4x5" Press Camera As Field Camera - Roundup

I recently had a Super Graphic in addition to two Meridians (a Model 45B and a prototype 45C). Never warmed up to the Super Graphic so I sold it. Reasons why include that it doesn't rack-focus with wide angles (no focusing on the inner rails, though a Crown offers this), and the hard to use front tilt lock-out. The rotating back is useful but not as useful as the rotating back + tilt and swing back moves on the Meridians.

Just not into shooting roll film on a 4x5. With the SG it was hard to see what was being framesd via the peep-sight and hoop viewfinder. Lot of back-swapping to use it with roll film for anything critical. At least in my case, the Graflok back didn't count for much.

Unmodified Meridian backs do allow use of Quickload/Readyload holders, and with a small spacer or a few washers, Grafmatics.

If you do decide on a Meridian, what you're likely to encounter in the used marketplace are a fair number of used Meridians showing up with butchered backs. These are attempts to either make them full Graflok backs, or else to have clearance to use with insert roll film holders (by grinding off the "ears" that are handholds for opening up the gape to insert a film holder). There never were many Meridian 45Bs (Total production run of ~1000, more than 60 years ago). They were considered rather collectible up until the past couple of years, so many of these modifications are recent and crude. Seems a shame but that's the state of things at this late date. If you do find a nice original one, with a Kalart rangefinder, it's quite as capable as all but the most recent Linhofs--albeit no RF cams-- but with longer lasting synthetic bellows that are likely as not to have survived light tight.

A Crown or Super Graphic are light enough for hiking in the field, can be handheld in good lighting, or can be used successfully with a relatively lightweight tripod/head. As said above, for many (most?) situations the limited movements are not an issue. But there are better choices today, like the little Wista wood fields and others which are really lightweight and offer movements. And if you really want lots of movements and longer bellows, there are the lightish Wisner techfields.

To add to the list of press cameras for field use, I would mention the little metal Horseman 45FA with reasonable movements, but with limitation on lens selection because of small front standard.

And to add a little bit of history, there is the granpappy of the graphic press cameras, the RB Cycle Graphic, designed with recreational field use in mind, thus the reference to being transportable on a push bike. Back in 1910 or so, this was revolutionary.

patawauke said:

And to add a little bit of history, there is the granpappy of the graphic press cameras, the RB Cycle Graphic, designed with recreational field use in mind, thus the reference to being transportable on a push bike. Back in 1910 or so, this was revolutionary.

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Thanks for the tidbit! Here's a look... (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

For cheap, a super graphic, crown graphic, or pacemaker should be best among the graflexes and you might have to search hard to find the first two for under $200, but the third is easily under $200. An anniversary or preanniversary or SLR will be less flexible, but still a good deal for shooting big film with constraints and will be in the $100 range.

The pacemaker and likely the crown has a side tripod hole to get around the non-revolving back, and of you then turn your l-r shift into rise/fall.

For more extreme flexibilty with front and back adjustments of all sort and to use longer lenses, I bought a B&J 8x10 field camera and have a 4x5 back to go along with the 8x10 back. This way I can use 8x10 lenses for 8x10 and 4x5 film. It's as heavy as a 4x5 monorail. It was only $350.

Um, JP, a Crown is a Pacemaker. Graflex Inc. made Pacemaker Graphics in two flavors, Crown and Speed. Three sizes, 2.25" x 3.25", 3.25" x 4.25", 4"x5". There was also the Century Graphic, a bargain version of the 2x3 Crown with a plastic body and slightly fewer features. Ignorant barbarians like me regard the Century as a Pacemaker too, real connoisseurs don't.

I thought the Century was made from a "revolutionary" material called Mahoganite.

How could you call that merely plastic?

brian d said:

Tower Press Camera- rebadged Bush Pressman

The Canadian Press King is sort of similar to a B&J

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I'll second that! I have a Tower w/instruction book, 100mm Wide Field Ektar, 135mm Symmar-S, 210mm Fuji-L and slide-in 6x7 roll film holder. The things that aren't as good as others are the spring backs limits you on Polaroid/roll film backs, lens boards are small and harder to find and movements aren't super great. But it's one tough, well built camera and I like it better than any Graphic except maybe the Crown or Super Speed. JohnW

michaelbsc said:

I thought the Century was made from a "revolutionary" material called Mahoganite.

How could you call that merely plastic?

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Well, as I said I'm an ignorant barbarian.

If you doubt that I am, ask Capaul & Weber. I shoot a 38/4.5 Biogon on my humble Century Graphic. I've made the point that it isn't obvious that I'm worse equipped than their customers who have Alpa 12 with 38/4.5 Biogon. So I'm clearly unacquainted with the finer points, i.e., am ignorant. As for being a barbarian, well, I'm not a native speaker of Greek so am a birthright barbarian.