Modifying a Crown Graphic Camera

Robert Brummitt · Nov 20, 2008

Hey there.
I was told and read somewhere that you can reverse the tilt of the front standard of a crown graphic. The standard tilts backwards I just want it to go forward.
Any help or directions would be greatly appreciated.

bdial · Nov 20, 2008

I remember there was an article about a similar mod in View Camera magazine quite a while back, maybe 2 years or so.
I'm not sure about reversing the standard, but I'm pretty sure it involved extending the curved slot that limits the movement.
I'll try and find the issue.

Fotoguy20d · Nov 20, 2008

One option - drop the bed and use rise on the front standard to compensate for the height - now you can use the rear tilt to make the front tilt less than its maximum which is limited by the drop of the bed.

I don't think you can extend the slots to allow for forward tilt - at vertical the screws are already at the front - any more and the slots will break through. Looking at it, you need to reverse the outermost/lowest portion of the frame of the front standard - spin it around and then remount the part of the standard that holds the lensboard. Looks like you would also need to reverse the thumb lever that locks the front standard in place on the rails. You could also maybe just remove the tilt lock screws (and the two screws just above them which seem to act as stops for forward tilt). But, then you'll have no way to hold the front standard where you want it. Maybe someone has some more detailed instructions. If you're interested, I may have a Pacemaker Speed I'm breaking up for parts (still thinking about whether to try fixing it) - front standard is missing one of the tilt lock screws but is otherwise in nice shape.

phfitz · Nov 20, 2008

Robert,

you can use the tilt bed function and rear tilt for the same effect. To do what you asked:

open camera and remove the lens.
remove the rise-fall thumb nuts, they were peened slightly
spread the front standard and remove the front lens board panel
remove the front standard and reverse than replace on the tracks
reinstall the front panel and set screws

the camera may not close in this setting and the zero point is now hit or miss, this bypasses the set screw.

Good luck with it.

ricksplace · Nov 21, 2008

Turn the camera upside down.

Ian Grant · Nov 21, 2008

phfitz has it right, reverse the front standard, it won't close now because there is a L-shaped piece for the range-finder cam which is screwed to the rear of the inner-focus rail, this fouls the tilt lock thumbnail. If you aren't using the rangefinder this piece can easily be roved it's held in place by 2 small screws.

Ian

Ulrich Drolshagen · Nov 21, 2008

There is another solution I thought about doing myself. You can widen the hole in the u-shaped iron sheet which holds the standard where the locking screw runs through to a corresponding long hole to the one which is on the inner turning part of the standard. Caveat is:
1. it is difficult to lock it in straight position as you will have to remove the adjusting screw.
2. It weakens the u-shaped iron sheet which holds the standard

I hope you can understand my explanation my English comes to its limits here

cheers Ulrich

BradS · Nov 21, 2008

the hair on the back of my neck is standing straight up...talk of hacking up crown graphics creeps me out. Sorry...

outwest · Nov 21, 2008

I made the modification to my Speed Graphic that bdial mentioned from View Camera magazine. It was a snap using a Dremel and a cut off wheel and a little finish filing and works great. And, Fotoguy, it is the outside frame that gets slotted so that the screw itself is free to move back. There is no problem returning to zero.

Ian Grant · Nov 21, 2008

There is a post or page out there on the internet where someone took a Dremel (some kind of small power tool) to a front standard and gave his Graphic front swing. (It's saved somewhere on my Laptop).

It would also be possible to remove parts of the U-shaped guides to allow substantial font tilt and still retain sufficient strength, I'd want a spare scrap front standard before I'd try this though.

Ian

pgomena · Nov 21, 2008

Two articles on modifying Crowns were published in View Camera. The one mentioned above regarding extending the arced slot with a Dremel tool, and a second regarding filing the corners on a couple of stops located below the front extension to allow front swings. Both seemed fairly easy to do. The articles were published within the past two years.

Peter Gomena

Fotoguy20d · Nov 21, 2008

Ian,

I think I see what you mean (see attached photo). That should work and I suppose having the screw at the front end of each slot will get back to vertical. I'd hate to hack up a nice Graphic though.

Dan

darinwc · Nov 21, 2008

Hmm I modified a graphic once, I even took pics all the way through and had the instuctions on my website.

The fist part of the instructions were about dissasembling the front standard, which could optionally be reversed and reassembled at that point, allowing for front forward-tilt but then you couldnt use the drop-bed with a lens on the outer rail.

I dont remember anything that would have inhibited the closing of the camera or the function of the rangefinder. I will check when I get home.

Robert Brummitt · Nov 22, 2008

OK, I tried the drop down bed and regretted it. The rear track came loose, wouldn't roll back and the lens couldn't retract inside the box. After some time I was able to refit the track and all's well again. So now I will have to rethink my next move. The drop down is out of the question. I'll look into expanding the tilt and remove those two nuts on the standard.

Ian Grant · Nov 22, 2008

Robert, changing the standard around shouldn't have any effect on the rear track bed, you don't need to move it at all. However the rear track guides are often damage by bad usage, previous owners forcing the camera to close without the tracking fully retracted back into the body.

So far I haven't modified my front standard, I don't think the gains from filing out the tilt guides & removing the stops are sufficient to warrant it. If I nneded that extra front tilt desperately I would switch the standard in the field as it is simple & quick. Howver I use the Crown Graphic hand-held, preferring my Wista for tripod use. The major problem with Graphics is the total lack of tilt in portrait mode.

Ian

Fotoguy20d · Nov 22, 2008

For anyone who's interested in hacking up their speed (or just trying to fix one), I'm about to dismantle a late model (Top RF) Speed - it's got too many things missing to make it worth trying to fix. So, before it ends up on the bay one bit at a time, if there's anything you're looking for, send me a PM and an offer (as long as at the end of the day (not the literal day) I've covered my cost of this thing I'll be happy). Here's what it doesn't have:

RF linkage down to the bed is missing
Piece of trim upper right (when facing the camera) is missing
No infinity stops
Front standard is missing one of the thumbscrews for tilt - seems to hold okay with one
Graflok back not available (yet) due to damage - one corner of the focus panel was cracked completely off - of course, it's the corner with the spring

I'll probably put photos up in a classified here later today.

Dan

removed account4 · Nov 22, 2008

robert.
if the rear bed is not right,
remove the rear bed rails and reverse them.
the little box rails are not easy to find.

BradS said:
the hair on the back of my neck is standing straight up...talk of hacking up crown graphics creeps me out. Sorry...

me too ..

Ian Grant · Nov 22, 2008

There's an ebay seller who regularly has rear track guides, in paired sets with all the screws & shims.

Ian

darinwc · Nov 22, 2008

OK I checked on my 4x5 crown graphic with the TOP mounted rangefinder and reversing the front standard should not affect any other operation.
However on my 2x3 century graphic, reversing the front standard is not possible unless I completely remove one of the tilt-lock nuts, because it would not allow the standard to slide all the way back into the camera.

So I am not sure if you can reverse the front standard on a side-mounted crown/speed graphic. I used to have one that I hacked to get front and back tilt. Heres how I did it: (photos attached)
Cuting a curved slot in the standard will also work, but my skills at cutting a nice arc like that are not so good, so I drilled a new hole for one lock nut and you can see the rest.

Ian Grant · Nov 22, 2008

I have 3 5x4 Graphics with side mounted Range-finders, one Pacemaker has the range-finder removed at the moment and also the L shape bit the cam uses on the rear of the focus track, it now closes perfectly with the standard reversed but as soon as I replace the part it won't.

Ian

darinwc · Nov 22, 2008

OK, so if you reverse the front standard you could just leave off one lock nut.

Polybun · Nov 22, 2008

BradS said:
the hair on the back of my neck is standing straight up...talk of hacking up crown graphics creeps me out. Sorry...

well you see, some people actually use their cameras rather than just stare at them on a shelf. For those people, collector value means nothing, its all about making it work for them. I mean really, what else are you going to get? Nothing is made today that will do the job. Not that folds up and will fit onto a bicycle atleast.

Ian Grant · Nov 22, 2008

Polybun said:
well you see, some people actually use their cameras rather than just stare at them on a shelf. For those people, collector value means nothing, its all about making it work for them. I mean really, what else are you going to get? Nothing is made today that will do the job. Not that folds up and will fit onto a bicycle atleast.

True I fall into that category, my cameras get hammered, but I'd like to be able to pre-modification if it's experimental

darinwc said:
OK, so if you reverse the front standard you could just leave off one lock nut.

Yes, but when you need that amount of moveent the rangefinder is totally irrelevant so why not remove the L shape guide instead

In practice once the movements are increased hand-held use also become infeasible too.

Ian

Robert Brummitt · Nov 22, 2008

darinwc said:
OK I checked on my 4x5 crown graphic with the TOP mounted rangefinder and reversing the front standard should not affect any other operation.
However on my 2x3 century graphic, reversing the front standard is not possible unless I completely remove one of the tilt-lock nuts, because it would not allow the standard to slide all the way back into the camera.

So I am not sure if you can reverse the front standard on a side-mounted crown/speed graphic. I used to have one that I hacked to get front and back tilt. Heres how I did it: (photos attached)
Cuting a curved slot in the standard will also work, but my skills at cutting a nice arc like that are not so good, so I drilled a new hole for one lock nut and you can see the rest.

How did you get the release lever to point forward? Did you remove it then reassemble it to face forward? This looks like the way to go.

Fotoguy20d · Nov 22, 2008

Robert,

If you're referring to the lever that locks the standard to the rails, I found this morning that once the standard is off the rails it will rotate around 180 degrees. Whether it works properly at that point I didn't try.

Dan

Modifying a Crown Graphic Camera

Robert Brummitt

bdial

Fotoguy20d

phfitz

ricksplace

Ian Grant

Ulrich Drolshagen

BradS

outwest

Ian Grant

pgomena

Fotoguy20d

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darinwc

Robert Brummitt

Ian Grant

Fotoguy20d

removed account4

Ian Grant

darinwc

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Polybun

Ian Grant

Robert Brummitt

Fotoguy20d

Modifying a Crown Graphic Camera

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