Graflex Pacemaker Speed 4x5'' - wide angle?

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 12, 2011

Good morning.

A fellow engineer from the US has recently preseted me a Graflex Pacemaker Speed, 4x5 inches format, with which I'm having fun out in the field. It obviously came with its standard "normal" lens made by Wollensak.

I am now looking around to find also a wide angle for this camera, and at the beginning I thought that - seen the abundance of these cameras on the auction sites - it should have been a very easy task. All the contrary, I can't seem to find any wide angle lens readily available on Graflex' specific lensboard.

Is this condition normal, or perhaps I don't know the exact production name of the wide angles made for Graflex cameras?

What did other fellow owners of a Graflex 4x5'' do to expand their lens setup? Did you buy a spare Graflex lensboard and mounted a third-brand (say - Schneider for Linhof) wide angle lens on it?

Thanks for your insight.

Bertil · Dec 12, 2011

Hi Marco,
yes, buy Graflex lensboards, normally not hard to find on eBay, and adapt the lenses you like. I myself have a Nikkor-SW 4/65 mm to my Crown Graphic, but also a Graflex Optar 6,8/90 mm, and some other lenses, no problems!
/Bertil

Ian Grant · Dec 12, 2011

Many 90mm lenses fit Copal #0 lens boards which are readily available. (Heavystar on ebay is the best source).

I use a 90mm f6.8 Angulon on my Crown & Speed Graphics and I have used a 75mm f8 Super angulon on my Crown Graphic but it might no fit a Speed because of the shutter box, I've not tried it but a 65mm won't work..

Just tried a 90mm f5.6 Super angulon and it's OK mwith my pre-Anniversary Speed Graphic.

I'd guess in the US many used Wide field Ektars, Raptars and Wide angle Dagors on their Speed Graphics as well as Schneider lenses.

Ian

rawhead · Dec 12, 2011

The only thing you need to have right is the size of the hole. I had a Graflex board that was just lying around doing nothing. Then the other day, I chanced upon oa Schneider Super Angulon MC 75mm F5.6 for a steal and purchased it. Turned out it has a Copal #0 shutter, and the lensboard I have had the exact size hole for a Copan #0 shutter. So, I attached on to the other andn voila, I have a wideangle 4x5

bdial · Dec 12, 2011

New reproduction boards are available too, SK Grimes is one souce, there may be similar suppliers in the EU. Or they can be fabricated from thin plywood and other materials.

removed account4 · Dec 12, 2011

hi marco

i too have a pacemaker speed graphic and love using it !
have you checked out grafex.org for all things graphic/graphlex ?
there is oodles of information on your camera there.
as for wide lenses ...
pretty much everything will work on your camera ..
make sure you push the cover struts in after they are "locked" open
and put them down even further .. they will angle down so the cover
won't be in the field of view when using a wide lens. i have a 90 and a 65 SA
i use on mine all the time, and even used a tiny little 58mm brass lens for a while.

have fun with your new toy !

john

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 12, 2011

Thanks everybody for your informative reply. I see that buying separate board and lens is the usual way indeed.

I seem to understand that standard Graflex lensboards come with a COPAL 0 gauge hole, is that correct? So I suppose they can natively fit also Compur 0, right?

@ jnanian: yes thanks, I've checked graflex.org many times even before getting the Pacemaker Speed.

Ian Grant · Dec 12, 2011

It's the modern boards for Pacemaker Graphics that tgend to be #0. it's standard tom Prontor's, Compur's and Copal of tthe same size.

Ian

djacobox372 · Dec 14, 2011

rawhead said:
The only thing you need to have right is the size of the hole. I had a Graflex board that was just lying around doing nothing. Then the other day, I chanced upon oa Schneider Super Angulon MC 75mm F5.6 for a steal and purchased it. Turned out it has a Copal #0 shutter, and the lensboard I have had the exact size hole for a Copan #0 shutter. So, I attached on to the other andn voila, I have a wideangle 4x5

I use the same lens on my graphic, just be sure to drop the bed or it will end up in your photos.

rjbuzzclick · Dec 14, 2011

+1 for the heavystar boards from ebay. I have several for my Pacemaker SG. Lenswise, I mostly use a 90mm Optar, a 135mm Optar, and a 203mm Ektar, but I have a few other odd lenses that are fun. I think the Speed Graphics are one of the most adaptable cameras around.

rcap · Dec 14, 2011

I have been getting my Graphic lens boards through Midwest Photo Exchange in the US, they have them in both copal 0 and 1. I use a Rodenstock Grandagon 90mm f/6.8 and am looking at getting a Nikkor-SW 65 mm f/4.

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 15, 2011

rjbuzzclick said:
+1 for the heavystar boards from ebay.

The hint was so subtle it took me half an hour to decrypt, however I got it and thanks, it seems a good product at a reasonable price. Do they have the machinery to produce new units, or do they have an old stock of boards?

rjbuzzclick · Dec 15, 2011

I assume that they are newly manufactured as opposed to new old stock. They don't have any of the numbers stamped on them that my one original board has on the back.

Ian Grant · Dec 15, 2011

rjbuzzclick said:
I assume that they are newly manufactured as opposed to new old stock. They don't have any of the numbers stamped on them that my one original board has on the back.

I must have 4 or 5 of these boards and they are as good as any other Graphic boards I own, a very good match to riginals. But I have cast Pacemaker Graphoc boards and allsorts

Ian

Sirius Glass · Dec 15, 2011

A 4"x5" Graflex Pacemaker Speed will take a 90mm lens which is the widest wide angle lens that can be used on it.

A 4"x5" Graflex Pacemaker Crown will take a 65mm lens which is the widest wide angle lens that can be used on it.

Dan Fromm · Dec 15, 2011

Sirius Glass said:
A 4"x5" Graflex Pacemaker Speed will take a 90mm lens which is the widest wide angle lens that can be used on it.

A 4"x5" Graflex Pacemaker Crown will take a 65mm lens which is the widest wide angle lens that can be used on it.

You really should be more careful about laying down the law.

The 4x5 Crown's minimum extension is 52.4 mm. The 4x5 Pacemaker Speed's is 66.7 mm.

The shortest Super Angulon XL that will make infinity on a 4x5 Crown is the 47, on the Speed is the 58. Go look up some other lenses.

Sirius Glass · Dec 15, 2011

Ok, I stand corrected.

I only have a Speed Graphic.

Ralph Javins · Dec 16, 2011

Good morning, Steve and Dan;

Thank you for the discourse on WA lenses for the Graflex Crown Graphic and Speed Graphic. Now I know the limits for a WA lens for my Speed Graphic.

Finding a Wide Angle lens is going to be easy. I would like to find one of the Kodak Aero-Ektar 2.5/178mm lenses for use on mine also. A total of three "C" lens boards should be enough.

Ian Grant · Dec 16, 2011

Dan Fromm said:
You really should be more careful about laying down the law.

The 4x5 Crown's minimum extension is 52.4 mm. The 4x5 Pacemaker Speed's is 66.7 mm.

The shortest Super Angulon XL that will make infinity on a 4x5 Crown is the 47, on the Speed is the 58. Go look up some other lenses.

Dan, a problem here is that websites like Graflex.org state. On one page they state a lens less than 80,, can't be used on a Speed Graphic, elsewhere that's contradicted.

Are they using the FP shutter, and then shutters vary slightly anyway on pre, Anniversary and Pacemaker Graphics.

There's another issue missed, what lenses can be used with the Wire finder, I use the wire frame finder all the time as I use my Graphics when I'm having to shoot hand-held.

Unfortunately my Crown Graphic lives in Turkey and my emascaluated Pacemaker Speed (it's shuutters been cut away ) and pre-Anniversy Graphocs are here in the UK.

There#s possibly a third issue with the shutter box getting in the way when ries or fall is used.

Ian

Sirius Glass · Dec 16, 2011

Ian Grant said:
Dan Fromm said:

You really should be more careful about laying down the law.

The 4x5 Crown's minimum extension is 52.4 mm. The 4x5 Pacemaker Speed's is 66.7 mm.

The shortest Super Angulon XL that will make infinity on a 4x5 Crown is the 47, on the Speed is the 58. Go look up some other lenses.

Click to expand...

Dan, a problem here is that websites like Graflex.org state. On one page they state a lens less than 80,, can't be used on a Speed Graphic, elsewhere that's contradicted.

Are they using the FP shutter, and then shutters vary slightly anyway on pre, Anniversary and Pacemaker Graphics.

Thank you for the vindication.

Moopheus · Dec 16, 2011

I got a 90mm Super Angulon to use with my Speed. Works fine. The only problem I've had with it is that sometimes when I focus the lens is far enough into the body of the camera that I can't use front rise; the standard hits the top of the box.

Dan Fromm · Dec 16, 2011

Ian, there's a lot of nonsense on the Internet. I'm sorry that not all of the info on graflex.org is correct. I took mine from The Bible, 10th Edition. Graphic Graflex Photography, 10th Edition.

Cheers,

Dan

Dan Fromm · Dec 16, 2011

Moopheus, this is a known problem. The standard solution is to remove the wire frame finder, it comes out of the front standard fairly easily.

Graflex Pacemaker Speed 4x5'' - wide angle?

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