Friggen Grafmatics!!

Eric Rose · Sep 22, 2006

Well I'm about to toss my entire bunch of Grafmatics. Was in Lower Antelope CAnyon today, the light was fantastic, was working really hard to get what I wanted, and on the last shot the f@#king Grafmatic jammed with the slide out.

Tried my best to get the thing out of my camera using my dark cloth to at least save a few shots. Wrapped the Grafmatic up in the DC and stashed in my camera backpack. So for the rest of the afternoon no darkcloth. Makes focusing an f8, 90mm real fun.

Of the ten or so Grafmatics I have so far 3 have failed with either jams or broken springs. Spent a couple of hours tonight making sure the septums are straight and all that jazz but from now on when I have to shoot something that might be a once in a life time thing, I'm using normal holders. To bad we can't get Readyloads in Canada.

To say I'm pissed is putting it VERY mildly.

Oh well tomorrow we try and get a permit for The Wave.

Capocheny · Sep 22, 2006

Hi Eric,

Sorry to hear about your problem with the Grafmatics. I use to use them as well but found they were a gigantic pita. So, now... they're ALL gone!

Readyloads and Quickloads can be sent up from the US without problem. I use Jeff at Badger Graphics for my Fuji films. I believe Jim at MidWest can also access the same films.

Better luck tomorrow.

Cheers

eclarke · Sep 22, 2006

Eric Rose said:
Well I'm about to toss my entire bunch of Grafmatics. Was in Lower Antelope CAnyon today, the light was fantastic, was working really hard to get what I wanted, and on the last shot the f@#king Grafmatic jammed with the slide out.

Tried my best to get the thing out of my camera using my dark cloth to at least save a few shots. Wrapped the Grafmatic up in the DC and stashed in my camera backpack. So for the rest of the afternoon no darkcloth. Makes focusing an f8, 90mm real fun.

Of the ten or so Grafmatics I have so far 3 have failed with either jams or broken springs. Spent a couple of hours tonight making sure the septums are straight and all that jazz but from now on when I have to shoot something that might be a once in a life time thing, I'm using normal holders. To bad we can't get Readyloads in Canada.

To say I'm pissed is putting it VERY mildly.

Oh well tomorrow we try and get a permit for The Wave.

Hi Eric,
I was just up in your neck of the woods last week and used readyloads but in the wind they're just not too hot. Up on Hwy 93 I got some kind of small seed in the holder and If I didn't carry jeweler's screwdrivers with me I would have been shut down completely, I was able to take it apart and fix it...it's just hard to beat plain old filmholders..Evan Clarke

David A. Goldfarb · Sep 22, 2006

I use them all the time and haven't had a jam in the field, but I could see how it might happen. If you've got ten of them (I have 8 Grafmatics and 2 Kinematics (and two 2x3" Grafmatics)), inspect them all, clean them carefully, cull out any bent septums, and if you find one or two that are particularly wonky, retire them to the parts box.

Quickloads are certainly handy, but the films I like don't come in packets, and for handheld 4x5" work, Grafmatics are still handier. The Kinematics are fiddlier, but it is great to be able to go out with 20 sheets of film in two holders.

One thing I discovered recently--Grafmatics can't be loaded in a small changing bag that works for normal 4x5" holders, so the little changing bag I used to carry "just in case" would have been useless if I'd actually needed it.

ineffablething · Sep 22, 2006

That's weird. I have a set of four that I've used for about 7 years. I am not gentle with these things and have never had a jam or any other sort of problem. They seem to keep my film flatter,too. I've heard of people lubricating them with graphite. Maybe that would help your jams.

William

reellis67 · Sep 22, 2006

I feel your pain - I had similar chronic problems with my 2x3 Grafmatic, so it's going on the display case. I like the idea, and when they work they are great, but it's too frustrating when they fail.

- Randy

Phillip P. Dimor · Sep 22, 2006

Badger Graphics has those fuji reloadable ones. They are _pricey_ although they sound mighty tempting. I don't generally venture far when shooting lf (unfortunately) so I use plain old double-sided holders.

There's a review of them somewhere out there on the net.

Neal · Sep 22, 2006

Dear Eric,

Hey, toss them my way! ;>)

Seriously though, I find that the only way to ensure that they won't jam is to cycle them when the camera is oriented to shoot horizontally. Any other position and I have had problems.

Neal Wydra

blansky · Sep 22, 2006

Damn things, you'd think that something thats over 50 years old would hold up a little better.

Seriously though, I've had different ones jam on me as well.

Michael

Trask · Sep 22, 2006

Friggen Grafmatics -- wasn't he a general on the German side in WWI?

Photo Engineer · Sep 22, 2006

The B&W aerial shots in my gallery were taken with a speed graphic and graphmatics with Super XX. The picture of me shows me holding the SG by my side.

I carried 4 of them in the zipper pockets of my flight suit and 1 in the camera for a total of 30 shots. Not one glitch, even at 3 gs and upside down.

I did this more than once.

Yes, they do wear out. I have one that is sticky and has a deep score in the plate under the holders, but I still consider them to be very reliable.

PE

DBP · Sep 22, 2006

Photo Engineer said:
The B&W aerial shots in my gallery were taken with a speed graphic and graphmatics with Super XX. The picture of me shows me holding the SG by my side.

I carried 4 of them in the zipper pockets of my flight suit and 1 in the camera for a total of 30 shots. Not one glitch, even at 3 gs and upside down.

I did this more than once.

Yes, they do wear out. I have one that is sticky and has a deep score in the plate under the holders, but I still consider them to be very reliable.

PE

What were you flying in?

Dave Parker · Sep 22, 2006

DBP said:
What were you flying in?

My guess would be a very fast airplane!

LOL

Dave

Mark Layne · Sep 22, 2006

I've never had any problems with my graphmatics, but I can see how using them vertically might tempt a septum to slip out of position.
Mark

Photo Engineer · Sep 22, 2006

DBP said:
What were you flying in?

A variety of planes. A picture of one is in the gallery. And yes, they were VERY fast and capable of sustaining over 3gs. The altitude was rather high as well.

PE

Dave Starr · Sep 22, 2006

Trask said:
Friggen Grafmatics -- wasn't he a general on the German side in WWI?

Herr Generaloberst Friggen Grafmatics was the commander of photo recon for the Luftwaffe.

Photo Engineer · Sep 22, 2006

Dave Starr said:
Herr Generaloberst Friggen Grafmatics was the commander of photo recon for the Luftwaffe.

Mit ein umlaut in der namen bitte. (sorry for the fractured German)

PE

glbeas · Sep 22, 2006

Eric Rose said:
Well I'm about to toss my entire bunch of Grafmatics. Was in Lower Antelope CAnyon today, the light was fantastic, was working really hard to get what I wanted, and on the last shot the f@#king Grafmatic jammed with the slide out.

Tried my best to get the thing out of my camera using my dark cloth to at least save a few shots. Wrapped the Grafmatic up in the DC and stashed in my camera backpack. So for the rest of the afternoon no darkcloth. Makes focusing an f8, 90mm real fun.

Of the ten or so Grafmatics I have so far 3 have failed with either jams or broken springs. Spent a couple of hours tonight making sure the septums are straight and all that jazz but from now on when I have to shoot something that might be a once in a life time thing, I'm using normal holders. To bad we can't get Readyloads in Canada.

To say I'm pissed is putting it VERY mildly.

Oh well tomorrow we try and get a permit for The Wave.

I had that happen to me. Turned out the film had slid out of the sheath and kept the slide from going back in. The sheaths didn't have the little pinch in the side lip to keep the film from slipping around, I fixed that with a pair of needlenose pliers and have had no problems whatsoever since then.

c6h6o3 · Sep 22, 2006

Eric Rose said:
Well I'm about to toss my entire bunch of Grafmatics.

How much do you want for them? I'm interested in the entire lot, as is.

cblurton · Sep 23, 2006

Piece fell out of mine

I bought a Grafmatic from a bloke in Australia (I think that's what they are called "down under"). It arrived in what appeared to be fine shape, for something that old and well-used. It even had film in it (which I discovered only after opening it up). I downloaded instructions for how to load it, and practice a couple of times and everything seemed to be functional.

After this initial experience I put it aside and shot some Fuji Readyloads with my Shen-Hao using my Polaroid Polaroid 545 holder which worked well, but the cost of each shot was bugging me so I went back to the Grafmatic to load it up. However, when I opened it, a long silver piece that is doubled over with black felt inside fell out. It appears to have been glued inside someplace at one time because there is glue residue on one side of it.

Any thoughts, advice, pointers, or ideas on what fell out and how to fix it would be welcomed.

jacobus · Sep 23, 2006

There you'll find a pdf-file of the service manual:
www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/grafmatic45service.pdf
Hope it helps

cblurton · Sep 24, 2006

Dear Jacobus:

Thank you for the pointer to the repair manual. It appears that the piece that fell out of my holder is the "cutoff assembly." I don't have a clue as to what it does from the exploded view of the holder in the manual, but I am hopeful that I can figure it out once I start taking the thing apart.

Thanks again,

Craig

Mark Layne · Oct 3, 2006

Photo Engineer said:
Mit ein umlaut in der namen bitte. (sorry for the fractured German)

PE

Ok Ron
Since you're so fluent maybe you can tell me what the warning on the handle of my VW camper pop up top says. 'Sicht Nicht Fart Benutzen"
Mark

TimVermont · Oct 4, 2006

I'm going to give away my secrets here. Take them apart and clean everything, each septum and all tracks. Then lube the edges of each septum with Pedro's ice wax applied with a cloth. Lube the slide with a tiny drop of Pedro's syn lube on each side, wipe off the excess. Do the same for the tracks. Flawless operation from Death Valley in spring to Vermont in the winter. Oh, and flat means you checked them on a granite surface plate, not just eyeballed them.

BrianShaw · Oct 4, 2006

Mark Layne said:
"Sicht Nicht Fart Benutzen"

I believe it means: "Do not use as an emergency exit" or "Do not pass gas unless windows are open." Correct me if I'm wrong, Ron... I never learned German in school... only on the streets of Munich (and I wasnt't there long enough to become really proficient).

Friggen Grafmatics!!

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency