Fun with a press camera

My new toy - a 4x5 Crown Graphic - arrived late last
week, and I had some fun with it over the weekend.

I got it from B&H, who rated it 8 in their system.
KEH would call the camera "Bargain"-grade - obviously
used, but 100% functional, with no marks on the
glass. For a camera that was last made in 1973,
I'd be surprised if it *didn't* look used...

My first tests were making sure the rangefinder,
focusing scale and ground glass all agreed. They
did. I tested the shutter with some Polaroid and
my 545i film holder. That looked good too.

So I loaded some film holders and went for a walk
on Saturday. It's sure a lot easier to wander
around with a press camera than my monorail (built
from one of the Bender kits). The day was very
sunny, and some of the shots (Delta 100 in Ilfotec
DD-X, sunny f16) show why you don't take pictures
in the sun on sunny days. But at least the lens
didn't flare. :-)

The lens, by the way, is the usual 127 mm Ektar. The
date code on the lens is 1951; the code on the camera
doesn't make any sense when I compare it to the stuff
on the Graflex web page.

All in all, I had fun. I can see this camera travelling
with me a lot. I can also see my left arm getting a lot
stronger.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

"Laura Halliday" wrote in message
om...
My new toy - a 4x5 Crown Graphic - arrived late last
week, and I had some fun with it over the weekend.

I got it from B&H, who rated it 8 in their system.
KEH would call the camera "Bargain"-grade - obviously
used, but 100% functional, with no marks on the
glass. For a camera that was last made in 1973,
I'd be surprised if it *didn't* look used...

My first tests were making sure the rangefinder,
focusing scale and ground glass all agreed. They
did. I tested the shutter with some Polaroid and
my 545i film holder. That looked good too.

So I loaded some film holders and went for a walk
on Saturday. It's sure a lot easier to wander
around with a press camera than my monorail (built
from one of the Bender kits). The day was very
sunny, and some of the shots (Delta 100 in Ilfotec
DD-X, sunny f16) show why you don't take pictures
in the sun on sunny days. But at least the lens
didn't flare. :-)

The lens, by the way, is the usual 127 mm Ektar. The
date code on the lens is 1951; the code on the camera
doesn't make any sense when I compare it to the stuff
on the Graflex web page.

All in all, I had fun. I can see this camera travelling
with me a lot. I can also see my left arm getting a lot
stronger.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte


The lens may not be the original. Graflex serial numbers
after 1947 are so scrambled that they are almost worthless.
The company did not keep good records. Numbers were issued
in blocks so not all numbers were used. Some blocks were
re-issued so there are duplicates. All of the Pacemaker
cameras were made after this date so they are hard to date
by serial number.
If your camera has a side rangefinder it was made before
1955. The side rangefinder is very accurate when properly
adjusted. The top rangefinder has the advantage of being
adaptable to many lenses by chainging a cam, but there are
problems with the linkage, the side rangefinder is very
reliable and rugged.
Graflok backs were made standard on all Graphic cameras
in late 1950 but many earlier cameras were refitted with
them, an easy job.
The Ektar is an outstanding lens even by modern
standards. About the only fault is that some of them develop
an internal haze. Its easy to clean off but the front cell
must be opened to get at the internal surfaces. Shine a
flashlight through the lens to detect the haze. Even a
little lowers the contrast surprizingly. Ektars were made to
sell Kodachrome, they have excellent color correction.
The Supermatic (or flash Supermatic) is actually a very
good shutter. With proper servicing it can be brought back
to original specs. When in good condition they are both
accurate and consistent.
Crown Graphics were introduced with the Pacemaker series
in 1947. It was intended as a lower priced camera than the
Speed Graphic but also many photographers who used Graphics
never used the focal plane shutters and liked the more
compact and lighter weight version.
Welcome to the Graphic club:-) I was introduced to them
when in highschool. One of my teachers was a former press
photographer and taught me to use a Graphic, both as a
camera and a weapon! They sort of stick to your hand. You
know you are in trouble when you find yourself shouting
"just one more" and "more cheescake".
Unfortunately, the best Graphic technician, Fred Lustig,
had a stroke and is no longer working on them. However, they
isn't much that can go wrong. With any care at all your
Graphic will still be working when they stop making film.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA

In article . net,
"Richard Knoppow" wrote:


[... snip excellent article ...]

Unfortunately, the best Graphic technician, Fred Lustig,
had a stroke and is no longer working on them.
[...]

Another unfortunate milestone. Best thoughts and prayers for Fred.

"Richard Knoppow" wrote in message link.net...

(snip...)
The lens may not be the original. Graflex serial numbers
after 1947 are so scrambled that they are almost worthless.
The company did not keep good records. Numbers were issued
in blocks so not all numbers were used. Some blocks were
re-issued so there are duplicates. All of the Pacemaker
cameras were made after this date so they are hard to date
by serial number.
If your camera has a side rangefinder it was made before
1955. The side rangefinder is very accurate when properly
adjusted. The top rangefinder has the advantage of being
adaptable to many lenses by chainging a cam, but there are
problems with the linkage, the side rangefinder is very
reliable and rugged...

Thanks for the information.

My Crown Graphic is a later one with the top rangefinder,
a Graflok back, and bed drop.

I've never tried shooting colour LF, but I have a package
of 4x5 Velvia 100 in the fridge that I really must do
something with some time. I've had good results doing
my own E-6 processing with roll film, just need to
figure a way to keep the temperature right when I do
it in trays. The hard way, I know. :-)

I always figure the old purely-mechanical cameras are
the best bet - as long as they are light-tight and the
shutter speeds bear any resemblance to reality, they
will take pictures. Good ones.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

Laura Halliday wrote:


I've never tried shooting colour LF, but I have a package
of 4x5 Velvia 100 in the fridge that I really must do
something with some time. I've had good results doing
my own E-6 processing with roll film, just need to
figure a way to keep the temperature right when I do
it in trays. The hard way, I know. :-)


The simple way is to raise the room temperture-)) OTOH how toxic are those
E-6 chemicals? Do you really want to dip your hands into them?

Nick

(Laura Halliday) wrote in message . com...
My new toy - a 4x5 Crown Graphic - arrived late last
week, and I had some fun with it over the weekend.

I got it from B&H, who rated it 8 in their system.
KEH would call the camera "Bargain"-grade - obviously
used, but 100% functional, with no marks on the
glass. For a camera that was last made in 1973,
I'd be surprised if it *didn't* look used...

My first tests were making sure the rangefinder,
focusing scale and ground glass all agreed. They
did. I tested the shutter with some Polaroid and
my 545i film holder. That looked good too.

So I loaded some film holders and went for a walk
on Saturday. It's sure a lot easier to wander
around with a press camera than my monorail (built
from one of the Bender kits). The day was very
sunny, and some of the shots (Delta 100 in Ilfotec
DD-X, sunny f16) show why you don't take pictures
in the sun on sunny days. But at least the lens
didn't flare. :-)

The lens, by the way, is the usual 127 mm Ektar. The
date code on the lens is 1951; the code on the camera
doesn't make any sense when I compare it to the stuff
on the Graflex web page.

All in all, I had fun. I can see this camera travelling
with me a lot. I can also see my left arm getting a lot
stronger.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte


"VE7LDH"? Ham?

Collin
KC8TKA

On 22 Jun 2004 08:04:28 -0700, (Laura Halliday)
wrote:



I've never tried shooting colour LF, but I have a package
of 4x5 Velvia 100 in the fridge that I really must do
something with some time. I've had good results doing
my own E-6 processing with roll film, just need to
figure a way to keep the temperature right when I do
it in trays. The hard way, I know. :-)



Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

Look into a Nikor Sheet film tank. Theres some on Ebay right now.
usually go for around $80 - $100 but they are great for that kind of
work.

"Laura Halliday" wrote in message
m...
"Richard Knoppow" wrote in
message
link.net...

(snip...)
The lens may not be the original. Graflex serial
numbers
after 1947 are so scrambled that they are almost
worthless.
The company did not keep good records. Numbers were
issued
in blocks so not all numbers were used. Some blocks were
re-issued so there are duplicates. All of the Pacemaker
cameras were made after this date so they are hard to
date
by serial number.
If your camera has a side rangefinder it was made
before
1955. The side rangefinder is very accurate when
properly
adjusted. The top rangefinder has the advantage of being
adaptable to many lenses by chainging a cam, but there
are
problems with the linkage, the side rangefinder is very
reliable and rugged...

Thanks for the information.

My Crown Graphic is a later one with the top rangefinder,
a Graflok back, and bed drop.

I've never tried shooting colour LF, but I have a package
of 4x5 Velvia 100 in the fridge that I really must do
something with some time. I've had good results doing
my own E-6 processing with roll film, just need to
figure a way to keep the temperature right when I do
it in trays. The hard way, I know. :-)

I always figure the old purely-mechanical cameras are
the best bet - as long as they are light-tight and the
shutter speeds bear any resemblance to reality, they
will take pictures. Good ones.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

When tuned up right Kodak Supermatic shutters are quite
accurate and reliable. BTW, if you have the Flash Supermatic
it will synchronize stobe! Just don't cock the flash
synchronizer. The Ektar will perform very well in color.
Graflex started making bellows from a very rugged
synthetic sometime around 1940. All the Anniversary and
Pacemaker, and later, Graphic and Graflex cameras have
these. I've never seen a bad one except where it had been
subject to severe mechanical damage.
All the Graphics have drop beds. The "pre-Anniversary"
models (made before 1940) don't have internal focusing
rails, all the later ones do. My Speed Graphics will take
lenses down to around 65mm without recessed lensboards, but
of course, there is no room for movements. Probably not a
great limitation when using a super-wide-angle lens anyway.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA

"Gary Beasley" wrote in
message ...
On 22 Jun 2004 08:04:28 -0700,
(Laura Halliday)
wrote:



I've never tried shooting colour LF, but I have a package
of 4x5 Velvia 100 in the fridge that I really must do
something with some time. I've had good results doing
my own E-6 processing with roll film, just need to
figure a way to keep the temperature right when I do
it in trays. The hard way, I know. :-)



Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

Look into a Nikor Sheet film tank. Theres some on Ebay
right now.
usually go for around $80 - $100 but they are great for
that kind of
work.
The Nikor is an outstanding tank for sheet film.
Unfortunately, they have become very expensive. If you look
at one make sure that: 1, the cap and lid fit the tank (true
of all Nikor tanks, the caps and lids were individually
fitted); 2, check that the spring strip film retainer is not
missing. This is a saw-tooth shaped strip which goes around
the center of the cage and holds the film in. They are often
missign. While a large rubber band will serve its better to
have the complete tank. I agitate mine for 10 seconds once a
minute. I get surge marks if I agitate 5 seconds every 30
seconds as with roll film tanks.
There are other sheet film tanks available. The only one
to avoid entirely is the Yankee tank. Pretty bad for B&W and
useless for color. Patterson and Jobo both make good sheet
film tanks.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA

You know, Richard, I think you are the one who propagates this kind of BS on the
Internet more than anyone else. In my experience Yankee, and FR, tanks work fine
if you know how to use them. They require gentle end to end rocking for
agitation. The Combi tanks work fine if you do not use extremely short
developing times (they do fill and drain rather slowly).

My experience with Wollensack made Optar lenses is that they are perfectly
adequate for B&W work, every bit as good as any other Tessar pattern lens of the
era. I will admit the Ektars are better for color. But then the Ektars were the
first lenses actually designed specifically for color work. Even so very late
Optars seem to have been redesigned for color work. However, one has to
understand that with lens this old you never know what has been done to them
over the years. The only way to know if a "particular lens" is good is by
testing it.

With all due respect for your wide knowledge of photography, I sometimes feel
that you tried something long ago, did not quite figure it out, and have ever
after disparaged it.

--

Richard Knoppow wrote:

There are other sheet film tanks available. The only one
to avoid entirely is the Yankee tank. Pretty bad for B&W and
useless for color. Patterson and Jobo both make good sheet
film tanks.