1950's Graflex Speed Graphic - what to look for?

[shutterfinger]

Side Rangefinder Pacemaker Speed & Crown repair manual: https://graflex.org/manuals/45-Pacemaker-Speed-and-Crown-Graphic.pdf
Top Rangefinder Pacemaker Speed and Crown repair manual: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/servicemanual.pdf
Graphex (Rapax) Shutter repair manual: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GraphexShutterService.pdf
Grafmatic Instruction Manual: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/grafmatic.pdf
Grafmatic Service Manual 4x5: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/grafmatic45service.pdf
Graflite Flash Service manual: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GrafliteService.pdf
Graflite Instruction Manual: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GrafliteManual.pdf

 

[BrianShaw]

Buy it...

... and don’t worry about “mistreating” it. They are tough cameras. If you control do your homework you’ll not make any mistakes that will damage the camera. Is the ground glass there too?

 

[jay moussy]

More on the film holders:
only one Grafmatic, with its septums,
Two wood-frame "dualies", Agfa, Graflex, and a plastic Riteway
A no-name film holder (a tad smaller than the Graftmatic), containing a "Kodak Professional" metal dispenser.

It would appear the Kodak thing was a preloaded off-the-shelf item?

EDIT: From the wear marks, it looks like the Grafmatic came in much later in the life of the camera , as the "dualies" show more use.

Yes, ground glass. and Graflok back, with the foldable hood. Neat,

 

[Theo Sulphate]

...
To the type of shutter. all I can say is the cocking is at 2:30, release at 9, and focus lever at around 4.
...

Focus lever? Do you mean aperture? Focus is with the knobs on the bed.

Does yours look like mine, below?



Notice that the lever which contacts the release on the lens can be adjusted for position.

 

[shutterfinger]

A no-name film holder (a tad smaller than the Graftmatic), containing a "Kodak Professional" metal cassette.

Film Pack Adapter, use as a paper weight or base for a modification of your own design.
Still a good buy as smooth working grafmatics go for $90+.

Basic Tessar lens diagram:

Light travels direction of the arrow.

 

[BrianShaw]

“Dualies”... never heard them called that before. But cute term; it just might catch on.

 

[jay moussy]

Focus lever? Do you mean aperture? Focus is with the knobs on the bed.

Does yours look like mine, below?

View attachment 225824

Notice that the lever which contacts the release on the lens can be adjusted for position.

1- the manual (which is all I know!) speaks of a "Press Focus Lever", which opens the shutter blades for FP shutter operation - as in, allow focus on ground glass, I guess.

2. No, does not look like yours, and yes there is a provision for height adjustment, which is needed in my case.

 

[Jim Jones]

The rising front isn't very useful for many shots taken with a 135mm Optar where you are trying to record sharp detail in the image's upper corners. That Optar doesn't have as much coverage as many lenses designed for view cameras with greater front movements.

 

[Jim Jones]

Jay, what you earlier called a focusing knob selects the correct sync for a variety of flashes. X is for electronic flash and F and M are for fast and medium sync delay for those two classes of flash bulbs.

 

[jay moussy]

So it is in the house, airing out a bit.
The camera hardly shows any wear, as it was used on low-key military hush-hush project (think "alien" - yes, that's what you think!).
I would say the last it was used must be mid 1960s, and has been stored since.

The lens shutter operation was a bit sticky but has improved. FP curtain just does its thing.
Lots of learning to be done, focusing, rangefinder, film loading, etc.
I need to consider light cleaning, or lubricating where applies. I have gathered various manuals, but I am not sure if they cover maintenance in detail.
Body wipe?
Rails - lube lightly?
Focusing screen could use a mild cleaning - best practice?

I have 4 large flashbulbs for the large Graflite reflector, and a bayonet for the small one - safe storage?

 

[shutterfinger]

TriFlow for lubing oil. May be available locally at hardware stores. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tri-Flow-S...848745&hash=item443fa76591:g:kvQAAOSw5VFWOR79
White lithium grease or light bike grease for grease, again should be available locally. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Finish-Lin...t0AAOSwcldUZ71q:sc:USPSFirstClass!94080!US!-1
Oil, a drop about the size of a straight pin point on pivots. Grease, a trace (light sheen) on metal surfaces that slide on each other. Oil and grease act like glue if too much is used.
Extra fine powdered graphite is also useful as a dry lubricant.

Rails (yoke) should be clean and free of grease or oil, except the linkage between the front and bed sections which benefit from a trace of oil on the pivot pins.

Ground Glass/ Fresnel: Remove them from the focus panel. Immerse in warm water, remove and apply a drop of dish soap about 1/4 inch in diameter and 1/16 inch deep to one surface while holding by the edges then gently rub with your finger tips only until the entire surface is covered, repeat for the other side. Rinse under warm running water. Mix a weak PhotoFlo solution and rinse in it then stand on edge to air dry or dry with a clean lint free cloth. Fresnel: rub the ribbed side in the direction of the ribs only. Assembly is Fresnel, plain side facing lens, ground glass, ground side facing lens.
NO Fresnel? disregard the Fresnel tips, ground side of ground glass still faces the lens.

 

[wombat2go]

I tested the 1953 Speed's rear shutter here in 2016 with collimated phototransistor and storage oscilloscope.

The exposures were spot on:
https://app.box.com/s/w9irfkctlvx69k4wynl75z7q8go1auqg

I took the side cover off the mechanism and it looked clean so left it as is.
This camera also has engraved tag "Property of United States Government"

 

[Paul Howell]

Wonder who in the Gov owned it? Military cameras were usually marked with the branch of service. Might make it somewhat more collectible.

 

[wombat2go]

Wonder who in the Gov owned it? Military cameras were usually marked with the branch of service. Might make it somewhat more collectible.

This one ( mine not Jay's)
has "Property of United States Government BMI-NO 68668"
I was not able to find anything about BMI-NO on internet.

By the Graflex serial number I was able to trace the manufacture date to 1956, I recall.
Also I have a Mahoganite 2x3 Century that traced to 1953.

 

[Paul Howell]

1956 sounds right, after WWII the military destroyed hundreds of if thousands of Speeds to prevent them from glutting the civilian market and putting Graflex out of business.