Help needed, graflex camera for landscape.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

I'd find a Crown okay but for the lack of a vertical-orienting back. It also has no swings unless the front standard is cut and modified. Forward tilt is simpler to achieve but it didn't come with it originally, it requires an easier modification. I'm told a Crown is better with sub-90mm lenses than other Graflexes are, due to the focusing of the inner rail being tied to the bed focusing knobs.
On my Super Graphic is the rangefinder was dead accurate with a Raptar 135mm I already had, using the original cam for the (Wollensak built) Optar 135mm lens. The Caltar IIN 135mm I bought for the camera, however, has a slightly different focal length than labelled, and unfortunately swapping these old hard-to-procure cams is the only way of adjusting these RFs. (Doubtless easier to adjust a side-mounted Kalart Synchronized RF than finding a rare cam for one of the Super Graphics/Super Speed Graphics. Worsening matters the Top Mounted RF Speed Graphics or Crown Graphics also use RF cams, but they're not interchangeable with the Super and Super Speed Graphic ones-- whew!).

I do find the RF very useful when using a roll-film back, or a Graflok, as I don't necessarily first have to remove the ground glass and Ektalite screen (and then set it down and hope that I don't scratch it) which would rather be the case focusing only with the back.

I also have a couple of Meridians (45B, 45CE), which are wonderful and capable cameras with a lot of moves and revolving back but are also a bit heavier than the Super Graphic.

If you end up doing much work with wide angles, however, none of these choices will compare to the speed and ease of using a monorail with a bag bellows. (So I also found a Sinar Norma just for my 90mm.).

[NicolasArg]

I can shoot with a Nikkor 300mm on my Naked Crown 4x5, no problem.

I highly recommend them; they are loads of fun. Press lenses are dirt cheap--$30 to $90 each, except for the 203 Ektars which tend to go for more. A good Optar or Raptar 90mm, and you will be in business. I have a 90mm Optar that I love--tiny, tiny lens.

The only drawback is limited (very limited) movements. If you can live with that, they are fantastic.

The naked version weighs under three pounds (compared to the fully-equipped, over-engineered, range-finder 5 lbs.).

I carry four lenses with my kit: 90mm Optar, 127, 152, and 203 Ektars. Fun!!! Plus I can carry all this in a soft-padded lunch sized cooler bag with a shoulder strap.

For front tilt, see the second pic--drop the bed, then use the back tilt to reduce the amount of front tilt. Use the max front rise to avoid front fall.

Michael, this looks like a great kit! Although I think I slightly prefer them black, the whole stripping idea is wonderful- the weight savings are very important and the RF setup is quite unnecessary for landscape, adding some extra bulk.
Thanks!

Well you talked me into it. I'm now looking for a cheap Crown Graphic. Preferably with old leather.

...Mike

Leave a Graphic for me please

[NicolasArg]

If you end up doing much work with wide angles, however, none of these choices will compare to the speed and ease of using a monorail with a bag bellows. (So I also found a Sinar Norma just for my 90mm.).

Thank you Ivan, I count another vote for the Speed. Really hard to choose at this point .
You are right about the monorail indeed, it's a pleasure to use but such a pain to move around.
By the way, it's great to see that these amazing cameras have such a devoted group of user, another great classic like the Colt 1911 or the 57 Chevy.

[Dan Fromm]

Nicholas, Graphics' drop bed is used to remove the bed from the image when shooting with a wide angle lens. The front standard tilts backward to allow it to be made vertical, i.e., parallel to the film plane, when it is on the bed and the bed is dropped. The front standard doesn't have enough rise to allow many lenses to be centered on the gate when used on a dropped bed. That is, front fall is nearly inevitable.

Practically speaking Graphics' only useful movement is front rise. They appear to offer a little shift as well, but this is severely constrained by the struts that support the bed.

If you want movements, get a monorail.

IMO it makes little sense to have only one Graphic. My travel kit contains two. A Century (= Crown with a plastic body) for use with short lenses and a Speed for lenses in barrel or too long for the Century. I have brackets that allow me to mount the Speed behind the Century to make a long camera that will focus long lenses usefully close. The longest lens I use on my tandem Graphic is 480 mm. Note, I shoot 2x3, not 4x5, but the ideas apply to 4x5.

[Michael Roberts]

Nicolas,
If you are interested, I have one on my workbench that I am refinishing. The wood is done, just need to add a back and recover the door. This one was leather, so I also stripped the leather from the front of the camera bed (the part that folds down). I am about to recover the front with black kidskin leather, same as I did on my own, and add a black leather handle for the top. If you want to buy an already stripped, refinished camera, send me a PM.

I use the old graphic, spring backs. Sounds like you will need a modern graflok back for using a roll holder. I can supply you with the camera w/o a back and you can add a graflok back you acquire yourself (only requires six screws and the holes are predrilled) or I can buy a graflok back and install it for you.

You may also want to reverse the front standard so you can use front tilt with your 90mm lens when the front standard is still on the rails inside the body. This can be done fairly easily.

I just checked, and I don't have a 90mm Optar or Raptar on hand at the moment (actually, I have two, but one is in my kit and the other is in my wife's kit, so I don't want to part with them).

Mike--look for one with a serial number beginning with 4. The leather ones are hard to find and hard for sellers to distinguish from the leatherette. I've been tracking serial numbers to try to id exactly when the switch occured; it was sometime in 1950-51, as far as I recall, but Graflex just used up the leather on hand and then switched, so there's no magic date, and far more of the leatherette covered cameras were made.

Dan--would love to see a picture of your two Crowns with the 480 lens! Can you post one?

[NicolasArg]

Nicholas, Graphics' drop bed is used to remove the bed from the image when shooting with a wide angle lens. The front standard tilts backward to allow it to be made vertical, i.e., parallel to the film plane, when it is on the bed and the bed is dropped. The front standard doesn't have enough rise to allow many lenses to be centered on the gate when used on a dropped bed. That is, front fall is nearly inevitable.

Practically speaking Graphics' only useful movement is front rise. They appear to offer a little shift as well, but this is severely constrained by the struts that support the bed.

If you want movements, get a monorail.

IMO it makes little sense to have only one Graphic. My travel kit contains two. A Century (= Crown with a plastic body) for use with short lenses and a Speed for lenses in barrel or too long for the Century. I have brackets that allow me to mount the Speed behind the Century to make a long camera that will focus long lenses usefully close. The longest lens I use on my tandem Graphic is 480 mm. Note, I shoot 2x3, not 4x5, but the ideas apply to 4x5.

Thank you Dan for the detailed explanation. It looks like the Speed with it additional flexibility would fill the bill as a more or less "universal" camera.
The two cameras kit is a great idea, but I'm already carrying a digital camera, so will have to settle with one.

[Mike Anderson]

...
Mike--look for one with a serial number beginning with 4. The leather ones are hard to find and hard for sellers to distinguish from the leatherette. I've been tracking serial numbers to try to id exactly when the switch occured; it was sometime in 1950-51, as far as I recall, but Graflex just used up the leather on hand and then switched, so there's no magic date, and far more of the leatherette covered cameras were made.
...

Thanks for the tip.

...Mike

[NicolasArg]

Nicolas,
If you are interested, I have one on my workbench that I am refinishing. The wood is done, just need to add a back and recover the door. This one was leather, so I also stripped the leather from the front of the camera bed (the part that folds down). I am about to recover the front with black kidskin leather, same as I did on my own, and add a black leather handle for the top. If you want to buy an already stripped, refinished camera, send me a PM.

I use the old graphic, spring backs. Sounds like you will need a modern graflok back for using a roll holder. I can supply you with the camera w/o a back and you can add a graflok back you acquire yourself (only requires six screws and the holes are predrilled) or I can buy a graflok back and install it for you.

You may also want to reverse the front standard so you can use front tilt with your 90mm lens when the front standard is still on the rails inside the body. This can be done fairly easily.

I just checked, and I don't have a 90mm Optar or Raptar on hand at the moment (actually, I have two, but one is in my kit and the other is in my wife's kit, so I don't want to part with them).

Mike--look for one with a serial number beginning with 4. The leather ones are hard to find and hard for sellers to distinguish from the leatherette. I've been tracking serial numbers to try to id exactly when the switch occured; it was sometime in 1950-51, as far as I recall, but Graflex just used up the leather on hand and then switched, so there's no magic date, and far more of the leatherette covered cameras were made.

Dan--would love to see a picture of your two Crowns with the 480 lens! Can you post one?

Great, very intereseting, I'll PM you with some questions if you don't mind.

[tom thomas]

Your refinished Graphic is beautiful. I just bought a 1947 2X3 Pacemaker Speed Graphic in great shape. Would it have the same mahogany frame underneath the leather? The lens board is metal however but it would be nice to show the wood frame if it's there.

tom thomas

[Michael Roberts]

Hi Tom,
Thanks! Your 2x3 Speed should be mahogany underneath. The only ones I know of that are not are the Centuries with the plastic bodies like Dan mentioned above. If yours is a 1947, it definitely will be the Moroccan leather covering. Enjoy!