Graphex Shutter (90mm Optar) questions

Just got a 90mm coated Optar for my Busch Pressman. The Graphex shutter has a metal pin with a standard-screw slot sticking out of the back; I assume this is to keep the shutter from spinning when you have it installed on the board?

Can this pin be safely removed, or do I need to drill a hole in the lens board for it?

And... the preview lever that opens the shutter for focusing: it doesn't latch into place and must be held down for focusing (not a biggie, I can use T or B to get around that). Is that normal (never seen that on a shutter) or something requiring a repair? Thanks all.

Yes. the pin fits into a corresponding hole / dimple on the lens board. It not only keeps the shutter from rotating when mounted but also fixes the angular position of the shutter with respect to the camera....This was somewhat important on the Crown/ Speed Graphics as the body mounted shutter release mechanism needs the shutter release lever to be pretty accurately positioned.

Yes, it can be removed without any consequence other than the obvious (see above)

The Rapax / Graphex shutters have to be cocked for the preview lever to work. (EDIT: questioning my self on this...it has apparently been to long since I handled th eold Crown Graphic!)

BradS said:

The Rapax / Graphex shutters have to be cocked for the preview lever to work. (EDIT: questioning my self on this...it has apparently been to long since I handled th eold Crown Graphic!)

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Thanks Brad - the preview lever "works" when the shutter is cocked, it just won't stay put. It pops back out (closing the blades) if you stop pushing it in. Never had an LF shutter behave that way.

M Carter said:

the preview lever "works" when the shutter is cocked, it just won't stay put. It pops back out

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Something's sticky inside and not moving as far as it should.
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GraphexShutterService.pdf

shutterfinger said:

Something's sticky inside and not moving as far as it should.
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GraphexShutterService.pdf

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Thanks Shutterfinger - I think you've sent me that PDF before, as the shutter that came with my Pressman (135 lens) is in pretty bad shape.

I'm afraid I don't have the mental-mechanical-connection thing to suss out a shutter properly though. One day I'll send a few to Flutot's, though I wish there were a quicker (and man, I'd love cheaper!) service, but I understand they do it right.

I have two Graflex shutters that could use servicing, and a Prontor on my Isolette that's slow. One of these days I'll ship 'em out! I did time this new shutter my DIY way (shoot it with a 120fps video camera and count the frames, you can check up to 1/100th or so that way) and it's very accurate at the testable speeds.

M Carter said:

....I'm afraid I don't have the mental-mechanical-connection thing to suss out a shutter properly though. One day I'll send a few to Flutot's, though I wish there were a quicker (and man, I'd love cheaper!) service, but I understand they do it right.

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There used to be and probably still are many places that CLA large format shutters of all kinds. Carol Flutot gets a lot of publicity here and other fora on-line...but, the truth is that any competent repair technician can CLA any of the major brand large format shutters.

PM sent about a CLA. I thought I read in one of these repair questions that Carol at Flutot's was not taking in any shutters for repair due to family member's health. It does not show up in the site search.

M Carter said:

And... the preview lever that opens the shutter for focusing: it doesn't latch into place and must be held down for focusing (not a biggie, I can use T or B to get around that). Is that normal (never seen that on a shutter) or something requiring a repair? Thanks all.

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I have the 90mm in a Graphex shutter. For the press focus function, cock the shutter, press (and hold) the press focus lever, then press the shutter release. The shutter should then stay open after you let go of the press focus lever. To reset, re-cock the shutter.

hsandler said:

For the press focus function, cock the shutter, press (and hold) the press focus lever, then press the shutter release. The shutter should then stay open after you let go of the press focus lever. To reset, re-cock the shutter.

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It isn't working correctly either

hsandler said:

I have the 90mm in a Graphex shutter. For the press focus function, cock the shutter, press (and hold) the press focus lever, then press the shutter release. The shutter should then stay open after you let go of the press focus lever. To reset, re-cock the shutter.

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Tried that on mine and it did work... some part of my brain is going "is this bad for the shutter??" since it's not how the manual says to do it. I can rely on the T setting for now; with my 135mm shutter, the focus preview works fine, but T and B don't fire at all and slow speeds stick for 5-10 minutes. Maybe if I leave them alone, they'll have a healthy baby or something...

M Carter said:

Tried that on mine and it did work... some part of my brain is going "is this bad for the shutter??" since it's not how the manual says to do it. I can rely on the T setting for now; with my 135mm shutter, the focus preview works fine, but T and B don't fire at all and slow speeds stick for 5-10 minutes. Maybe if I leave them alone, they'll have a healthy baby or something...

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Hmm. On mine the action seems quite precise, as if it was intended to work that way, but on the other hand, it's also quite possible that both our shutters have failed the same way, which bits of technology are wont to do. My shutter happens to be the version where the press focus is more of an in-out action than a clockwise-counterclockwise action, and the document linked by shutterfinger describes two versions. Mine is called a Graphex (by Wollensak) Full Synchromatic. The reason that it seems plausible to me that there could be a mis-documented version of the Graphex shutter that was intended to work that way is that there exist other shutters of the era that were designed to work that way. I have a Xenar lens in a Synchro-Compur P shutter. On a Compur-P, you cock the shutter, hold the press focus slide switch until you trip the shutter, and then the shutter stays open until re-cocked. I've also read that the Kodak Supermatic shutter works that way. That's why I never realized my Graphex was not functioning as (apparently) intended. Anyway, regarding the issue of whether it is hurting the shutter, I only have an anecdotal data point. I've been using it this way as long as I've owned it, about 6 months now, fairly light use though, with no issues.

hsandler said:

Hmm. On mine the action seems quite precise, as if it was intended to work that way

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Wollensak introduced the Raptar series lens and Rapax shutter in 1946 or 1947, they rebadged them Optar and Graphex for Graflex Gorp.
Kodak made the Supermatic shutter and it was called Graphic Supermatic for Graflex Corp.
Both these makes came with No flash sync, flash bulb and electronic sync, and electronic flash sync only.
On Supermatic and Compur shutters the "Press to Focus" is a flat pin that is introduced into the cocking ring path and held in place by tension from the cocking spring trying to pull the cocking ring to the closed position.
On Rapax/Graphex shutters the "Press to Focus" lever operates independently of the trip mechanism. The shutter has to be cocked as the shutter blades are locked in the closed position when the shutter is in the released state.
Once cocked the blade controller is freed and can be moved by mechanical action.

pressing the lever the notch engages the blade controller lug at B as the lever is guided by post A and should rest in the notch until the lever is pulled out. Both the in-out and the down- up versions operate the same.

Due to its positioning in the shutter the main cocking lever will hold the press to focus lever in if in the focus position.
If all other features of the shutter operate correctly and the speeds are in tolerance I would not tear down the shutter for the Press to Focus failure.

shutterfinger said:

If all other features of the shutter operate correctly and the speeds are in tolerance I would not tear down the shutter for the Press to Focus failure.

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I'm with you on that; if I were using it in the studio to shoot products I might miss it - but then I doubt I'd be using a Graphex shutter in that scenario.

Out shooting buildings or landscapes or what have you, I generally spend the most time focusing and composing and getting a baseline meter reading. Then the filters go on and off and the bracketing and note-taking begins, so (at least in my workflow), "T" vs. preview is a bit moot. You have to look at the shutter and stop down to your exposure anyway, setting the shutter speed at that time isn't something that would make me say "I need this damn thing fixed!!!"

Now, my 135 lens with dead "T" and "B", and minutes-long slow speeds - but a working preview - that will go in for repair if I find I use that lens much.