Sold 4 x 5 Pre-Anniversary Speed Graphic with Lens

For Sale: 4 x 5 Pre-Anniversary Speed Graphic with 135mm f/4.5 Lens

A classic 1928 Speed Graphic 4 x 5 with a Wallace Heaton Ltd. 135mm f/4.5 Anastigmat Zodellar Lens in a Dial Set Compur Shutter. Lens is clear and shutter works.

Note: (Wallace Heaton was a photographic retailer based in London who also supplied the Royal Family with photographic equipment). This lens was contracted out by Heaton and no doubt made in Germany. The Anastigmat lens will probably have a similar performance to a Tessar when stopped down.

Overall, this classic camera shows the patina of use, but is functional and intact. Has a very nice flip up optical viewfinder, Moroccan Leather covered body, velvet lined drop bed, and the bellows are very good. Focal plane shutter opens and closes but will need adjustment for other speeds.

The camera takes the Pre-Anniversary and Anniversary Speed Graphic Type “C” 4 x 4-inch lens boards.

Price: $175.00 shipped in the Conus – PayPal accepted
This Camera Has SOLD

In the 1970s I visited the Wallace & Heaton store in New Bond Street a few times, it was amazing, the best UK photo store I've ever visited, their Blue Book catalogues were legendary. They had had such a good reputation they thrived on mail order business,

The Zodellar lenses were most likely British made, my BJP Almanac for 1924 shows the 135mm f4.5 Zodellar in a Compur was £6 17s 6d, a Zeiss Tessar 135mm f4.5 in a Compur was £13. The Zodellar is not a Dialyte, so most likely a Cooke triplet type lens. That is a bonus as triplet lenses are amazing for portraits

$120 is a bargain/more than fair price for the camera, but then if you way up the pro & cons of these older Speed Graphics it's no brainer, cheap lens boards for vintage lenses, either make your own, or they are quite cheap on eBay (for US buyers).

Ian

I have this camera, however the velvet is gone, and I have removed the black paint from the brass.

The focal plain shutter works so I used it as a barrel lens camera for years with a Jena press lens and I was very happy to have it.

Still do.

I misplaced the rangefinder from the side, but the flip up view optic is still there and it's handy.

Since I still use this camera, I can tell folks, this price is a great deal, I would jump on it myself but it is a bit of a stretch budget wise at this moment, so some one grab it, there's good info online on giving the focal shutter a CLA and keep in mind, even though it might currently be slow, a home built shutter speed tester can average out the actual focal shutter speeds and then you're golden, at least for shooting on a tripod, knowing what your apertures and shutter speeds are, if you do use a barrel lens and a lens with a shutter gets you back to hand held.

Cheers and good luck.

Thanks for the positive comments Ian and Eli.
I think the Pre-Anniversary Speeds are under-rated cameras.
They are very well built, with easy to replicate 4 x 4 inch lens boards.
Interesting comments on Wallace and Heaton and their Zodeller lenses.
I would have never guessed a Cooke Triplet type lens.