errr.......Graflock Back??????

[John Cahill]

Hello Experts,

This LF novice has been wondering what is the deal about Graflock Backs? If something is stated to be for a Graflock back, does that mean it will not fit on my Ansco Universal View Camera's 4x5 back? It is a spring back.
I can currently use Lisco, Riteway, and wooden 4x5 holders, and my Polaroid 545i back fits just fine.
On the other hand, a Fuji 4x5 back which uses packets of film is too thick to fit in the spring back of my camera.
And helpful information will be greatly appreciated.

[Nick_3536]

Grafloks are mostly for roll film holders. Most everything else fits spring backs.

[Louie Powell]

A graphlock back is on where the ground glass component is attached by means of a pair of sliders. Alternative backs can then be attached using those same sliders.

A Polaroid 545 back is intended for a spring back. A polaroid 405 film pack back, on the other hand, was primarily intended for use with cameras with graphlock backs. It is thicker and won't fit under some spring backs.

Another example is a graphlex roll film back. These were intended exclusively for use with graphlock backs and won't fit at all under spring backs.

[Bill_1856]

The Graflock back (tradename of Graflex, Inc), is a spring back which also has the ability to remove the sprung part which includes the ground glass, so that accessories such as roll film holders will fit directly onto the camera and are held in place by a couple of sliding clamps, without the need to go under the spring back. Similar arrangements are called other things by other manufactures, such as "International Back." See Graflex.org for more details.

[C. D. Keth]

A graflock back is one that you can remove the groundglass frame and put other things in its place like rollfilm holders. I ahve a shenhao and it's graflock back is exactly any other springback (like yours) but you can remove the gg frame from the springs and there are a couple sliding metal clips to hold the rollfilm back.

See http://www.kgcphoto.com/Reviews_&_Tutorials/shen-hao_and_lf_lenses.htm for photos. The hardware on the long sides of the groundglass frame are sliding clips (similar to the one that holds the lensboard in) that hold an accessory to the back.

[John Cahill]

Thank you all. It is now manifest clear to me. I knew I could depend upon youse guyz.