Did they make any Grafmatic holders for the GRAFLEX camera?

[Bill_1856]

I've never seen one.

[djdister]

Not Grafmatic holders, but Graflex bag mag, like this...
123596

[mdarnton]

You guys who have them, the film holder is larger, right? With a groove on the face near the slide instead of a ridge? I've often wondered if one could take a normal Grafmatic, epoxy side strips on it, shave off the ridge and machine in a groove, and have a Graflex back's Grafmatic? I guess the t-distance would need to be the same, too. The problem of film holders has been the one thing keeping me from getting one of the older ones that had Graflex backs.

If this were possible, you'd think there'd be a little cottage industry doing it.

[Bill_1856]

You guys who have them, the film holder is larger, right? With a groove on the face near the slide instead of a ridge? I've often wondered if one could take a normal Grafmatic, epoxy side strips on it, shave off the ridge and machine in a groove, and have a Graflex back's Grafmatic? I guess the t-distance would need to be the same, too. The problem of film holders has been the one thing keeping me from getting one of the older ones that had Graflex backs.

If this were possible, you'd think there'd be a little cottage industry doing it.
I've got one like that, and believe me it's a mess!

[blueribbontea]

The Bag Mags work very well. I have 2 of them for my RB Graflex 4X5. Not quite as quick as a grafmatic but very doable, with 12 sheets in each.

[RichSBV]

It's been a few years on this but, wasn't the 1168 Grafmatic for the Graflex cameras? It's the 1268 for the Graflok back I know. I might have the exact info somewhere or maybe someone else knows for sure. I do know that many 1168's have been bought by/from people who don't know the difference only to find out they won't work with a Graflok back...

I think I'm right. The Grafmatic service manual shows the part 13 and 13b as:

Case assembly - second (graphic)
Case assembly - second (graflex)

And:

32352G2 Magazine complete - 4x5 GRAFLEX (Cat. 1168)... Discontinued

And one more addition: You can't always go by the number (1168 or 1268). I beleve Graflex may have "updated" older units for Graflok backs, or even users? I have seen (and own one) 1168's that are made for the Graflok...

[Dan Fromm]

Bill, I can't say anything about 4x5 Grafmatics but I recently bought a bundle that included two 2x3 Grafmatics. They look like they ought to fit a Graflex back (slot in the right place) and they fit my 2x3 RB Ser. B that has a Graflex back. They also fit a 2x3 Graflok.

[Louis Pacilla]

I've never seen one.

Yes F&S manufactured Grafmatics in Graflok & Graflex forms. It's much harder to find the Grafmatic Graflex form though.

[DrTang]

yup, slot

and they won't fit in a graflok back, they might fit under some spring backs

[Randy]

Yes, the 1168 (from what few I have seen on ebay) fits the Graflex RB's (SLR) cameras. Very hard to find. The bagmags are pretty easy to find but hit & miss as the leather gets worn and/or dry rot. I have purchased 4-5 on ebay over the past few years and managed to get 2 that had decent leather.

[Paul Ewins]

Here's a short piece I wrote about identifying the various types of 4x5 grafmatic.

http://www.paulewins.com/blog/?page_id=54

Note that although 1168 is the one you want, I have seen some with that catalog number but the graflok base. As far as i can tell the base is the only difference between the two types, so perhaps when people upgraded to cameras with graflok backs they got their grafmatics upgraded too.

[jnantz]

Yes, the 1168 (from what few I have seen on ebay) fits the Graflex RB's (SLR) cameras. Very hard to find. The bagmags are pretty easy to find but hit & miss as the leather gets worn and/or dry rot. I have purchased 4-5 on ebay over the past few years and managed to get 2 that had decent leather.

if you can find a tailor who repairs leather
he may be able to repair your bag-mags with bad leather.
i took one to a shop years ago in boston and he used a light proof stitch
( that might be what you need to ask if they know how to do )
and 20 years later the leather is like new.
its not the leather rot i have troubles with, its the septums
some are bent some are straight and if you have a dry plate bag mag
they weigh a ton when fully loaded !