Crown 2x3 additions

I am taking a vacation in Australia. I always take a Pentax 35mm K mount with 2 lenses on my trips.
and this is first time I will take a medium format too.

To prepare the Graflex 2x3 (This one is in top condition with a plastic body so I think this is a late model)
I spent some time in workshop making a little hood for
the Graftar f/4.5 103mm, and also a bubble level.

The hood is of black acetal, it took a few hours to machine it on the lathe.
The graze angle is 24 degrees to match the AOV.
It is a press fit on the nose of the Graftar, and I made it short
(at expense of efficacy in lower sun) so that it stays on the lens when camera is folded.

The bubble level was made in a quick time with the end mill and calibrated by gently filing.
It clips into the right side of the sportsfinder which is raised to just view the bubble in the viewfinder.

The bubble is a ~ $4 resin cast from Amazon and I took some time to measure the bubble
and the Graflex on the gauge block.
The bubble is parallel to its surfaces, better than I can measure.
I could discern a change of about 0.2 degree using the bubble.

The top of the opening of the rear plate of the Graflex is parallel to the base within about 0.001 inch across.

The sportsfinder frame is not so accurate, but successive random deployments are parallel to within about 0.4 degrees.

So I think the bubble will be useful.

Awesome! I think you could sell some of these.

Looks like a 2x3 Century Graphic...I've never seen one with the (optional?) Kalart Rangefinder.

Do you plan to use roll film holders or sheet film?

Cute. I normally shoot my Graphics from tripod, on a head with levels on a ball leveler. How do you avoid tilting the camera up or down? I ask because I'm not sure that diverging (or converging) parallel features in the subject are that easy to discern through the viewfinder. This may be payback for rarely using the viewfinder.

Cheers,

Dan

It's a 23 Crown Graphic - the 23 Century Graphics have a gray plastic body with red bellows.

Prof_Pixel said:

It's a 23 Crown Graphic - the 23 Century Graphics have a gray plastic body with red bellows.

Click to expand...

Nope, the marsupial's 2x3 Graphic is a Century. Not all Centuries have gray plastic body and red bellows. Mine has black plastic body and black bellows.

If you look closely at the pictures, you'll see that that the upper lensboard slider is marked "Century Graphic," that the upright at the side of the front standard is painted black (just like mine) and that there's no chrome trim at the front of the box. All of these are marks of the Century Graphic. 2x3 Crown Graphics have spiffy stainless steel (or is it chromed brass?) front standards, chromed trip all the way 'round the front of the box and upper lensboard slider marked "Crown Graphic." I have two 2x3 Crowns, have seen many more.

Marsupial, y'r little Century looks like an early one. Late ones have stainless front standards like the Crown's. If you'll send me its serial number I may be able to date it for you.

I had a 23 Century when I was in the 10th grade in high school (1954/55). After a year, I upgraded to a 23 Speed (that I still have). I started working in a camera store in 1957 and the only Centuries I remember had red bellows. Looking at the picture again, it looks older than my Speed, so perhaps the red bellows were used on late models.


Edit:I see the Century was made from 1949 to 1973, so perhaps I have the bellows color backwards, and the later models had black bellows (and body)

I got a Century that was made the year I was born, fun little box I use for 6x9. You did a much nicer job on yours than I did with mine, that's awesome

PS: don't drop it on your foot when closed up, and don't ask me how I know that. ouch.

BradS said:

Looks like a 2x3 Century Graphic...I've never seen one with the (optional?) Kalart Rangefinder.

Click to expand...

The Kalart was an option, or maybe it was the other way around. I've only ever seen one that was factory original without it (the covering lacks the necessary holes although the body has them).

Dan

Thanks for the comments.
Serial number of the 2x3 is 519780. An inner label lists patents and "Mahoganite (R) Case".

I also have an older 4x5 Pacemaker Speed, ex US Govt, in very good condition, wth serial number 910919.
It has the top illuminated rangefinder


I have not used the 2x3 very much because I use the 6x7 Takumars on the 4x5 Speed and on my home built body.
However I took a test roll of Ektar 100 with the 2x3 and I can see that the Gaftar 103mm lens is really sharp.

The reason I am taking the 2x3 Graflex on the trip is because of the risk that the
home built die cast aluminum camera body might have problems in airport security.

I am only set up to process 120 film ( C41 and b/w) so I use the RH8 & RH10 backs and I have collected a few.

I tend to hand hold the cameras. I set them up on a tripod in the yard with the gg first
and then just use them hand held with the VF.

I have been practising estimation of distances out to about 20 metres, by imagining body lengths out to the subject.
This one with the Takumar 6x7 90mm Leaf Shutter lens.
https://app.box.com/s/s68k5k3nhdcvz07ak2kl

The bubble levels correct my tendency to tilt the camera one way, and also help to minimise camera shake.

Here is a hand held in fairly low light using the 4x5 Speed's rear shutter with the Takumar 55mm and Fuji Pro 160ns.
https://app.box.com/s/zz9woy21e7vmfydsc3ux

Wombat, Graflex Inc. and predecessors assigned serial numbers in batches, then used them up. When all of the serial numbers in a batch had been used another batch was allocated.

Your Century 519780's s/n is in a batch assigned 4/14/53. The next batch of Century serial numbers was assigned 10/28/53.

Your 4x5 Pacemaker Speed Graphic's s/n 910919 is in a batch assigned 7/21/55. The next 4x5 Pacemaker batch was assigned 12/9/55. Starting some time in 1949 Graflex assigned batches for 4x5 Pacemaker Graphics, didn't have separate batches for Speeds and Crowns so after that change s/n can't be used to tell which type (Crown, Speed) the camera is.

Yes, the 103/4.5 Graftar is a real sleeper. When I got around to formal lens testing the one I tested was better than the 101/4.5 Ektar I tested was better than the 105/3.7 Ektar I tested. This is contrary to folklore, but others on graflex.org have reported the same result.

P_P, according to this http://www.graflex.org/graflex-products-list.html Graflex went over to red bellows for the Century in 1954. Before then, black bellows. Another distinction without a difference.

Dan,
Thanks for the dates.