Graflex People Help please

[Jim Galli]

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/CommpactGraflex/No_5s.jpg

http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com/CommpactGraflex/No_6s.jpg

The images are the first two scans made from images from a Compact Graflex 3 1/4 X 5 1/2

The camera came with a usable bag mag, so of course, I thought it would be fun to experience what photography was like a hundred years ago.

Film is a compromise. Aerial Recon Plus X cut to 3 1/4", so I lose 1/2 inch.

But the problem I'm seeing is this. The septums are wide enough to slide glass plates into. Thus my film sits .1" + or - back from where glass would be exposed. And so the focus plane I'm seeing on the ground glass is not where the image is landing. I don't know how to fix that. Any ideas. Cardboard inserts seem like a lot of trouble, but perhaps that's the way forward. Adjusting the ground glass surface to a different place seems beyond my skill sets. Daunting.

These were 1/1000 second f4.5 with a Cooke Series II 6" lens. A known sharp lens.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

A glass or acrylic insert under the film has worked for me with other plate holders. Alternatively you can shim the ground glass up.

The insert is better (if you can find the right thickness) because it prevents the film from flopping back and forth in the holder.

[Jim Galli]

I like the idea of acrylic or glass inserts permanently super-glued to the septums. The ground glass location seems very fussy to try to change, and any change would have to be a guess. Is there a standard thickness in thousandths that glass plates most often adhered to? The aerial film is just .003 or .oo4 thousanths compared to regular sheet film's .007

[Leigh]

Avast blocks image CompactGraflex/Img_6S.jpg as having a virus.

- Leigh

[Jim Galli]

Leigh, I don't know what Avast is, but I'm using an old Windows XP computer and I'm sure Avast thinks anything it does has a virus, so I'd appreciate it if you'd quit telling me that. I have grave doubts it's true. I'll get caught up soon since today is the last day it's allowed on line with all of the planned obsolensence trying to kill it forever just because it's old. But when it goes, so does my Photoshop CS3 which I paid 650 dollars for and after that, I may never post again as I believe I should only have to purchase a product one time.

Windows XP is NOT a virus, but it'll be dead after tomorrow.

[Leigh]

Sorry if I offended you, Jim. I was just trying to be helpful.

Avast is one of the major virus checkers. I also use WinXP. Avast does not trigger on it.

You might want to run MalwareBytes on your machine to see if it's infected.

- Leigh

[Louis Pacilla]

If you have an early style bag-mag then that could certainly be the trouble as Graflex only made one bag-mag and one style septum meant for both film and plates and it came originally w/ a set of 12 spacers for when film was used. I may have my set around here for a like new 3 1/4x 4 1/4 early bag-mag. The early bag-mags are easy to spot as they have two side latches to hold the loading door in place versus the hidden rear snap closure.

[Jim Galli]

Thanks Louis. Indeed, the early style. That helps make the sense. I'm amazed at how supple it is. Sort of fun to use, albeit, that compact camera had to have a blocking curtain that went up so you could wind the shutter without the dark slide being in place. That is gone, so I have to replace the dark slide after each exposure. Not ideal, but I doubt this camera will ever see 'press' service again.

[Jim Galli]

Sorry if I offended you, Jim. I was just trying to be helpful.

Avast is one of the major virus checkers. I also use WinXP. Avast does not trigger on it.

You might want to run MalwareBytes on your machine to see if it's infected.

- Leigh

Thanks Leigh. Tried downloading Malwarebytes and got the usual runaround. Only for service pack 3. Not willing to throw more $$ at a computer that's destined for the land-fill. It's losing photoshop that's got me most bugged. I'm going to have to go find another image processing program and learn a whole new work flow. Or not. Perhaps it's time to let the pictures go.

[Jim Jones]

Jim -- The 1951 ASA standard for 2.25x3.25 through 4.75-6.5 glass plate thickness is 0.048-0.053 inches.

[januarys_v]

It's losing photoshop that's got me most bugged

...you might be interested in this thread on adobe forum, may be your photshop is not dead yet ))

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1919481

[Leigh]

It's losing photoshop that's got me most bugged.Hi Jim,

Try downloading Phocus from Hasselblad here (scroll down past the pictures):
https://www.hasselblad.com/phocus/

It does everything that Photoshop (older versions) did as best I can remember.
It's quite a nice program, and it's FREE.

I recommend it to anyone else who needs a good photo manipulation program.

- Leigh