Just picked up a Graflex Graphic Veiw

sruddy · Sep 6, 2019

This is my first 4 x 5 camera. It's not necessarily the camera I would have chosen If I could have any 4 x 5 I wanted, but it was free so I plan on using it. I thought the lens maybe crap but found many that think it's has good performance. It's in pretty good condition but the shutter is questionable. Maybe should open it up for a cleaning before my first shoot. I will have repair one of the riser gears ad the front right support is broken.

I was reading someones review of the camera and he said:

" 4x5 was at one time considered medium format. Today it is considered more Large Format. At the time, greater film size equated to greater image quality. This is still true, but film emulsions, to say nothing of digital image sensors. offer much better quality with smaller formats."

This sounds a bit ambivalent.

Anyway here are some photos. Let me know what you think.

BrianShaw · Sep 6, 2019

Very cool; have fun!

bdial · Sep 6, 2019

Congratulations. Graphic Views are great cameras. Very capable technically, and nicely designed visually.

David Lindquist · Sep 6, 2019

And the 8 inch f/7.7 Ektar is a big plus.

David

awty · Sep 6, 2019

Cool, I have a View II, does the job. Worth getting the shutter serviced, its probably gunked up by now.
Get using!

mshchem · Sep 6, 2019

Those are beautiful old American cameras. 1947 lens. Shutter probably slow. especially at slow speeds. If the higher speeds work, go out and shoot. Shutters can be cleaned. I would try it with some cheaper 400 speed film. At 400th f16 on a nice day. The look of those cameras is great.

cdowell · Sep 6, 2019

Hey, you’re living the dream. Congrats. Please post some results when you get them. I’d love to get into larger formats one day.

shutterfinger · Sep 6, 2019

Graphic View II instructions: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GVII-Instruct2.pdf
Graphic View I should be similar.
Graphic View I and II service manual: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GraphicView2Service.pdf
https://graflex.org/articles/graphic-view/
Request a copy of the Flash Supermatic repair manual on this site: https://www.butkus.org/chinon/repair_manuals/kodak_repair_books.htm if you plan to do it yourself.
Enjoy!

Vaughn · Sep 6, 2019

We had one, a Graphic View II, that I checked out to students (usually after the Calumets and field cameras were already taken). But the decades it served as a camera for student use tells of their simplicity, versatility and toughness. And who doesn't love red bellows?!

Quality modern 150mm lenses in shutters can be found inexpensively, as a second lens idea.

Sirius Glass · Sep 7, 2019

You may find www.graflex.org is a useful forum and repository.

sruddy · Sep 11, 2019

shutterfinger said:
Graphic View II instructions: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GVII-Instruct2.pdf
Graphic View I should be similar.
Graphic View I and II service manual: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/GraphicView2Service.pdf
https://graflex.org/articles/graphic-view/
Request a copy of the Flash Supermatic repair manual on this site: https://www.butkus.org/chinon/repair_manuals/kodak_repair_books.htm if you plan to do it yourself.
Enjoy!

Thanks, Michael sent me the shutter service manual.

Vaughn said:
We had one, a Graphic View II, that I checked out to students (usually after the Calumets and field cameras were already taken). But the decades it served as a camera for student use tells of their simplicity, versatility and toughness. And who doesn't love red bellows?!

Quality modern 150mm lenses in shutters can be found inexpensively, as a second lens idea.

Will you give me a few examples? I'm not sure what constitutes modern or inexpensive. I'm also interested in a 300mm lens. I want to try using the camera in my studio for portraits and table top.

Sirius Glass said:
You may find www.graflex.org is a useful forum and repository.

Thank you.

bdial · Sep 11, 2019

A 300 might be a bit long, I’d recommend in the 200mm neighborhood.

shutterfinger · Sep 12, 2019

bdial said:
A 300 might be a bit long, I’d recommend in the 200mm neighborhood

1 inch = 25.4mm; 300/25.4 = 11.8 inches. 12 inches * 25.4mm = 304.8mm.
View I (pictured in this thread) has 12 inches of bellows draw on a 14 inch rail so a 300~305 lens will just focus infinity. You will need extra bellows to focus closer.

juan · Sep 12, 2019

My Graphic View I (which is what yours appears to be) easily handles my 210mm convertible Rodenstock Sironar lens. It will not reach the longer converted focal length of 400mm.
juan

Jerevan · Sep 13, 2019

I would keep it as simple as possible: get a few 4x5 film holders, a box of film, and a large dark towel - and then rip through the box of film. After that, decide if it is worth cleaning it up or if you want to pass the camera along. Don't get into some sort of crazy "buy-this-and-that": you have everything you need to make some nice photographs.

guangong · Sep 13, 2019

Ektar was top of the line Kodak lens. Focal length just right...not too long, night to short. And the price was right! Have fun! Yes, get some holders and film.

sruddy · Sep 13, 2019

juan said:
My Graphic View I (which is what yours appears to be) easily handles my 210mm convertible Rodenstock Sironar lens. It will not reach the longer converted focal length of 400mm.
juan

Thanks for the info.

Jerevan said:
I would keep it as simple as possible: get a few 4x5 film holders, a box of film, and a large dark towel - and then rip through the box of film. After that, decide if it is worth cleaning it up or if you want to pass the camera along. Don't get into some sort of crazy "buy-this-and-that": you have everything you need to make some nice photographs.

Good advice! I just received a box of FP4+, and a dozen film holders were included with the camera and lens. I’m going to test it out this weekend!

guangong said:
Ektar was top of the line Kodak lens. Focal length just right...not too long, night to short. And the price was right! Have fun! Yes, get some holders and film.

Thanks, got them, I’ll post an image as soon as I can.

Vaughn · Sep 16, 2019

sruddy said:
...
Will you give me a few examples? I'm not sure what constitutes modern or inexpensive. I'm also interested in a 300mm lens. I want to try using the camera in my studio for portraits and table top. Thank you.

I have been on the road! A good deal would be a Caltar IIN 150mm/5.6, a rebranded Rodnestock, but just about any 150mm by them, Schneider, Nikon or Fuji will do. Generally it is relatively modern if multi-coated, with some of the older Fuji Ws that are single-coated (inside lettering) being fine, too. Usually f5.6. The Large Format Photography Forum has some good info on LF lenses on their site...check ebay for recent prices just to get an idea.

I'd say $150 to $200 with good glass and a solid Copal 0 shutter.

sruddy · Sep 19, 2019

Vaughn said:
I have been on the road! A good deal would be a Caltar IIN 150mm/5.6, a rebranded Rodnestock, but just about any 150mm by them, Schneider, Nikon or Fuji will do. Generally it is relatively modern if multi-coated, with some of the older Fuji Ws that are single-coated (inside lettering) being fine, too. Usually f5.6. The Large Format Photography Forum has some good info on LF lenses on their site...check ebay for recent prices just to get an idea.

I'd say $150 to $200 with good glass and a solid Copal 0 shutter.

Thanks very much Vaughn. I shot my first image off the back porch the other day. I found out I didn't have one of the sheets loaded properly because returning the dark slide crumpled it! I have practiced in the light and think I maybe able to avoid that in the future. I will join the LFPF!

Vaughn · Sep 19, 2019

If the sheet crumpled, then you missed one of the side rails that the film slips under. Easy enough to do! One can feel the top of those rails after the sheet is loaded to double check one has gotten the film under both rails.

Just picked up a Graflex Graphic Veiw

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