Another reason to love the Speed Graphic!

[Donald Qualls]

I got a Speed Graphic (a pre-War Anniversary with working RF, light tight bellows, and accurate focal plane shutter) a few days ago, and I've found another reason to love it beside all the things that have had me wanting one for the past 35 years.

I've got a 13.5 cm f/4.5 Skopar that's been sitting around, because the shutter it came in was dead (pieces missing); the only other shutter I had that it would fit was in a 9x12 plate camera that wouldn't allow me to set the standard back 3 mm to compensate for the more forward node position compared to a Radionar. The threads on the Skopar's front group are too short to engage in a Polaroid Prontor-Press that originally had a 127 Ysaron.

But since I got the Speed, I realized I no longer need the shutter to work, I just need a good aperture and correct glass spacing, so I pulled all the movable shutter parts out of the dead Compur (and stored them in a bag, in case I need spares for a working one), reassembled the shell, and voila -- a 135 mm barrel lens for the Speed (with a barrel that looks a great deal like a rim-set Compur shutter).

Hurrah!!

 

[ricksplace]

You're in trouble now. I have a pre-anny speed with an accurate focal plane shutter too. You will soon be subject to a case of OLAS (old lens acquisition syndrome). With the plain 4" square lens board, a 4'X4' sheet of 1/8" hardboard from your local Home Depot makes for an almost limitless supply of DIY lensboards. (Don't forget to spray the inside of the lensboard flat black)

Next thing you know, you will be spending countless hours perusing ebay in the "other lenses" and "vintage" sections looking for those cheap barrel lenses. Some of those old barrel lenses make superb images when used in their optimum aperature range, and some very interesting images when used at their worst aperatures. Even setting a maximum price of $25 when bidding, your collection of old lenses can grow pretty fast. Don't ask me how I know this...

Think of all the various films you can try one sheet at a time. Paper negs too.

You're really in trouble you know. Have fun Donald.

Rick.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Rick, did you intend to suggest that owning a Speed Graphic with a working FPS can cause Tjugen's Syndrome?

I ask because I seem to have developed a mild case of the disease and own a Speed with a working FPS. But and however, I use most of my barrel lenses front-mounted on a #1 shutter. So I'm not sure that owning the Speed caused my ailment.

I submit that owning a Graphic is another symptom of Tjugen's Syndrome.

 

[Whiteymorange]

Working FP shutters make you start looking at lenses that aren't even able to be mounted with a flange. You start taking pictures like this. Enjoy it.

 

[Lachlan Young]

As a fellow Speed Graphic owner I can sympathise with you. It is when you log in to ebay and discover that any ordinary lens that covers 5x4 with a focal length between 65mm and 210mm and any telephoto that covers 5x4 up to 500mm that you realise just what sort of addiction you have begun! Better still, most of the shorter barrel lenses have yet to be afflicted with the inflationary phenomonon known as Galliitis.

Lachlan

 

[ricksplace]

Rick, did you intend to suggest that owning a Speed Graphic with a working FPS can cause Tjugen's Syndrome?

I ask because I seem to have developed a mild case of the disease and own a Speed with a working FPS. But and however, I use most of my barrel lenses front-mounted on a #1 shutter. So I'm not sure that owning the Speed caused my ailment.

I submit that owning a Graphic is another symptom of Tjugen's Syndrome.

Oh No. I have another syndrome. Just the name, Tjugen's Syndrome, sounds ominous. Hey, maybe if I collect enough syndromes I can qualify for LTD at work. Then I'll have lots of time to submit to my syndromes. Sounds like a plan. Nah, it will never work. Most Profs I know have more syndromes than Carters has pills. Back to the marking...

 

[Donald Qualls]

Say, it may have started already. I've got this 105 mm f/4.5 Apotar in some shutter or other, already mounted on a board for my Aletta (intended for macro); the Aletta boards that are thin and have shims on the front fit the Speed if I turn them 90 degrees so the shims don't interfere with the board locking slide. That should make a nice circular image just a little wider than the film.

And of course I have my Componon, but that's on a thicker board so I have to remount it to fit the Speed.

Say, speaking of enlarging lenses, I wonder what kind of images I could get with my Vivitar FHE 135 mm f/5.6? The Speed will let me find out.

AAAaaaaaagh!! Tjugen's syndrome!

Wait. I probably had this already -- I have four plate cameras already, before the Speed...

 

[Dan Fromm]

Thank you, Donald, for providing more evidence that a Speed is a symptom, not a cause.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Actually, I suspect Tjugen's is just a variant of G.A.S. I've almost convinced myself I have too many cameras, so now I'm starting to look at lenses for the Speed and Aletta...

 

[Dan Fromm]

Actually, I suspect Tjugen's is just a variant of G.A.S. I've almost convinced myself I have too many cameras, so now I'm starting to look at lenses for the Speed and Aletta...

There's a subtle difference between G.A.S., also known as The Bloat, and Tjugen's. Sufferers of both want more, but while those with Tjugens's want more of almost exactly but not quite the same, people with The Bloat want different. Of course, some people have both. One of my friends, for example, has a display case on the wall with twelve (I've counted 'em) Contax RFs, each with a 50/1.5 Sonnar. They all look alike to me, but I don't have an eye for Contaxes or 50/1.5 Sonnars. That's classic Tjugen's. But he's also filled his garage with an amazing array of long lenses and very short lenses mounted in huge cameras and ... that are just too heavy to carry up the stairs. That's classic bloat.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Well, let's see -- I find myself looking at listings on eBay for 180 mm and even 165 mm lenses, when I already own a very acceptable 150/265 convertible and a 135 mm (and a 105 on a board, but that's from a 6x9 and good only for macro on 4x5). But I also own around 30 working cameras in 11 different formats and several different styles (16 mm in 10x14 and 13x17 frame, 35 mm half frame, 35 mm folder, rigid 35 mm VF, 35 mm RF, 35 mm SLR, 828 RF, 828 VF, 127 full frame simple, 127 4x4 simple, 6x9/6x4.5 dual folder, 6x6 simple, 6x6 folder, 6x6 TLR, 6x9 simple, 6x9 folder, 6x9 RF folder, 9x12 cm plate camera, 4x5 monorail, and the Speed -- and that's not even counting pinhole cameras), plus a few for parts.

Sigh. Sounds like I've got both.

At least it's not boring (to me)...