Graflex Super Graphic Ground glass issue

[CroMag84]

Hi All,

A few months back I bought a Super Graphic. A few days ago I finally got around to getting some film holders for it. Today I was messing around with the camera, and for some reason I cannot see an image on the ground glass.

The camera has a Kodak Ektar 127mm 4.7. I put the lens on T and opened the shutter. Cannot see anything through the ground glass. Took the back off nothing is obstructing the lens. Can see through the camera with it off. I didn’t have the holder inserted. The lens was wide open. Also when I bought the camera months ago I was able to look through the ground glass. Moved the bellows through extension to focus. Nothing.

Has anyone dealt with this? It doesn’t make any sense to me, but I’m hoping there’s an explanation.

Thanks,
John

[Kiwi7475]

I have a Speed Graphic but not the “Super”. The Super shouldn’t have a focal plane shutter. If its not a Super or if for some other reason it does have one, you need to turn the lever so that the curtain opens up.

Based on the site below, “The Crown Graphic, Century Graphic, Super Graphic, and Super Speed Graphic models all lack the focal plane shutter (though the Super Speed Graphic does have a 1/1000s between-the-lens shutter.) “

https://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/features.html

[RichSBV]

As stated above, if it is a Super, there's no focal plane shutter to be closed...

Only thing that come to mind are:

1> The shutter really isn't open and you are confusing the aperture with the shutter. Did you see light through the shutter when you took the back off?

2> You have something inserted in the film holder slot. A GG protector or darkslide?

3> The "Doh" moment. You didn't pop open the viewing hood on the back of the camera...

If you took the back off, there's nothing there but a thin piece of frosted glass and a thinner plastic freznel screen _under_ the viewing hood. You don't need the camera to see light pass through those. So unfortunately I would vote for number 3...

Good luck!

[BrianShaw]

Is the aperture open all the way , f/4.7, when you are viewing on the ground glass?

[j.e.simmons]

I have that camera and lens, so I took mine out and looked.
1. How are you triggering the shutter? If using the electric shutter system, are you sure it works? Whether using the electric system or pressing the shutter lever manually, you should see the shutter open by looking at the lens from the front.
2. Remove the camera back using the Graflock system and inspect. As others have said, there is nothing, or there should be nothing between lens and back.

Reviewing your original post, you seem to have covered those. Are you sure the shutter did not close between the time you looked without the ground glass and the time with it? What happens when you rotate the back? Again with the back removed, are you sure there’s nothing covering the glass?

This makes no sense to me, either.

I’d highly suspect some issue with the shutter.

One other thing. What about the little lever to the right of the shutter cocking lever - the one that opens the shutter for cocking. What position is it in? If you have the Graphic shutter, and probably others, it must be cocked to move this lever.

[CroMag84]

I’m triggering the shutter off the lens. In T I cock the level and release the shutter it stays open until I trigger it closed again. With the graflock back off I can look down the camera body and see through the open lens. With the back on and viewing hood removed I still cannot see an image through the ground glass.

[BrianShaw]

Please, let me pick on words. When you say “cannot see an image” do you mean that you cannot see light on the GG, or that the image doesn’t focus?

Also, have you taken the GG and Ektalite out of the back to clean them? Can you see light through the GG when it is off the camera and held up to light?

This problem doesn’t make sense and must have a simple solution.

[sharktooth]

Are you using a dark cloth?

If you're not using a dark cloth, then it's often very difficult to see anything on the ground glass due to reflections of ambient light from the viewing side. The situation gets worse as you get older (as I can attest), since your eyesight degrades and you can't focus on the ground glass without glasses.

[BrianShaw]

Are you using a dark cloth?

If you're not using a dark cloth, then it's often very difficult to see anything on the ground glass due to reflections of ambient light from the viewing side. The situation gets worse as you get older (as I can attest), since your eyesight degrades and you can't focus on the ground glass without glasses.
Yup. I recently bought a long-barrel 6x loupe because “all of a sudden” I can’t see good enough to focus. Never seem to have had that problem before. ;)

[sharktooth]

We need a way to search for stuff like this. Maybe a category like "Geezerfication Adapters"

[CroMag84]

I just took the camera out in mid day light. Apparently me trying to view it under the ground glass last night by light bulb was too dark. As I can see today. So I take it these aren’t good for low light/night images?

Thanks to everyone who replied.

John

[BrianShaw]

LOL... a very simple problem to solve. Just add light to the process! :)

[j.e.simmons]

At night, use the rangefinder or distance scales. News photographers did very well at night.