Graflex XL and lenses

I am responding to a post written by a Dick Cote, who was in Vietnam and did some aerial photography. I emailed him but his email address is no longer. Here is my post:
Saw your blurb about the Graflex XL and your experience in Vietnam. I was there in 1970 and used mainly my Pentax 35 mm as my camera to record my experiences there. Most of the war correspondents that I met used Leica M4's for their cameras. a few used Nikons and a couple even used Bessler Topcon cameras.
My late Father left me a 180 mm Rodenstock Rotelar f/4.5 lens, thinking I might be able to use it. He gave it to me when he was still alive and I was in graduate school at VA Tech. I really didn't know anything about the lens or the camera to which it had been attached. Later on, I found out that the US Air Force used it for some of its work. My Dad worked for RADC/Rome Air Development Center, a part of what was then Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York.
So now, some4o+ years later, I now appreciate the work done by the USAF. My Dad had top security clearance, as he worked on all the U2 spy film when he traveled to Eglin AF base in Florida. He originally trained as a forester when he attended Syracuse School of Forestry and where he got his Masters Degree. He was a photogrammetrist and worked for a man who developed that specialty.
Dad even gave me 3 (Singer brand, since they owned Graflex camera Co.) 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 Graphic Film Pack Adapters. Funny all all of these items 'make sense' now.
best,
Dr. Doug Shearer

The Graflex XL was noted for its top drawer glass and wide range of accessories. The camera itself I found awkward to use. I lusted after it since my teenage years and finally put together a kit with 3 lenses, several backs, etc., found I could not get used to the handling and sold the whole kit. I had heard that it was military issue during the Vietnam War, but did not see a lot of reports that they were a preferred camera by those who used them. I’m sure you father got some great images with his copy.

Many years ago when I was thinking about going up in format from 24x36 I looked into the Graflex XL system. It was used by Army photographers in VN. The consensus view was that the system's lenses were very good but that the focusing mechanism was fragile.

Last year I stumbled into a Graflex XL with a 58mm grandagon and koni omega rangefinder. The camera is majorly robust, except for the achilles' heel as Dan pointed out; the plastic tabs on the focusing ring that engage the lens barrel helicoid are prone to snapping, which iirc was a design feature meant to protect the lens when dropped. SK Grimes fabricates aluminum replacement rings for around $200 last I checked. All in all, I've found it to be a wonderfully unique camera with quirks that work well for my process.

I have an XL that I've been shooting Instax Mini via modified film holders.
So far have 80, 150 and 180 mm lenses with a 100mm 2.8 Planar on the way.
Not especially fond of the side grip but it works,
A pistol grip a'la the Linhof 220 would be worth a try.

eflyons said:

Last year I stumbled into a Graflex XL with a 58mm grandagon and koni omega rangefinder. The camera is majorly robust, except for the achilles' heel as Dan pointed out; the plastic tabs on the focusing ring that engage the lens barrel helicoid are prone to snapping, which iirc was a design feature meant to protect the lens when dropped. SK Grimes fabricates aluminum replacement rings for around $200 last I checked. All in all, I've found it to be a wonderfully unique camera with quirks that work well for my process.

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How's your 58 Grandy? Mine has major separations, still shoots well.

Oh, yeah, I reshuttered mine and use it on a 2x3 Speed Graphic.

Dan Fromm said:

How's your 58 Grandy? Mine has major separations, still shoots well.

Oh, yeah, I reshuttered mine and use it on a 2x3 Speed Graphic.

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Yep, full of schneideritis, but still makes great images.

choiliefan said:

I have an XL that I've been shooting Instax Mini via modified film holders.
So far have 80, 150 and 180 mm lenses with a 100mm 2.8 Planar on the way.
Not especially fond of the side grip but it works,
A pistol grip a'la the Linhof 220 would be worth a try.

Click to expand...

Could you tell us more about your modified film holders?

eflyons said:

Yep, full of schneideritis, but still makes great images.

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Mine has rings of fire in both cells, silver spots in the center of the rear. Still very usable. I have other lenses with schneideritis, agree that it doesn't really matter.

What he said.

Decades ago, I plunged for a full Graflex XL kit with four lenses from 58mm to 270mm. I had focusing issues. I ended up sending to to a "specialist" in Iowa at the recommendation of a dealer in Chicago. In the end, instead of properly fixing the problem (which I suspect he never discovered), he custom re-cut the focus cam, which meant that it worked fine on my 80mm lens, but could never focus any other XL lens. The problem turned out to be that a prior owner had removed the lenses from their mounts to use on another camera, lost the factory installed shims which set the spacing of each lens in its lens barrel, and sold them with no factory spacing for rangefinder alignment. So, I sold the XL accessories at a swap meet and traded the defective body and lens barrels for a like-new late model roll film back. The lenses were remounted for a medium format view camera.