Graflok Back on a Busch Pressman C

Tom, I have a Busch Pressman C original and very nice. It has a spring back and I would like to have a graflok back. I found a spring back, just the back, and I am thinking of how I will rebuild it as a Graflok back. I want to be able to use roll holders and the Graf 23's are really a tight fit. If I am cleaver enough I can use film holders and roll, Graf. Let us know what you come up with. I too think it would be more usable.
Curt

 

I know it's been done. What I don't understand, however, is why. A 125.00 (+/-) back on a 50.00 camera never made sense to me. I have several C models, one with a Suydam held on with scews and washers. Very accurate rangefinder, so no need for the ground glass panel. Takes great photos, too.

 

Tom, I'm sort of with Glenn. I know its been done, don't see why or how.

I see that you have a 2x3 Graflok back in hand, which is a large part of the battle. They're hard to find and expensive.

When I had a 2x3 Pressman I took its back off and tried to fit my 2x3 Pacemaker Speed Graphics' back to the Pressman. Short answer, the two bodies' dimensions differed so a back for back swap wasn't possible. I b'lieve that the 2x3 Busches with Grafloks that I've seen on eBay had the Grafloks attached to a thin panel that attached to the cameras' bodies.

There's no disputing tastes, so I won't advise you to give up on your Busches, get a pair of 2x3 Graphics (one Speed, one Crown or Century), and not look back. But that does seem the easier course. When I had mine, I was greatly frustrated by the difficulty of finding lensboards.

Cheers,

Dan

 

Tom, how did you remove a Century's Graflok? Hacksaw? I've always thought it was integral with the body, as mine seems to be. Did you mean Crown and type Century? Remember, the Century body is molded plastic.

Thanks for describing your Busch. It isn't quite like what I remember mine to be. Mine's back attached to the wooden body with four screws. The plate that held the back of its bellows was set inside the box.

As I said, there's no disputing tastes. One of the reasons I've standardized on Nikons for 35 mm still and on Graphics for 2x3 is that standardization reduces the amount of gear I have to carry to the field. Nikons are ok cameras with an ok range of lenses, but this is true of all of their competitors. Graphics are ok cameras, but so are all of the other 2x3 press cameras. Since Nikon and most of their competitors have a proprietary lens mount, sticking with Nikon (could have been Canon, ... ) saves me from having to carry other brands' bodies to be able to use their lenses. Graphics have their own lens boards, don't match the others. Again, sticking with them saves me from carrying other little wood or metal boxes around ...

By all means do what pleases you and be happy. I'm too lazy, perhaps also weak of back, to follow your example.

Cheers,

Dan