So what am I missing? ($700 for a Speed Graphic Pacemaker?)

[Skorzen]

I was just looking as the going price for used Pacemakers on the evil auction site and saw this one (http://cgi.ebay.com/4-x-5-Pacemaker-Speed-Graphic_W0QQitemZ270160724740QQihZ017QQcategoryZ15247QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem). Sure it looks like it is in great shape, but $702... I have seen several of these in very good shape that didn't sell for that much. Is there something about this particular camera that I am missing? I could see maybe if there were a whole bunch of extras as well but this just seems to be a camera.

[Brian Ellis]

Strange things happen on ebay.

[Vaughn]

There is one happy seller who is not missing anything!

Vaughn

[David A. Goldfarb]

It's in nice shape, but doesn't look like anything particularly special.

Anyone recall how much those new-in-box Graphics that some camera store found in their stock room a while back went for? I recall they opened one box to be sure of what was in there and to photograph it, and they sold the other one in the sealed box (with a guarantee that if it wasn't a Graphic, they would provide a refund).

[ken]

Skorzen, if you are looking for a Graphic as a working 4x5 camera, I would suggest the Crown instead of the Speed. The Speed was "the" press camera. The Crown, in my opinion, is a much more user friendly camera today. It is the same camera minus the focal plane shutter. That means is it also a pound lighter, more compact, and handles shorter lenses more handily. Anyone doing much flash work will probably gravitate to electronic flash, which works better with the leaf shutter. Anyone using the Graphic primarily as a tripod mounted view camera will find the slower speeds of the leaf shutter more useful than the fast speeds of the focal plane shutter.

Ken

[Ole Tjugen]

On the other hand the focal plane shutter of the Speed means you can use just about any old lens, and you even get shutter speeds fast enough to use fast old portrait lenses wide open. Or Aero-Ektars... :)

[Skorzen]

Skorzen, if you are looking for a Graphic as a working 4x5 camera, I would suggest the Crown instead of the Speed. The Speed was "the" press camera. The Crown, in my opinion, is a much more user friendly camera today. It is the same camera minus the focal plane shutter. That means is it also a pound lighter, more compact, and handles shorter lenses more handily. Anyone doing much flash work will probably gravitate to electronic flash, which works better with the leaf shutter. Anyone using the Graphic primarily as a tripod mounted view camera will find the slower speeds of the leaf shutter more useful than the fast speeds of the focal plane shutter.

Ken

Thanks for the info but I already have an anny speed graphic that I have been using. I was looking at the pacemaker because I picked one up with a bunch of accessories that I will probably resell. I do like the idea of a somewhat lighter crown vs. my current speed but I will probably wait and build something myself that will give me a few more options as far as movements. I already picked up a pacemaker front standard which I hope to put on my current speed to give me a little tilt.