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Rider
15-Jul-2007, 09:21
Are those Graflex lightsabers or sabers that were made back in the old days useful for anything, or is it better to stick with modern flashes (whether using a Speedgraphic or otherwise)?

al olson
15-Jul-2007, 09:50
They make an excellent handle if you are using the camera for handheld photography. Handheld works best if you can grip the camera with two hands. I bought one on ebay, sans reflector, that I attach to my Super Graphic for handheld work. (Recommend removing the batteries ... makes it a lot lighter.) The flash housing provides a solid grip for the right hand, while the strap is a weaker connection that aids in supporting the camera with the left hand.

There used to be a fitting from Graflex that allowed attachment of the strobe head to the top of the flash housing. I had one back in the 50s. Haven't seen any around in decades. If you wanted to mount a strobe head on one it would probably require a custom fabrication.

The other option would be to use it as originally intended. I believe there are some sources around for the old-fashioned flash bulbs. But to do this you would need to consider adding the necessary synch cords and you would also need a solenoid for your shutter release. Unless you want to do this for nostalgic reasons it will be a lot more trouble than working with a generic electronic flash.

Ole Tjugen
15-Jul-2007, 10:04
Nothing beats flash bulbs to illuminate a scene - or to temporarily blind muggers while you make a quick getaway. :D

C. D. Keth
15-Jul-2007, 10:06
There's a tutorial somewhere (I think on the base website here) telling hot to convert one to a battery-powered flash for your graphic.

John Cahill
15-Jul-2007, 10:45
Nothing beats flash bulbs to illuminate a scene - or to temporarily blind muggers while you make a quick getaway. :D

********
Yup. It worked for Jimmy Stewart with his Exacta in the Hitchcock film, Rear Window. Although, being in a wheel chair, his getaway was a moot point.

John Cahill
15-Jul-2007, 10:48
There's a tutorial somewhere (I think on the base website here) telling hot to convert one to a battery-powered flash for your graphic.

*****
I kind of like the solenoid for firing the shutter in hand held. I am thinking of trying to convert it to use a little bitty ca. 3v lithium camera battery.

Greg Lockrey
15-Jul-2007, 10:50
Mine powers the light in the rangefinder.

al olson
15-Jul-2007, 10:59
Greg, I have to ask you. Are you using it as a flash as well? That's a heavy rig (with the batteries) to be using it just to power the rangefinder. I never had a need to use a rangefinder when it got that dark.

Would like to see photos of your gear. I know that Kalart and Linhof had provisions in their rangefinders for projecting focusing beams. Are there any others?

al olson
15-Jul-2007, 11:07
John, mine takes three D cells.

You may need to think 4.5 volts instead of 3. I presume that is what the solenoids would be designed for.

Glenn Thoreson
15-Jul-2007, 12:42
There were solenoids for 3 volts and for 4.5 volts. They are numbered as no. 2 and no. 3, respectively. If you are going to use flash bulbs, you don't need to go through the agony of trying to synchronize the flash, solenoid and shutter if your shutter has an "M" flash sync. You only need a cord to go from flash to shutter sync terminal. You can still trip the shutter with a solenoid, too, though. In fact, using a solenoid is by far the most shake free way to trip a hand held camera. Most people don't know that by removing the strap on the Pacemaker Speed/Crown models, the Graflite clamps will mount directly onto the strap brackets, giving you the option of right, left, or dual mount flashes. Two Press 40s at once will let you take a picture of San Francisco. From Denver.

Rider
15-Jul-2007, 13:12
What is a solenoid?

Greg Lockrey
15-Jul-2007, 13:50
Greg, I have to ask you. Are you using it as a flash as well? That's a heavy rig (with the batteries) to be using it just to power the rangefinder. I never had a need to use a rangefinder when it got that dark.

Would like to see photos of your gear. I know that Kalart and Linhof had provisions in their rangefinders for projecting focusing beams. Are there any others?


Al, your'e right about heavy with batteries. They were real photographers in the 40's. ;) I made an adapter out of pvc pipe that fits inside with 3 AA batteries to save weight. I use a Metz 45CT-4 on the other side for my flash and the handle is pretty handy to balance it. The focusing light works in suprisingly well in lighted rooms too. I can't seem to find the wire for the light to handle though in this short of time to make some pictures. Hope these come through ok.

Greg Lockrey
15-Jul-2007, 14:14
What is a solenoid?

The older lenses had an electrical trip device. Electrically it's a coil of wire wrapped around a core with a metal plunger in side. When electricity is applied, the plunger is pulled in to trip the shutter.

Ole Tjugen
15-Jul-2007, 14:16
What is a solenoid?

It's the odd little thing connected to the shutter release on this picture (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=4606&d=1184314774).

The trick is that you activate the shutter release on the flash, which then actuates the shutter through the solenoid when the flash has reached maximum power.

Neat trick, when you don't have an "M" setting on the shutter - and especially when you have no sync contact at all.

Rider
15-Jul-2007, 14:16
Greg, my Speed Graphic does not have a tube extending back from the range finder eyepiece. What is that for?

Greg Lockrey
15-Jul-2007, 14:27
Greg, my Speed Graphic does not have a tube extending back from the range finder eyepiece. What is that for?

If you are asking about the silver one, it's just a eye piece to guide your eye to the rangefinder finder optics I think it's about 1.5 power magnification also but don't quote me on that. The black one on top with the two prongs is the focusing light.

Donald Qualls
15-Jul-2007, 16:00
There were two versions of that tube, actually; I've got one that came with the Kalart I traded off Ash that has no optics in it at all, it's just to keep stray light from confusing your focusing eye. There was, however, a version that has a tiny Galilean telescope inside; it's supposed to make the RF more accurate, because it magnifies the image split as well as the image itself.

Jim Jones
15-Jul-2007, 16:16
Are those Graflex lightsabers or sabers that were made back in the old days useful for anything, or is it better to stick with modern flashes (whether using a Speedgraphic or otherwise)?

They come in handy at Star Wars conventions to beat off the groupies.

David A. Goldfarb
15-Jul-2007, 17:28
I've seen examples of people stuffing the guts of a barebulb flash like a Norman LH2 head into the handle with the socket on top to convert those to electronic flash, but using the original reflectors for a more authentic historical lighting effect.

al olson
15-Jul-2007, 19:39
Thanks, Greg, for the photos. It is interesting to reminisce and remember how some of the old equipment was configured.

Yeah, three D cells are heavy, but the power pack for the strobe (I believe made by Heiland and marketed by Graflex) that I bought in 1957 was about half the size of a 6 volt car battery, or so it seemed. However, the strobe was a lot more convenient than flash bulbs for doing press photography at the time.

I am curious as to the attachments for connecting the flash to your camera. I don't recall ever seeing any that looked like the ones in your photos. The ones I am familiar with (and that I have for my Super Graphic) have a ring that goes around the flash housing and clips onto the slotted attachments on the camera. Do you know if the attachments on your flash were common (I presume earlier on)?

Greg Lockrey
15-Jul-2007, 20:14
I am curious as to the attachments for connecting the flash to your camera. I don't recall ever seeing any that looked like the ones in your photos. The ones I am familiar with (and that I have for my Super Graphic) have a ring that goes around the flash housing and clips onto the slotted attachments on the camera. Do you know if the attachments on your flash were common (I presume earlier on)?

I am no way an expert on Speed Graphics but I think my camera is of a 1948 vintage, or so I was told when I purchased it in 1980. There was a cable from the flash that had a two blade head like a wall plug that went to a two pin female arrangement to fit on the Kodak shutter. There was also a plug for the solenoid shutter that was operated by the red button in front of the handle. There was a two pin male to two pin female for the light the light was turned on by twisting the silver switch at the base of the light. I am able to fire the flash with a modern shutter with a PC to wall plug adapter. My flash has two different size heads and a tripod mount socket whereby I can run a cord from the handle to the socket to shoot multible flash. Most of the original wiring today is dry rotted. I still have some of the flash bulbs and they do put out a tremendous amount of light and makes my 45CT look punny. :)