Today I saw an old Graphic View Camera. It seens to be in very good condition, i ncluding the original red bellows and the tripod head. Looks like the movements are a little limited for modern standards, but I think that it is enought for me . Any comments about this camera? Do you think that it can work for studio still l ife pictures? Any idea of what should be a fair price? Thank you very much.
Rodrigo,
Take a look under "Cameras" at the bottom of your question page. There are over 500 postings about cameras and many of them are about the Graphic View. It is a great camera and many people still use them.
Graphic Views are fine cameras, and were probably among the best from their era. Their primary limitations are as follows:
Lack of bellows interchangability Lack of extension rails Not as rigid as modern monorails Smallish (4") lens boards No rear rise/fall, and limited front rise/fall Vertical/horizontal back as oposed to true rotating back.
Even with these limitations, the Graphic View should still perform well for your purposes. Prices without lens should probably range from $100 for a Graphic View I (base tilts) in poor but usable shape, to $250 for a Graphic View II (axis tilts) in good shape. A grafloc back generally adds about $50 to the price. Check ebay for more accurate pricing, and keep in mind that on used gear, if you pay a fair price, you can usually resell it (if you don't like it) at little or no loss.
hi there: i used a graphic view ii for my main view camera for 10 years, and i really liked it. it had good bellows extension, and could handle a 90mm lens but nothing wider since the bellows were fixed. one thing you might out is if it has a graflock back so if you wanted to use 120 / 220 film you would be able to.
FYI. I may have paid too much, but last month I purchased a Graphic View on Ebay for 450.00, it came with a Kodak Commercial Ektar 8.5" Lens and Tripod mount. The camera was in E+ shape. I seen other Graphic views go between 100-200 without lens on Ebay. However I recent auction, about 1 week ago sold a Graphic View with Lens (not kodak), tripod mount and case for about 225.00. You might also want to check http://www.graflex.org for information.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks