Super Graphic – Trying to work out if that’s what I want.

[hoffy]

Just recently I have borrowed a Toyo Monorail camera from Polyglot to try my hand at 4x5 for the first time. While I have only taken a few frames thus far, I am pretty sure that if I decide that LF is something that I want to pursue, I will try and look for something that is a bit more compact.

Anyhow, after some research, I have to admit that I am finding myself drawn to Press type cameras as opposed to field cameras. I have to admit that there is a bit of romance in owning a press camera, but I also do like the idea of a working rangefinder and the thought of possibly even hand holding shots once in a while. At this point in time, after the small bit of research that I have done thus far, I am leaning towards a Super Graphic, if I can find one.

I should also point out what I like to do, I am quite keen to try portrait’s with one (if I can ever find anyone willing to sit), as well as just general run of the mill out and about photography. Landscapes – maybe, but I tend to go with photography that has something man made in it. (looking at my Flickr account shows the kind of photos I like to take, if that helps - http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashhoff/ )

What I want to know is what exactly can a Super Graphic do, in the broader scheme of LF photography? I understand that they have more movements then the run of the mill Crown and Speed graphics, but they don’t fold up as much as a dedicated view camera. How is this going to affect what I want to do, considering that I have been photographing for the last 20 years without movements.

Also, if I decide that yes, this is the camera for me, what price range would you be looking at (in $US would be fine – I know that anything that I buy O/S will need to have a reasonable amount of shipping factored in). I have located one locally at a second hand dealer, which I am going to look at during my lunch break, but I am concerned as the lens is not the original (Rodenstock 127, F4.7, which I believe was a Polaroid lens).

Cheers

[Paul Ewins]

The rangefinder mechanism on the Super Graphics could be an issue. It involves a piece of spring steel which gets folded over when the camera is closed. The one in mine had developed a permanent crease after fifty years and wouldn't work. I replaced it with one from a top RF crown graphic and it now sort of works. The cams are generic, unlike Linhof ones which are ground for an individual lens, but they still aren't common. The Super Graphic lens boards are slightly different to ordinary Speed Graphic boards and while the speed boards will fit they are loose. Needless to say the correct boards are hard to find.

[hoffy]

OK, thanks for your reply. How different are the movements on the Super compared to a Speed/Crown?

[welly]

Just a thought. I recently purchased a Toyo 45AX, a 'technical field camera'. You can see its press camera heritage as there are many similarities between the Toyo and cameras such as the Super/Speed/Crown Graphic. While it doesn't come with a range finder (and I suspect it probably wouldn't work with one), it is hand-holdable (although not sure I'd want to do that all day) and it is far more flexible than a traditional press camera. I wonder if you might start to find the Graphic range of cameras limiting. Anyway, it might be worth a look if you're interested in that kind of camera. The Linhof that sold today/yesterday on this forum might have been perfect for what you were looking for and went for a great price ($450).

[wombat2go]

Good Morning Hoffy,
Search engines are your friends

http://graflex.org/speed-graphic/graphic-models.html

I have a Speed Graphic which has a focal plane rear curtain shutter along with coupling to a lens shutter.
I just put a thread on PentaxForums.com about adapting a Pentax 6X7 lens for the Graflex 69 film holder.
http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/p...ml#post2162540

Hope this link works and I liked your work there in South Australia. A long time since I was there.

[Jim Jones]

Some other press and technical cameras have movements, too. Busch and Burke & James are fairly common in the U. S., and less expensive than a good Super Graphic. The B&J has a revolving back, handy for portraits.

[hoffy]

Thanks for the suggestion Jim.

[cluttered]

If it helps, you're welcome to have a play with my Crown Graphic to see if the form-factor suits you. I'm in Adelaide CBD so we could work out something. I know it's not the same as a Super Graphic however, it depends on what you're looking for.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

You could do a lot worse than a Super Graphic for a first camera. The SG was a somewhat more slanted toward being a generalist's all-around camera than merely a press camera. It has a revolving back and that's really nice when you do portraiture. They're very robust-- not quite indestructible, but nearly so. The vinyl bellows seems more likely to be pinhole free than similarly-aged leather bellows. The camera folds up more compactly than a Crown Graphic and may even be a touch lighter. You should be able to fold it up with most any 135mm or 150mm Tessar or Plasmat lens attached.

If you find do one with a cam and infinity stops properly set up and working as it should (likely that lens will be a 135mm Optar which was pretty much standard issue, but it could have been ordered new with something else), rangefinder focusing is dead-on and repeatable. It can be a fun handheld camera, particularly with ISO 400 film and a Grafmatic and framing with the wire hoop sportsfinder. Be advised you may find it a challenge to locate factory cams for other lenses; few to none of the common modern lenses will be represented as an exact match for the cams you do easily find. I discovered that a 135mm Caltar IIN/Sironar N was not a good match to an Optar/Raptar 135mm f/4.7 cam. There are a couple of people who have posted tutorials for cutting and filing your own cams if you're so inclined.

What it is missing, however, and this was a big minus for me when I owned one, is geared focusing on the inner rail, for lenses of 90mm or shorter focal length on standard flat boards.

I bought one in average condition here 3 years ago for $250 USD without a lens (I had a Raptar 135mm laying around) and sold it for about what I had into it a year later.

[Bill_1856]

Also look into the Busch Pressman. It has all the movements of a Super Graphic, and is usually about half the price. The Super requires a custom rangefinder cam for each lens, while the Busch can be adjusted for any one lens.