I'm now an LFer as well.

kb244 · Sep 22, 2006

Picked this guy up at work, my employer made me a good offer. Heres a quick picture of the front and back.

Now I know I can use a polaroid back because it just slides into whatever a standard 4x5 sheet holder will slide into. But I'm curious about the possibility of a roll back ( not that I would ever really need one , except on a 2-1/4 x 3-1/4 graflex), since the back does not seem to be a graf-lok (spelling?) back where the ground glass can come off completely like I've seen on some speed graphics and such.

The camera says its a Crown Graphic (Serial # 955297), has a synchronized rangefinder (I assume it works for all lens if I pull the lens board upto the two notches poped up on the rails), a Graflex Optar f/4.7 135mm lens, with a (X) Synchromatic "Made by Wollensak for Graflex Inc". Shutter ranges from T,B, 1 to 400. Also do they have adapters to go from the two prong to PC-sync style flash sync cable?

But ya, now I shoot almost everything from half frame 35mm, 35mm, 120 (6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9),and now 4x5.

glbeas · Sep 22, 2006

Take a look at the Calumet roll film backs, they slide in just like the Polaroid ones do.

kb244 · Sep 22, 2006

glbeas said:
Take a look at the Calumet roll film backs, they slide in just like the Polaroid ones do.

Hrm not exactly a cheap item from the look of it. But seems to be a Calumet C2, will do 6x7 off the back of most 4x5 even if they do not have a graflok back. Even on Keh.com a bargain grade one is 144$.

JHannon · Sep 23, 2006

Have fun with it Karl, it looks like it's in very good condition. It's a great camera to start and you can also hand hold or use a tripod.

buze · Sep 23, 2006

It doesn't look like a graflock back tho; can the non-graflock be converted anyway ?
I have a Crown Graphic also as my first and only LF shooter, it's terrific fun !

glbeas · Sep 23, 2006

kb244 said:
Hrm not exactly a cheap item from the look of it. But seems to be a Calumet C2, will do 6x7 off the back of most 4x5 even if they do not have a graflok back. Even on Keh.com a bargain grade one is 144$.

You can find them on Ebay quite often cheaper than that, just don't get to pining for a 6x12 back, they are real expensive and IMO not worth the money. Some of them also have had film flatness issues.

Nicole · Sep 23, 2006

Congratulations Karl! Have fun. I hope you'll post some of your results.

buze · Sep 23, 2006

By the way, I've installed my DLS-BEEEEEEP at the back of the crown, to see how the Optar "kit" lens really performed. I was quite surprised to see it's actualy very good, even by "digital" standard. I've seen a lot worse in the 35mm "dedicated" 135mm I tried before.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/buze/242278625/

Jim Chinn · Sep 23, 2006

Great camera and one of the best ways to get started in LF. If you have not found it yet, this site: http://www.graflex.org/ has about everything you will need to know about graflex cameras.

Have fun.

Digidurst · Sep 23, 2006

Oh dang it! I want one of those! I'm green with envy. Have fun with it

pssttt... I have a Horseman LE that I'll (there was a url link here which no longer exists)...

kb244 · Sep 23, 2006

buze said:
It doesn't look like a graflock back tho; can the non-graflock be converted anyway ?
I have a Crown Graphic also as my first and only LF shooter, it's terrific fun !

"converted" ?

not sure what you mean. The polaroid back, and the Calumet Cabo C2 back , both slide into either a spring-loaded or graflock back, since they fit where a 4x5 sheet holder would fit. The standard roll film backs ones typically require a graflok back.

Jim Jones · Sep 23, 2006

The Graflok and spring backs are interchangable. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a junky camera with the Graflok back than to buy just the back alone. Swapping the backs is easy. The rangefinder is set for just one focal length. Instructions for adjusting it for another focal length are on http://www.graflex.org/. There's a wealth of other information on that site. Another valuable source is Graphic Graflex Photography by Willard Morgan and Henry Lester. It is available used on many online booksellers and sometimes on ebay. Get at least the 8th edition to cover your camera.

kb244 · Sep 25, 2006

I've decided to remove the side rangefinder and the top viewfinder, placed all the screws into a little film canister, and removed the cam before removing the rangefinder. now all sides except the handle side is a flat surface, and don't really intend to use the rangefinder since I'd prefer to focus off the ground glass.

Also in searching for a year on the camera, I've narrowed it down to between 1947 and 1949. The Pacemaker Crowngraphic came out in 1949, the side rangefinder was replaced with a top sided rangefinder in 1955. When I further checked graflex.org feature's list, turns out the graflok back was standard around 1949 (first placed on the minature a year earlier), so it puts my particular crown graphic between '47 and '49. Making the camera at least 57 years old. Does'nt surprise me seeing as how some of the screws seemed rusty ( but that could be due to storage condition alone ), but the bellows are nice and tight, got some white calcium-like growth inside though though not all that bad, lens is bout great though.

Oh did learn something new on that graflex.org. Apparently the roll film backs on my Mamiya RB67 will fit on a Graphic 2x3 camera, thought that was rather interesting.

But ya, without the rangefinder, and the viewfinder, it feels just a tad lighter, and cleaner to my taste. I'll probally look into getting a graflok back as someone mentioned, but I probally won't need it. We got a Cut Sheet Pack back for a graphic, that looks nice but would need a graflok back as I can load several sheets at once.

Black Dog · Sep 26, 2006

Welcome to the LF club and may the Force be with you!

joneil · Sep 26, 2006

Black Dog said:
Welcome to the LF club and may the Force be with you!

Nah - you're supposed to say something to the effect:

"Welcome to the dark slide of the Force."

joe
(running & ducking)

kb244 · Sep 26, 2006

joneil said:
Nah - you're supposed to say something to the effect:

"Welcome to the dark slide of the Force."

joe
(running & ducking)

'The dark side. Where our .. um.. cameras are bigger'

buze · Sep 26, 2006

joneil said:
Nah - you're supposed to say something to the effect:

"Welcome to the dark slide of the Force."

joe
(running & ducking)

So can I blame you for the fact one of my 12 first 4x5 Velvia is all black ?

There we go, I'm also a newbie, and I'm delighted to have picked up my first E6 this morning

kb244 · Sep 26, 2006

buze said:
So can I blame you for the fact one of my 12 first 4x5 Velvia is all black ?

There we go, I'm also a newbie, and I'm delighted to have picked up my first E6 this morning

I very much plan to shoot some velvia with the leaves changing soon.

I'm now an LFer as well.

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