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Thread: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

  1. #1

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    Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    has anyone ever tried it? i'm thinking of building a clip-on mirror box and viewfinder to go between the FP shutter and the bellows.

  2. #2

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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Sounds lkk I’lle too much work to me. Why not get a Graflex SLR?

  3. #3

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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Quote Originally Posted by maltfalc View Post
    has anyone ever tried it? i'm thinking of building a clip-on mirror box and viewfinder to go between the FP shutter and the bellows.
    Try it and report on problems encountered and solved.

  4. #4

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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Quote Originally Posted by BrianShaw View Post
    Sounds lkk I’lle too much work to me. Why not get a Graflex SLR?
    i'd rather have one camera with the full functionality of a speed graphic and a graflex slr than have to carry around two cameras with lower combined functionality, and i'd rather spend $20-$50 on materials than several hundred on a camera.

  5. #5

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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Fromm View Post
    Try it and report on problems encountered and solved.
    plan to, just doing all the research i can before finalizing the design and going to town on my speed graphic with power tools.

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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Quote Originally Posted by maltfalc View Post
    has anyone ever tried it? i'm thinking of building a clip-on mirror box and viewfinder to go between the FP shutter and the bellows.
    sounds ambitious, do you plan on having the mirror connected to the shutter, or will you lock it up prior to shooting?

  7. #7
    Jim Jones's Avatar
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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Why not start with a Graflex and add a rangefinder, sports finder, and whatever else you need to make it work like a cobbled up Graphic?

  8. #8

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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Quote Originally Posted by Ethan View Post
    sounds ambitious, do you plan on having the mirror connected to the shutter, or will you lock it up prior to shooting?
    PMFJI. That would lose an important part of the Speed Graphic functionality. Speed.

  9. #9

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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Quote Originally Posted by Ethan View Post
    sounds ambitious, do you plan on having the mirror connected to the shutter, or will you lock it up prior to shooting?
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Fromm View Post
    PMFJI. That would lose an important part of the Speed Graphic functionality. Speed.

    i'm thinking a trigger-like small lever on the right side of the mirror box by the speed graphic's shutter release to raise and hold the mirror in position with one finger while triggering the shutter with another finger. just a quick double click. that would also give me the option of adding a cable release socket later on and using one of those dual cable releases meant for macro bellows.

  10. #10

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    Re: Converting a speed graphic into an SLR

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Jones View Post
    Why not start with a Graflex and add a rangefinder, sports finder, and whatever else you need to make it work like a cobbled up Graphic?
    because i have a speed graphic, not a graflex slr. that's what i have, that's what i'm starting with. no point buying an slr and trying to turn it into a speed graphic if i already have a speed graphic. besides, it wouldn't work the other way around. squeezing a clip-on mirror box into a speed graphic to gain all the functionality of an slr is pretty straight forward. removing the mirror box from an slr, extending the bellows all the way to the fp shutter, adding longer focus rails and a drop bed, adding movements to the front standard, adding a rangefinder, etc. to match the functionality of my speed graphic and making it all easily reversible is just not going to happen.

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