graflex grafmatic 45 holder

[dfoo]

I was just looking at some ebay auctions and I noticed this.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/GRAFLEX-GRAFMATIC-45-Film-holder-4x5-6-Sheets-COMPLETE_W0QQitemZ300375703004QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_2?hash=item45efc97ddc#ht_3075wt_980

I guess this holder holds 6 sheets of film? Is that correct? Is that compatible with all modernish 4x5 cameras?

[Mike1234]

Yes but it's overpriced. You shouldn't pay more than $80US for a nice one or $120 for one mint in original box. At least not in today's economy.

[dfoo]

There is another one going for ~$40. I was more curious as to whether these things perform well, and are generally useful. I guess the main disadvantage is if something goes wrong you lose 6 sheets of film, rather than one. Perhaps its also harder to keep track of the development notes for each sheet of film.

[Bill_1856]

I've been using them for 60 years and never had any kind of mechanical problem (yet).

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Grafmatics are a slick bit of WWII-era technology that makes advancing sheet film reminiscent of using a 6-shot carbine rifle.

They do require a bit of practice, being much harder to load than standard 2-sided holders. You'll want a roomy changing tent and not just a changing bag-- or better still, a darkroom.

Couple of caveats. If you've got your camera setting up waiting for the right light, with the Grafmatic darkslide drawn and the film ready to be exposed-- but the light never improves enough to get the shot (as happened to me just last evening at sunset)-- then you have to move on to the next shot to get a darkslide in place in order to remove the holder. Then you'll need to remember which frame is unexposed and cycle through all those 6 sheets again to expose it out of order.

Grafmatics can be used in a spring back provided you have a wide enough gape, or can widen it with washers or a spacer block as I do with my Meridians. Something to watch for is that the action of cocking it for the next exposure can lift it off the film gate to cause a light leak if you have weak back springs. So they perhaps work best in a Graflok back with the sliders engaged.

Oh, incidentally, since you've got a modernish 4x5, be sure to buy the model 1268. (There was an earlier version --1168?-- for the Graflex back, that will not fit a modern spring or Graflok back.)

[dfoo]

Actually, I don't have a 4x5 at all yet :) I'm strongly considering getting a Sinar F.