Pulled the trigger on a Speed Graphic now need some help

[jonbrisbincreative]

You can swap camera backs between the Pacemaker and Crown, so if you see a Graflok back available for a Crown they will fit the Pacemaker, which
is what you purchased.
There are 6 screws that hold the back on 2 on top and 3 on the bottom, the 6th screw is by the opening where you slide the film holder in.
If you decide to take the back off, check and see if the focal plane shutter is still in there, it may have ripped at the aperture stays
on the shutter cloth. There's a few available on the Bay right now, I don't know if those have the sync contact on them for flash photography.
Having a Focal Plane Shutter opens you up to a nice variety of barrel lenses.

The bed latch button is on the side by the leather handle btw, when I got a Pacemaker I was looking on top for the hidden button
like my Anniversary Graphic has, kept pushing on a corrosion bump till I saw that the button was on the side!
The square metal button on the lower right of the camera body is the FPS button.

The lens boards are formed aluminum, with rounded corners, not as easy to make like the Anniversary Graphics which has a 4x4 square wood board.
But they are also available on the Bay, both un-bored and bored to a specific size.

Great first-hand info. Thanks!

[Dan Fromm]

As has been mentioned already, the camera's Graphic (spring) back can be replaced with a 4x5 Graflok back from another Graphic.

If you're going to shoot sheet film, this isn't necessary, sheet film holders slip in in front of the focusing panel.

If you're going to shoot 120 film, there are several insertion type roll holders that should work for you. The most common is the Calumet/Cambo/Orbit C-2 and the newer C-2n. The C-2n is supposed to be more reliable than the older one. Most of the ones offered have 6x7 gates but there are some with 6x9 gates. If you decide to go for one, keep looking and be patient.

Sinar made a fixed format 6x9 roll holder that fits 4x5 cameras with spring backs, the Panorama 6x9. Sevo hinted at it. It also fits Graflok backs. I have a Panorama 6x12, same thing with a longer gate. It is 25 mm thick (just measured). When your camera comes, see whether a 1" piece of wood can be inserted between focusing panel and the back and then you'll know whether a Sinar roll holder will work for you. Panorama 6x9s aren't that common but sell for considerably less than Sinar's roll holders with adjustable gate width.

Toyo made a similar, thicker, roll holder that I think won't do for you. 48 mm thick, IIRC. Check once you have the camera.

All of these roll holders' gates are centered in the camera's gate. There's a US-made 2.25" x 3.25" roll holder, the 4x5 sized Adapt-A-Roll 620, that will also do for you and is much less expensive, but it has two drawbacks. The big drawback is that its gate is not centered in the camera's gate. Composing accurately with it requires focusing/composing on the ground glass after first marking the GG to show where the roll holder's gate is. The minor drawback is that although the AAR 620 will feed perfectly well from a 120 spool it must take up on a 620 spool. I've used AAR 620s to fit 2x3 cameras in my 2x3 Graphics for years, they're very usable. All sizes are 18 mm thick (just measured).

About the focal plane shutter your camera might have. Don't count on it. The pictures in the listing don't show the winding key or speed selector (high range, low range) or shutter selector (focal plane, leaf).

As has already been mentioned, the bed release is in front of the upper strap lug.

[Jim C.]

Good catch Dan, I didn't notice the winding key was missing as well as the other bits.

[jonbrisbincreative]

FWIW I planned on using 4x5 with 6x12 when using roll film. I have 6x7 already in my RB so no need to duplicate that format on the Graphic.

I wondered about maybe a special dark slide modified with offset mask that I can flip around to get two panos on one sheet.

I'm also planning on using Grafmatic packs.

[Tim Meisburger]

I would trade a Graflok back and a nice Graphic roll film holder for and Graphic back and a Calumet-style holder, because my travel camera only has a spring back.

[Jody_S]

My advice would be: don't worry about roll-film holders for now, you have a perfectly serviceable 4x5 camera similar to what most of us started out with. Pick a lens (any 'normal' lens from the big-name lensmakers, in a modern shutter), get the right lensboard, and a couple of filmholders. And a box of 4x5 film. You may fall in love with the format and stop shooting roll-film (except with your rather excellent RB system). Shooting 6x9 in a Graphic will not give you any real advantage over 6x7 on your RB, unless you get an exceptional lens. The RB lenses are a steal, given their quality; you will pay more to get equivalent performance in large format lenses.

Starting out in LF is a little bit like starting out driving a car. You can't possibly know exactly what car you will ultimately need before you ever sit in the driver's seat. Unlike cars, however, there is little depreciation with LF gear, and if you're careful with your purchases, anything you buy and don't end up using can be sold for the same as what you paid. The buy-and-sell sub-forum here will eventually be of great use to you.

[EdSawyer]

Honestly, i would bail on that deal and get a nicer one with graflok back and focal plane shutter. You will spend as much as that putting this one into shape, without all the hassles and false starts. A graflok back is at least $100 by itself, and trying to reinstall a focal plane shutter into this will be a pain. If not needing a FPS, just get a crown graphic. A nice complete crown or speed with lens, graflok back and in good working order can be had for $300ish.

[Jim Jones]

New (and some experienced) Graphic owners can learn much from Graphic Graflex Photography by Morgan & Lester (or Morgan & Morgan in later editions). The 8th and later editions covers the OP's early Pacemaker, and the 11th and later editions cover the top rangefinder models. They are usually available on ebay and online booksellers.

Graflok backs are sometimes cheaper when still mounted on a parts camera than when bought separately. They should be complete with good ground glass and focusing hood. Some came with a plain ground glass; others included a Fresnel lens for brighter images in the corners of the ground glass. The focusing panel is slightly different for these two variations to allow for the thickness of the Fresnel lens.

[IanG]

New lens boards are cheap on Ebay from heavystar particularly if you buy 3. Many of us buy them from him they are cheaper than most second hand boards.

Ian

[mdarnton]

He nailed it:

We all make mistakes. Good luck!

Honestly, i would bail on that deal and get a nicer one with graflok back and focal plane shutter. You will spend as much as that putting this one into shape, without all the hassles and false starts. A graflok back is at least $100 by itself, and trying to reinstall a focal plane shutter into this will be a pain. If not needing a FPS, just get a crown graphic. A nice complete crown or speed with lens, graflok back and in good working order can be had for $300ish.

What they both said. Any parts you buy to turn this camera into the camera you really wanted are going to cost, total, more than the camera you wanted. On Ebay, the usual price for a Graflok back, for instance, is $125. That's why I suggested in the other thread that you should buy a total camera, even if you had to wait for it. Which you didn't do. :-)

Now you have a Speed Graphic that isn't one, but is bigger and heavier than the Crown, without the shutter that causes the extra size and weight, without the right back. Bail.