What's a good way to carry a Crown Graphic, and to add a flash

[Vick Ko]

What's a good way to carry a Crown Graphic, and to add a flash? Modern flash with modern shoe, not "lightsaber".

I don't want to do any "permanent" modifications.

[premortho]

I don't know how you would take flash pictures with a "lightsaber". How ever, I use a Heiland 3 cell flash gun with reflecter and an adapter for Press 25 flash bulbs. It costs about 1000 dollars to get an electronic flash equal in output to a one dollar Press 25 flash bulb. I also don't much care for the frozen look captured so often by electronic flashes. Electronic flashes dump all their light in 1,000th to 2,500th of a second. Press 25's usually in 1/250th of a second. It's all a matter of choice in the way you want to present the subject, I suppose. Way back when I worked on a newspaper, I used the new hotshot Strobanar flash just once. Too heavy, cut down on my mobility. Of course, after the paper had bought the Strobanars, we had to have them in the car, but they didn't force me to use it. It was perfect for certain jobs where I used a tripod anyway, like in photographing machinery. As for how to carry it, I carried it with the lens board closed by the hand strap. But I had the big carrying case in the car for all the attachments, spare film and extra flash bulbs. In those days, we used 12 exposure film packs, which were really fast to use. Faster than 35's of the day, until they added lever wind to them. I usually had the lens pre-set to f22 (for depth of field) or f32, opened the lens board on the run, focused by using the scale on the lens board (I red painted the 12 and 20 foot marks) and made my shot. You had to be quick, because some people didn't want their picture taken...especially felons.

[premortho]

I understand there is a rubber device that mounts on top of the Graflite or Heiland tubular battery case. It has a 1/4-20 thread that allows you to mount a cold shoe on it. Paramount makes the cords that connect the bi-post on the shutter to the pc adapter on the flash. Remember, you will probably use f22-f32 apertures, for depth of field matters. So you will need lots of light. Good luck finding an affordable strobe that can equal a one dollar Press 25 flash bulb. When I checked, it took about a $750.00 strobe to do it. I carry the camera folded up by the strap handle, but I have the carrying case in the car with various attachments I sometimes use.

[Tin Can]

I want to do the same thing with my 2X3 Crown Graphic. I have heard Press 25 bulbs are powerful, I can get some easily and even have access to a case of the way bigger light bulb size medium base flash bulbs, they must really blast away,

But I am going to order the Paramount adapter, I have a few lenses that need it, for studio.

I have a cheap "L" bracket that screws into the tripod mounting hole and can put a Nikon SB800 on top, or any other flash, but I have the SB800. Not used it yet, need that cord, all my old cords are dried up.

Saw some old comedy today on TV, looked up and Ernest Borgnine had a 4X5 Press camera on a tripod, with two old style battery Press 25 bulbs, on a 'Y' bracket so they were about 12" from the lens. I wanted to rewind, but it was live...

Press 25 bulbs, I am sure are great, but won't we run out soon?

I should never have given those bulbs back to the owner, he was storing them with me, I needed the room.

I'm gonna check and report.

[premortho]

We'll run out of them someday, but not soon, they're still a lot of them out there. I use the blue bulbs for less power, and only use the clear bulbs for beyond 15 feet for fill light. The blue bulbs work great with ortho film, like Ilford's Ortho +. The blue bulbs are more like daylight, but they are only a quarter as strong. Clear Press 25's are really too powerful for close ups. In newspaper work, I used Press 25's for fill at longer distances. Like when someone was coming out of a building (courthouse) and you wanted the guys face nice and clear. Of course, I used the guide numbers for lens and shutter settings minus one for fill. If the guide number was f22 at 20 feet, I used f32 to keep from blowing out the highlights. The guide numbers are not for current ASA numbers, you have to double the numbers for modern film numbers. Before sometime in the 1960's, Plus-X was ASA 64. Then they changed the formula, and overnight Plus-X was 125. So if you use the guide number off the package, you'll be overexposed. With Tri-X, you could illuminate a face at 45 feet. Another way to cut down the light is to use the large reflecter that was for screw base bulbs. Hope this help[s a little. Any more questions, just ask.

[Tin Can]

Very interesting, As a child I grew to hate consumer flash bulbs. I have a buddy in Texas who loves them, but he is 1000 miles away. Since I have the cameras and one good flash bulb device, I should try it. I need different mounting rings, I will look for those, and the cord.

I was on a very annoying flashbulb site last night, with bad music and bikini girls, The prices were not cheap $40 a dozen for Press 25, plus shipping. I see them for $12 a dozen on Craigslist sometimes, but usually $20 of gas away.

I am going to see if I can get my guys stash, he doesn't use them and never sells his stuff.

I have a gratis photo shoot with him in a few hours, barter may work.

Thanks for the good info!

[premortho]

Well, if you hate flash bulbs, (although Press 25's are really not consumer bulbs) go ahead and use a strobe. With really fast film (800 or so) you should get enough light. By the way GE #5's while a little less powerful, work in the same socket as the Press 25's do. I hunt these on e-bay. I don't pay more than 12 dollars per dozen. There are always people who want the earth,moon and stars for stuff they want to sell. That doesn't mean you have to gratify these people by purchasing from them. Stay away from flash guns that use BC circuitry. (Battery-Condenser) The Condensers go bad with time, and we now have Alkaline batteries that keep charged for years. The flash guns that I reccomend use only batteries to work. These are Kalart, Heiland, Graflite and so forth. By the way, If you look for Anniverary models, many of these have solenoid operated shutters. The advantage of these is that you can trip the shutter electrically, (red button on the back of Graflite). Most of the Pacemakers have synchro shutters, and all Pacemakers have a body release. I think the solenoid release causes less vibration, or camera movement, than the body release does.

[Tin Can]

If I buy any more Press cameras, my heirs will kill me.

Thanks for #5 tip, I will try some flash bulbs, I wish I could get the setup ready by thursday, as it would be fun for the 4 day gratis shoot I am doing.

Where I live, hipster central, my local bar will work just fine for a Press camera and the biggest bulbs I can fire. Dark bars. Make a show!

How often do the # 25's explode? Do I need the cover?

[premortho]

I use Sylvania Press 25's. With the blue dot on the top of the bulb. As long as it's blue, there is no oxygen in the bulbs. But, if you are worried about it, you can find the double sided clear/frosted plastic sock that was sold for just this reason on the internet. I've never had one of these Sylvania bulbs explode, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

[Tin Can]

Good to know. I do have the sock, it came with very complete 3x4, only the cord was DNF.



I use Sylvania Press 25's. With the blue dot on the top of the bulb. As long as it's blue, there is no oxygen in the bulbs. But, if you are worried about it, you can find the double sided clear/frosted plastic sock that was sold for just this reason on the internet. I've never had one of these Sylvania bulbs explode, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

[premortho]

I use Sylvania Press 25's. With the blue dot on the top of the bulb. As long as it's blue, there is no oxygen in the bulbs. But, if you are worried about it, you can find the double sided clear/frosted plastic sock that was sold for just this reason on the internet. I've never had one of these Sylvania bulbs explode, but that doesn't mean it can't happen.

[Kevin Crisp]

My Crown fits in a very small insulated shoulder bag, smaller than most small 35mm bags. It holds the camera with a 135 inside, plus a 90mm Angulon, plus a 210 Repro Claron. And a meter, and a cable release, and a lens wipe. And a loaded Grafmatic and a viewing filter. I installed a "cold shoe" flash mount on top of the camera. I can mount any shoe mount flash on top, including electronic ones or a Tilt-O-Mite for bulbs. I can usually stuff a small flash in the bag too. I took the optical finder off the top to make is shorter, but added a a pop up optical finder from a Kodak folder.

[jnantz]

What's a good way to carry a Crown Graphic, and to add a flash? Modern flash with modern shoe, not "lightsaber".

I don't want to do any "permanent" modifications.


hi vick

i have a fiber box that was made for the speed graphic.
as for a flash ... i have something like a bachrach bracket with a tripod ( 1/4" )
scew ... i have a lumedyne 244 attached to it that i screw into the side .. ( handheld )
i also just use a pc cord and the camera on the tripod ... i use the flash off camera usually
as a fill to ambient light ...

[Tin Can]

I am starting a new thread with questions on flashbulbs, please follow me there.

Thanks!