Grafmatic film holders and the difference between the Graphic and Graflex versions

Eddie Gunks recently uploaded a video on Grafmatic holders to YouTube. He demonstrate the the differences between the Graphic and Graflex versions and how to tell them apart.

The long version of the video: http://www.youtube.com/user/eddiegunks1?blend=1&ob=video-mustangbase#p/u/19/xIY5X6-l0tw

There is also a short version: http://www.youtube.com/user/eddiegunks1?blend=1&ob=video-mustangbase#p/u/15/0TSATdotG1Q


Steve

thanks steve ( and eddie ! )

i have a grafmatic, and the wheel bothered me enough
that after the 2nd time i used it i took a pair of tin snips
and removed the wheel. still works perfectly fine ( 22 years later )
and i don't have any obstructions in my negatives.

I find the wheel quite useful.
1) It makes it easier to line up the setting notes to a particular negative ==> no guessing.
2) For lens testing the Rodenstock Imagon
I used #1 for the smallest disk H9.9/H11.5 at H11.5
I used #2 for the smallest disk H9.9/H11.5 at H10
I used #3 for the smallest disk H9.9/H11.5 at H9.5
I used #4 for the largest disk H5.8/H7.7 at H7.7
I used #5 for the largest disk H5.8/H7.7 at H7.0
I used #6 for the largest disk H5.8/H7.7 at H5.8
Now I can line up the negatives/prints in order to see the changes in softness due to spherical abberation.
3) I leave a little extra space around the subject or on the wheel side of the subject and then I do not have any problem with the numbers interferring with the subject. I think it is called knowing ones equipment.

Steve

hi steve

not to argue with you, but the wheel is a pain in the neck
i suppose if you can't tell which negative is which from looking at the film, with
notes taken on site, and the subject ( and experience), and need the wheel ... i suppose it is good you have it then ..

i guess you don't use the imagon with anything but the graphmatic ?
that sounds like even more of a pain than the wheel ...

it has nothing to do ( for me at least ) with knowing one's equipment,
i have used the same camera film holders, developing trays, lenses &c
for more than 2 decades, i don't do endless film and equipment tests ...
and found the wheel to be more annoying than anything else ..
even though i have a 4x5 enlarger, i find myself making contacts of print most of my 4x5 views and i do not
have the luxury of removing, cropping, or shooting wide ...
so i can't rely on cropping so the section / part of my negative that contains and number is edited from sight ...

even if i were to use a wheel'd graphmatic for test shots i would find numbers on all my negatives and prints to be an eyesore ...
i enjoy shooting with a bag mag though ... which i think is a superior design altogether no numbers on the film,
numbers on the septums instead ... and at least 12 views a bag ...

have fun with your imagon !
john

jnanian said:

it has nothing to do ( for me at least ) with knowing one's equipment,

Click to expand...

John,

I was just jerkin' your chain. Peace.

Steve

jnanian said:

thanks steve ( and eddie ! )

i have a grafmatic, and the wheel bothered me enough
that after the 2nd time i used it i took a pair of tin snips
and removed the wheel. still works perfectly fine ( 22 years later )
and i don't have any obstructions in my negatives.

Click to expand...

A screw driver and 3 minutes lets you take the wheel out, so you can retain the resale value on the holder.

I keep one with the wheel for film testing. The rest of the wheels are sitting in bags.

L,

Is this a doing a "wheelie"?

I thought your state motto was "Live, Freeze, and Die"

Steve

Sirius Glass said:

L,

Is this a doing a "wheelie"?

I thought your state motto was "Live, Freeze, and Die"

Steve

Click to expand...

Steve,

I guess wheelie is beter than my term for it, which was wheelectomy.

No freezing this year. It's been really warm, with the only snow being on Halloween. But I think the "and Die" part is probably right - no one gets out of life alive.

Larry

Frankly, I like your term, wheelectomy, much better.

I gave mine a non-destructable wheelectomy, it's easy and reversible which is a nice option.