tweak that can be done by reversing the front standard which gives more front tilt.

As mentioned the 1000 shutter w/rodenstock lens is not reliable, and I have been told that with the best CLA and under the best circumstances, lucky to get 1/800th speed.

The red shutter release mechanism is often incapacitated. The batteries are very expensive. Cams for the rangefinder are often lost, and each lens focal length requires a different cam. There is a source on the internet for measurements to cut the cams.

The front (red button) release relies on three ribbon cables that run inside the folds of the bellows to transfer current to the solenoid on the front standard to operate it. Plus that, the front release requires a special lens board that has linkage inside to trip the shutter from the solenoid. (Chances are you have that board if you have the 1/1000 shutter on this camera).

However by now most red button shutters are non-operational. Battery doors are often lost as well by this time.

I use a lightened Super Speed Graphic. Weight reduced stripping all the rangefinder and handholding equipment out and tweaking all the movements for the most. Now considering another tweak for some back movement. I have "flat topped" the body taking an inch off the top. (This was a non operational and non redeemable Super Graphic- I would not disable a good Super or Super Speed Graphic). The difference between a Super and a Super Speed is that the Super Speed came equipped with the 1/1000 Rodenstock lens and shutter. The name plate on the door indicates which one it is. So if you have a Super Speed name plate but not the fast Rodenstock lens, it is the same as a Super.

There are a couple of pages on Steve Gandy's Cameraquest site (http://www.cameraquest.com/supergrp.htm) that thoroughly outline the features and advantages and features of the Super/Super Speed, including the "hidden" front movements as I refer to them. In addition, he has a page that explains all the movement tweaks, and a page that shows one person's mod of the back for some back tilt.

Graflex sold the rights to the Super/Super Speed to Toyo, and they were made by Toyo for a while as predecessor to the Toyo 45 metal field cameras. The Toyo model name plate indicates Super or Super Speed with the name Toyo after, and are quite hard to find.

[Dan Fromm]

Hmm. Graflex offered two versions of the Super Graphic, identical in all respects except that the one sold as Super Speed Graphic had the infamous 1/1000 shutter. The plain Super Graphic was offered with normal lenses in other shutters.

The Super Graphic (both versions) has two advantages over Pacemaker Graphics (Crown and Speed). As Kuzano pointed out, it offers better movements. And it has a rotating back. Pacemaker Graphics' native orientation is landscape; they have to be put on their sides -- by an odd coincidence there's a tripod socket on the side -- to shoot in portrait orientation.

The Super Graphic has one large weakness relative to Pacemakers. Pacemakers' inner and outer bed rails (yokes, in Graphic-speak) are linked, making focusing with short lenses that make infinity with the front standard on the inner rails easy. The Super Graphic's inner bed rails are fixed, so with a Super short lenses have to be focused by tugging/pushing on the front standard.

"Coolness" is a poor reason for doing anything.

[Joseph Dickerson]

Just a small correction to what Kuzano says, you don't have to modify the front standard on a Super Graphic to achieve front/forward tilt. The Supers had that as standard. On the Crown/Anniversaries et al, the front tilt only tilted to the rear and needed to be modified to tilt forward.

The 1/1000 shutter speed was never really that fast, most seemed to top out at 1/750th or so. At least that's what I remember was the wisdom back in the day. Actually, the Super is the only Graphic I'd even consider as a user. I actually used to sell the things when i worked in a camera shop. No need to go into how long ago that was.

JD

[Ivan J. Eberle]

I think it's one of the most hand-holdable 4x5s, especially if the electric release yet works. Shutter propagation time on the 1/1000 Super Speed was extremely low, but so were TLR Rolleis. I can think of some peak of action sports shots where that'd be critical. These were a Newsie's camera toward the end of the era where 4x5s were necessary (offset printing changeover).
I liked my beater SG but kept the Meridian instead for better wide-angle handling.

[Alan Gales]

Thanks everyone, you have all been a big help! Now the hard part of talking my friend into trading. He has it sitting in a display case in his home.

Dan, as far as cool goes, I'm just joking around. I like the fact that it is robust, easy and fast to set up, and I can change to portrait orientation easily. I plan on shooting people outdoors sometimes alone and sometimes in small groups.

[Peter York]

"Coolness" is a poor reason for doing anything.

Dan, coolness has utility. It helps build social capital.

In my opinion, though, the Pacemakers are the coolest!

[photobymike]

Its always puzzled me why you would need a rotating back on a graphic... added weight and expense ... i just turned the camera sideways for a vertical

[Alan Gales]

You make a very good point but if you have the camera mounted on a tripod it's faster and easier to spin the back instead of adjusting the tripod head. Just convenience really.

[IanG]

Its always puzzled me why you would need a rotating back on a graphic... added weight and expense ... i just turned the camera sideways for a vertical

Pacemaker Graphics have some although poor tilt + rise/fall in landscape mode but none at all in portrait mode, the Super Graphic's rotating back along with better movements overcome this. If Graflex had brought out the Super Graphics in the late 1940's the'd have possibly survived a lot longer.

Ian

[Peter York]

Pacemaker Graphics have some although poor tilt + rise/fall in landsacpe mode but none at all in portrait mode, the Super Graphic's rotating back along with better movements overcome this. If Graflex had brought out the Super Graphics in the late 1940's the'd have possibly survived a lot longer.

With a top rangefinder Pacemaker you can reverse the standard to easily get forward tilt. I'm not sure if this works with a Kalart - I think the rangefinder interferes with the reversed standard. With this configuration, if you choose your wideangles carefully (easier for moderate-wides with a speed because the body is deeper) they will rest on the inner rails, and you avoid the problem of having to tilt the lens backwards with the bed dropped.

There are DIY instructions on how to grind down part of the front standard to achieve some front swing. Which means you can get some tilt, swing and shift in portrait mode. Yes, these movements are limited.

For me the Super lies between a Press and a Technical camera, and if I want a technical camera, I certainly want one with more movements that the Super. For this reason, I think the Pacemakers are the apex of Graflex. They are marvellously engineered press cameras. The Super is a poorly-engineered technical.