Graflex RB 3x4

campy51 · Sep 24, 2025

I just purchased this camera and it comes with a Xenar f3.5 18cm lens. Is this lens too long for the format and is it a decent lens? Can lenses be swapped easily enough?

Graflex R.B. Series D Camera w/ Kodak Schneider Xenar f:3.5 F-18cm Lens | eBay

Appearance is Very Good condition. Lens appears to be clean but shows signs of age.

www.ebay.com

koraks · Sep 24, 2025

campy51 said:
Is this lens too long for the format

If you're looking for something wide-angle, then yes. If you're looking for something long, then no. I.e., as always, it depends on what you want to do.
Most of the time I use a 4x5" Sinar I have a 210 mounted on it. That's "too long" for a typical standard lens. It's not too dissimilar from using a 180 on 3x4" I guess.

Dan Fromm · Sep 24, 2025

campy51 said:
I just purchased this camera and it comes with a Xenar f3.5 18cm lens. Is this lens too long for the format and is it a decent lens? Can lenses be swapped easily enough?

According to Graphic Graflex Photography, 8th edition, the focal length of the standard issue lens for the 3x4 RB Ser. B is 6 3/8" (162 mm). This is probably the shortest focal length that can be used at infinity with the camera; a shorter lens will require less extension than a 162 and its rear cell with interfere with the mirror. Longer lenses, up to at least 12" (305 mm) telephotos, can be used on the camera.

I'm sorry, but Graflex reflexes are essentially one lens cameras.

Buy in haste, repent at leisure.

Don_ih · Sep 24, 2025

It's pretty much as long as can fit in one of those, so you won't be getting many close-ups.

It might have a longer bellows than I'd expect - I expect no more than 2.5" of bellows extension.

choiliefan · Sep 24, 2025

The later Graflex 3X4 Super D came standard with a 152mm Ektar.
Kodak Anastigmat #32 (a 4X5 lens) should work as well.

blee1996 · Sep 24, 2025

18cm Xenar will be a good portrait lens on the 3x4 RB.

campy51 · Sep 24, 2025

I do have a Kodak 152mm and a 9 1/2 inch Goerz Dagor, both in shutters, plus a couple of other lenses from my Crown. I just looked at the manual and I am under the impression the lens boards can easily be removed and swapped.

blee1996 · Sep 24, 2025

Yes your 3x4 RB looks very similar to mine, and use a small wooden lens board. So indeed it is very easy to swap in your own lenses. I experimented with several barrel lenses I have: a bright projection lens, 180/4.5 Xenar, and others.

Because of the mirror box, you cannot use any lens shorter than 150mm. The bellows draw are limited, so any lenses longer than 210mm might not work in portrait mode (but infinity should be ok). 180mm is actually pretty sweet on this camera.

Hunter_Compton · Sep 24, 2025

Series D 3x4 uses a Graflex "A" interchangeable lens board 3 1/4" square.

The 180mm Xenar was an original factory option for this camera (7 1/8" f/3.5) and was one of the premium options over the stock 6 3/8" Kodak Anastigmat. So I definitely wouldn't say it's too long for the format. FWIW, it's the approximate equivalent of a 62mm lens on 35mm.

campy51 · Sep 24, 2025

I found someone selling 5 film holders for $40 but not sure if should wait to get them until I get camera to make sure the shutter is not shot.

Hunter_Compton · Sep 24, 2025

Probably a good idea, is it your intention to cut or buy 3 1/4" x 4 1/4" film and develop it, or source a 120 roll film holder and use that?

Also, your camera uses a Graflex back, which is different from a Graphic or Graflok back (don't you love their nomenclature?). The Graflex back two sided film holders have recessed slots in each side of the film holder, which is why these holders are also known as "slotted" holders.

There are also cut film magazines "Bag Mags" which hold 12 or 18 sheets in septums and are much more compact than a number of double sided holders.

Don_ih · Sep 24, 2025

campy51 said:
I found someone selling 5 film holders for $40

Film holders or plate holders? The holders I have, I needed to make film sheaths for.

My 3x4 RBGraflex is a bit different from the one pictured - the front door is bigger. But it too has the graflex back. It's a bit more difficult to find slotted holders - you may want to snatch them up while you can.

Apart from the shutter potentially not working, these cameras can also have crumbling bellows and seized focus racks. The fact there is no photo with the bellows extended might be an alarm bell. Hopefully, it's problem-free.

blee1996 · Sep 24, 2025

campy51 said:
I found someone selling 5 film holders for $40 but not sure if should wait to get them until I get camera to make sure the shutter is not shot.

I will probably wait until the shutter is tested good. Your camera most likely use the slotted Graflex holders.

3x4 fresh film is difficult to get in US. Thus I slice down from 4x5 using Fiskars paper cutter: almost exactly 1" from each side using home-made stopper, easy peasy.

outwest · Sep 24, 2025

I have a 7 inch f/5.6 Wray Lustrar on mine and I've stored it open for so long I can't remember if that was for convenience or if it won't close on it. It is not a large lens so I'm guessing it was just for convenience. I cut down X-ray film easily under a red light for the bag-mag and that works just fine.

campy51 · Saturday at 12:36 PM

My camera will arrive today. Is there anything I should check and in what order? I have a 4x5 speed and when I got it I cleaned and greased the shutter rod ends. Should I do the same?

Hunter_Compton · Saturday at 1:05 PM

campy51 said:
My camera will arrive today. Is there anything I should check and in what order? I have a 4x5 speed and when I got it I cleaned and greased the shutter rod ends. Should I do the same?

Probably a good idea to do the same, check the curtain for tears or holes. Make sure the curtain has enough tension so it closes of its own accord at 1/10th. Check that the mirror and ground glass is clean and the lens is clear.

blee1996 · Saturday at 4:19 PM

Other than what @Hunter_Compton already said, check if the focusing screen and ground glass are in sync. You have a fairly bright lens (f/3.5) and it is important to have critical focus right with the WLF and focus screen.

campy51 · Sunday at 9:03 AM

I received the camera and cosmetically it looks really nice, but I committed the number one sin in repairing and jumped right in instead of doing more searching. I was having a problem of not being able to change the tension knob past 1 so I took the plate off after seeing a video that already had the plate off and got the impression that the 4 screws come out and you lift it off. When I did that I think the gear and shaft on the other end may have pulled out and is not sitting in properly on the other side. I also noticed that on the tip of one of the gear has broken off. Where do I go from here? Do I need a new gear?

Hunter_Compton · Sunday at 1:17 PM

It's a bit difficult to tell from the picture, but if you're referring to the larger gear on the mechanism plate, it's supposed to have two of the gear teeth that are bent together and then crimped or soldered. This is what creates the stop that prevents the gear from turning a full 360 and allowing you to wind past the heaviest (6) tension or unwind the shutter all the way past the lowest (1) tension.

With the plate removed, you do now need to reset the shutter tension though. This isn't too difficult, there's only one adjustment to make, you need to increase the tension on that gear until the shutter just closes on the lowest tension and curtain aperture (from "O" to blank on the upper dial).

Here's a video on it:

campy51 · Sunday at 9:56 PM

I think I may have it working but I still don't know how the half moon tension arm is positioned. I ordered two 3x4 film holders but now I need film. I know about the chinese film and cutting your own film. What's the best way to cut 4x5 if you don't have a darkroom?

Don_ih · Monday at 5:51 AM

campy51 said:
What's the best way to cut 4x5 if you don't have a darkroom?

I'd advise making a room dark for that task - or get a big change bag. Get one of those rotary cutters and mark the necessary dimensions on it with tape so you can feel it in the dark. Make sure your dimensions are correct. Don't cut the notch code off the film. I'd cut all pieces of film to length first then cut them all to width. Cut them one at a time and avoid sliding them over any surface or over each other.

campy51 · Monday at 9:46 AM

It also came with this filter holder and filters. Do these filters have separation and can they be fixed?

Don_ih · Monday at 11:38 AM

Looks like the yellow and maybe the green will work with a small diameter lens. The red looks dead. All of them will be prone to flaring due to the deterioration. In other words, try them but they're probably no good.

Old filters are generally pretty bad.

Donald Qualls · 2025-10-01T08:27:41-0400

For film, Freestyle and B&H at least used to carry one or two emulsions of .EDU Ultra (rebranded Fomapan) in 3x4. AFAIK, that's the only precut 3x4 available in the USA these days -- but I'd start with precut film, because setting up to recut 4x5 is (to my eye) kind of a big deal by comparison to using limited emulsion choices to test a used, antique camera.

Hunter_Compton · 2025-10-01T17:32:27-0400

One of the forum members who does group buys from Astrum, @MCB18 will cut custom sheets:

For Sale - Astrum Winter 2025, faster IR film! lots of formats including ULF!

This is the second Astrum order for 2025, and I am very excited to give you guys the opportunity to get some of this awesome film! Orders are now open until October 18th! Fill out the attached form to let me know what you want, and PM me to let me know you have filled it out. The films on...

www.photrio.com

$30 for 25 sheets

Graflex RB 3x4

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Graflex R.B. Series D Camera w/ Kodak Schneider Xenar f:3.5 F-18cm Lens | eBay

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