For Sale FS - PRICE REDUCED 2x3 Baby Speed Graflex w/101mm Kodak Ektar

I am selling a very good 2x3 Baby Graflex Speed Graphic with a clean Kodak Ektar 101mm f4.5 lens mounted in a Graphic No 1 Kodak Supermatic shutter that was built sometime in 1945.

The Kodak Ektar 101mm lens was pretty much a standard lens when these cameras were built and it is quite a good lens. I have been using this one since June of last year and have been more than happy with it. Wide open (f4.5) it is soft but it begins improving immediately at f5.6. Chris Perez shows that the performance of the lens he tested is very good by f8. This particular lens is very nice and clean with no imperfections. There is no oil on the aperture blades.

The Graphic No 1 Supermatic leaf shutter has a good range of speeds to compliment the aperture range of the lens so the two are pretty well matched. This particular shutter is pretty much on the money all the way up to 1/100. The 1/200 speed is actually about 1/300 and the 1/400 setting is the same speed. This shutter does work with flash .

Of course the Speed Graphic is also equipped with a focal plane shutter that provides an additional suite of shutter speeds that range from 1/10 to 1/1000. I have not actually tested the focal plane shutter speeds for accuracy but I have taken side by side photos using the leaf shutter and then the focal plane shutter and the results were very close.

The lens board can be raised or lowered to a certain extent but, unlike the bigger 4x5 brothers, the lens cannot be tilted and the lens bed does not drop so there are no significant lens movements available on this camera.

This camera body is not perfect but it is in decent condition. The leather looks good and nothing is peeling off. There are some odd bumps visible below the leather that look a little like what we call Zeiss bumps on Contax or Zeiss Ikon cameras.

This particular camera is equipped with a spring back, not a Graflex or Graflok back. This back allows the use of 2x3 film holders similar to standard 4x5 film holders which hold two sheets of 2x3 film.

The front standard pops out quickly and when pulled out all the way everything locks solidly. The struts and mechanical parts are straight and look good. There is no evidence that anything is bent or out of alignment The bellows are in good condition and there are no light leaks. The coupled rangefinder works smoothly and certainly appears to be accurate. The hand strap is attached and in good shape.

I am asking $150 USD for this camera and lens. I accept Paypal or USPS Money Orders. I only sell and ship within the continental United States. Shipping and Paypal fees are included in the price. I ship USPS Priority Mail.

Enjoy the pictures and thanks for looking.

Looks like there's a sync connection for flash with the focal plane shutter, too.

Yes there is Don. I rarely use flash at all anymore, just a bit of fill occasionally, and not at all with these cameras. So I don't think to bring this up. Thank you for your observation.

I mention it because it's unusual for the pre-War Speeds to have been retrofitted. Might be of limited use these days, given that focal plane bulbs haven't been made in a good while...

I have quite a bit of flash equipment, sync cords, and bulbs, lying around, some of it for the Graflex cameras. I also have a few books that would help put it all together. Maybe I'll withdraw this one for now and do some more testing/playing.

There may be a whole lot more enjoyment left for me to find in this old camera.

The miniature (1939-1946) seems to have come with the focal plane shutter sync by default. Mine's a late model (1946), but all the pictures of the miniature version I've seen appear to have the connector.

Dan, since yours appears to be the same model as mine, it does support dropping the bed-- depress the braces as if you were going to close it, raise the bed about 10 degrees, and you should be able to slip the struts off their retaining pins. The rangefinder arm gets in the way on mine, however, so it's a bit fiddly.

grat said:

The miniature (1939-1946) seems to have come with the focal plane shutter sync by default. Mine's a late model (1946), but all the pictures of the miniature version I've seen appear to have the connector.

Dan, since yours appears to be the same model as mine, it does support dropping the bed-- depress the braces as if you were going to close it, raise the bed about 10 degrees, and you should be able to slip the struts off their retaining pins. The rangefinder arm gets in the way on mine, however, so it's a bit fiddly.

Click to expand...

Ahh...I will give that a try. I fiddled with it awhile back and couldn't get it too work so I assumed it did not.

NewI mention it because it's unusual for the pre-War Speeds to have been retrofitted. Might be of limited use these days, given that focal plane bulbs haven't been made in a good while...

I have a nice collection of bulbs including the big ones, should anybody have an interest.

Price reduced. Thanks for watching.