Graflex Compact Stand?

DLM · May 21, 2010

I came across this in some boxes of free darkroom/photo stuff. A google search didn't turn up much, except a reference to a "compact stand" that was used in WWII by photographers. This looks to be in too good of condition to be from that era, so I'm still left wondering what it was originally for. Obviously a camera mounts on it, but I'm more wondering what it mounted on. The part on the bottom that clamps onto a post is pretty big.

Ian Grant · May 21, 2010

It's to allow a camera to be tilted on a stand that has no modern sty lehead, they were once quite common. There would have been a column & 3 legs.

Incidentally I have a photo in a 1940 Kodak catalogue and they were £6 6d, I'll go scan it for you.

Ian

Ian Grant · May 21, 2010

OK here it is from Kodak, London, Professional and Industrial Photographic Apparatus and Materials, 1940

So you're missing the stand part.

Ian

DLM · May 21, 2010

That's pretty interesting. Thanks, Ian. Now I gotta figure out if it's worth keeping or selling.

Ian Grant · May 21, 2010

The music industry still use stands like that with the wider centre column to hold lights etc, it might be possible tofind a stand the platform sits on.

Ian

Whiteymorange · May 21, 2010

This kind of stand is still quite useful for large format wooden cameras where the bottom is lightweight or fragile. The broad, flat surface supports the camera without straining at the attachment point, and the tilting platform is stable... holds my 8x10 Rochester Universal better than most tripods. The single column can get a bit wobbly at full extension, but I've never feared of collapse.

BrianShaw · May 21, 2010

That looks exceptionally useful... especially if using a chain link fence post as a makeshift tripod!

John Koehrer · May 22, 2010

Majestic uses a similar fitting. Somewhere around 1 1/8" if I remember right.

2F/2F · May 22, 2010

It is a tilt paltform that goes between a tripod/studio stand and a camera. It is basically a tripod head that only tilts one way, and does not pan. They are not restricted to wooden cameras. Linhof used them as well, at least into the '60s, and maybe later. SINAR still makes them. Both the Linhof and SINAR ones also pan, however the Linhof one I have used is required to mount the camera, while the SINAR one is optional.

Because of the bottom fitting, I'm not sure how useful this will be to anyone using a modern tripod, but I am sure someone out there would make use of it on their older tripod.

pgomena · May 22, 2010

As John said above, the Majestic tripod is a good place to start looking. They are available new or used and are pretty common.

http://www.bencher.com/frames/frameset.html

Peter Gomena

mgb74 · May 22, 2010

Looks like it would go with this: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Graflex Compact Stand?

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