Hi, I would like to share my experience with replacing the focus ring on Graflex XL cameras.
Recently I got a Graflex XL SW with a broken focus ring. It is a common problem for the Graflex XL system: the three plastic tabs on the plastic focus ring are easily broken and render the camera unusable. You can see the photo below. And on my sample, all three tabs were broken.
So I decided to do some research and found there are two replacement options:
So I decided to test it out with the 3D printed version. Since my 3D printer cannot use nylon or carbon fiber material, I used commercial printing service (Xometry) and their Nylon 12 material. It costs about $28 each. Here you can see the old vs the new. The new light grey one on the right has those three small focusing tabs.
Since I have taken the camera apart before, it was fairly easy to remove the old focus ring and install the new one. In addition, I thoroughly cleaned the internal focusing tube and lightly lubed with helicoid grease. The new one is a bit loose fitting, while the old one is snug and very tight. But after some small adjustment, the new one seems to work well in terms of focusing the Super Angulon 47/8 lens. There is a little bit of wobble, so we will see how the photos turn out. But at least the camera is usable now. We will see how long it can last.
Thought it might be of interest to other photrio members who had the same problem with the plastic focus ring and its tabs.
Recently I got a Graflex XL SW with a broken focus ring. It is a common problem for the Graflex XL system: the three plastic tabs on the plastic focus ring are easily broken and render the camera unusable. You can see the photo below. And on my sample, all three tabs were broken.
So I decided to do some research and found there are two replacement options:
- SK Grimes made a CNC machined part a couple of years back, not sure if they still sell it and for how much (used to be $200+)
- There is an open source 3D model with link below
Graflex XL camera focus ring格拉菲XL相机的对焦环 by nullcat
这是为Graflex XL相机设计的对焦环替换件。你可以使用PLA/ABS材料进行打印（基于你的打印机挤出效率以及材料收缩率的不同，你可能需要进行轻微的整体尺寸调整以确保对焦顺畅操作），也可以使用尼龙粉末进行打印。该模型已通过验证，效果非常好。
So I decided to test it out with the 3D printed version. Since my 3D printer cannot use nylon or carbon fiber material, I used commercial printing service (Xometry) and their Nylon 12 material. It costs about $28 each. Here you can see the old vs the new. The new light grey one on the right has those three small focusing tabs.
Since I have taken the camera apart before, it was fairly easy to remove the old focus ring and install the new one. In addition, I thoroughly cleaned the internal focusing tube and lightly lubed with helicoid grease. The new one is a bit loose fitting, while the old one is snug and very tight. But after some small adjustment, the new one seems to work well in terms of focusing the Super Angulon 47/8 lens. There is a little bit of wobble, so we will see how the photos turn out. But at least the camera is usable now. We will see how long it can last.
Thought it might be of interest to other photrio members who had the same problem with the plastic focus ring and its tabs.