National Graflex Series II

mitica100

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
55
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Format
Multi Format
Anyone knows about this little gem? I just got one through the well known bidding place and it's in nearly mint condition. All I know is that it was made between 1934 and 1941, it's a 120 size camera with mirror (SLR) and folding viewing hood. Any variations to this as in lenses?

 

Dan Fromm

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Messages
6,798
Format
Multi Format
Two lenses for it, 75/3.5 and 140/6.3 tele, both by B&L.
 

Bill Mitchell

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Messages
524
It was a little before my time (believe it or not), and I always wondered what the reason was that it apparently had failed. Guess it must be the horizontal only format? Maybe they should have tried a 6x6 square?
 

cullah

Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Messages
55
Hi,
I have a National Graflex with the 75mm Tessar that came with it. Mine is in need of repair, as the shutter curtin does not close all the way, thus overexposing the edge of the film. The lens impressed me when I saw the first results. It is very sharp and snappy. There is also a 140mm f/6.3 that can be used on the II model, but not on the I model. It is a fun/funky camera to use, when working properly. It is suprisingly light for a 2 1/4 slr.
Best of luck.
Peter
 

elekm

Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2004
Messages
2,055
Location
New Jersey (
Format
35mm RF
That camera you have is really in sweet condition. I have one in a state of mis-/dis-repair that needs new shutter curtains.

It's an unassuming camera when it's closed. It looks more like a tin for sweets than a camera. But once you pop open the hood (well, both hoods) and fold down the lens, it's all business.

It's one of three cameras that I want to get into service this year.
 

Les Newcomer

Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2006
Messages
13
Location
southeast Mi
Format
Large Format
Bill Mitchell said:
It was a little before my time (believe it or not), and I always wondered what the reason was that it apparently had failed. Guess it must be the horizontal only format? Maybe they should have tried a 6x6 square?
Click to expand...

From what I gather, the camera was marketed to women, and as usual anytime men design something to market for women it's a failure (can anybody remember the Dodge LaFemme?)

It was cumbersome to shoot with the knobs in the wrong places and it wasn't very reliable. The story goes that they started marketing the camera's size right after the Engineering Dept said they could make it fly. When they came back to the President saying they really really needed to make ____ a 1/4" longer (wider, deeper) he threw them out and insisted that they make it to the original dimensions.
 
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