Speed Graphic 4x5

Theo Sulphate · Nov 5, 2015

Now that the slant in the wheels has been explained... Dare I even mention that there isn't a single slit in the Speed Graphic's focal plane shutter, but several?

(NOTE: these comments have nothing to do with the slant.)

Right. This is the fun part of that camera's shutter. So, the focal plane shutter consists of a single curtain with several slits. As you wind the key on the side of the camera, the shutter curtain is wound upwards and increasingly smaller slits will pass by as you look through the camera with the back removed. When a certain speed is shown in the window, then when you trip the shutter the slit for that speed is what will be pulled down for the exposure. Now, you can actually trip the shutter again and you'll get a slower speed, since the next larger slit is what's ready to be pulled down next. There's also a high tension / low tension lever which is needed to provide all the speeds.

There's also an "O" (open) speed setting for when you're using the lens shutter. There's a switch which selects which shutter you're using. All this should be on the Graflex web site.

How many ways can you compose? Four: viewfinder, rangefinder, groundglass, wire frame.

How many ways to focus? Four: rangefinder, rail scale, groundglass, beam focus.

I find it's rather limited movements useful.

Quite a camera!

shutterfinger · Nov 5, 2015

The Crown Graphic you linked to looks complete. It was made in 1951.

The lean effect is due to the aperture of the focal plane shutter taking 35 milliseconds to 45 milliseconds to travel the film plane depend on the aperture selected.
The focal plane shutter rarely runs the marked speed due to wear on the curtain roller shafts and their bushings and the tensioning spring weakening. Common fastest speed is 250 to 500 depending on the wear on the camera. An occasional low wear camera will reach 750 and I have encountered 1 that actually tested 1000 at the 1000 setting, it was from 1949 and had very little use.
The other advantage of a Focal Plane Shutter is that you can use barrel lens. A barrel lens is a lens with an aperture only mounted in a round brass or aluminum cylinder.

RobC · Nov 5, 2015

winterclock said:
It only distorts when you photograph something moving. In the sample image the photographer panned the camera to follow the car, the wheels and people are leaning because the moving slit in the shutter captures the bottom of the photograph before the top. This type of photograph lead to the now iconic depiction of speed in illustrations by using similar distortion. If you are using a tripod to film still subjects you will never see this effect. The Crown does not have the focal plane shutter so cannot do this, the speed can do this but doesn't have to. The speed gives you the option of using this effect to imply motion in a way that a leaf shutter cannot.

Not correct in this case. Explain to yourself why the people are leaning to the left and the car wheel is leaning to the right. The full explanation is more complex.

Sirius Glass · Nov 6, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
Now that the slant in the wheels has been explained... Dare I even mention that there isn't a single slit in the Speed Graphic's focal plane shutter, but several?

(NOTE: these comments have nothing to do with the slant.)

Right. This is the fun part of that camera's shutter. So, the focal plane shutter consists of a single curtain with several slits. As you wind the key on the side of the camera, the shutter curtain is wound upwards and increasingly smaller slits will pass by as you look through the camera with the back removed. When a certain speed is shown in the window, then when you trip the shutter the slit for that speed is what will be pulled down for the exposure. Now, you can actually trip the shutter again and you'll get a slower speed, since the next larger slit is what's ready to be pulled down next. There's also a high tension / low tension lever which is needed to provide all the speeds.

There's also an "O" (open) speed setting for when you're using the lens shutter. There's a switch which selects which shutter you're using. All this should be on the Graflex web site.

How many ways can you compose? Four: viewfinder, rangefinder, groundglass, wire frame.

How many ways to focus? Four: rangefinder, rail scale, groundglass, beam focus.

I find it's rather limited movements useful.

Quite a camera!

While the movements are limited, I have found them the be useful enough for correcting the upward tilt with the wide angle lenses that I have. The big point for the Speed Graphic and the Crown Graphic is that they can be used as view cameras and handheld.

Theo Sulphate · Nov 6, 2015

RobC said:
Not correct in this case. Explain to yourself why the people are leaning to the left and the car wheel is leaning to the right. The full explanation is more complex.

Thinking while typing... the formed image is upside-down and reversed, so the lower part of the wheels are at the top of the frame and are exposed first by the downward movement of the slit. Slightly later, the upper part of the wheels are exposed. Although the camera is panning with the car, the top and bottom parts of the wheel are exposed at different times while the image moves slightly across the film, thus causing the slant.

As for the reversed slant of the figure, again, the bottom of the figure is exposed before the top part; the figure is slanted the other way because it is stationary while the camera is moving and so the image again moves slightly across the film in the opposite direction.

RobC · Nov 6, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
Thinking while typing... the formed image is upside-down and reversed, so the lower part of the wheels are at the top of the frame and are exposed first by the downward movement of the slit. Slightly later, the upper part of the wheels are exposed. Although the camera is panning with the car, the top and bottom parts of the wheel are exposed at different times while the image moves slightly across the film, thus causing the slant.

As for the reversed slant of the figure, again, the bottom of the figure is exposed before the top part; the figure is slanted the other way because it is stationary while the camera is moving and so the image again moves slightly across the film in the opposite direction.

Sounds about right but also the shutter blade speed combined with car speed and the panning speed all need to be just right to get this particular effect. A rare thing to happen which I guess is why this Lartigue image is so famous.
Whether it was done in the knowledge that it could happen or was pure chance I have no idea but looking at his body of work I suspect the effect was at least partially deliberate.

Jim Jones · Nov 6, 2015

ColColt said:
This was another I was looking at. does it all look intact and a decent price?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381449633501?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I agree with Sirius about price and condition. For a Graphic that one will use, such clean condition is a bit inhibiting. One that is beat up may perform as well, and can be abused in the quest of the photos it can produce. To learn about the Graphic line of cameras, buy Graphic Graflex Photography by Morgan & Morgan (or Morgan & Lester in earlier editions). You'll need at least the 8th edition to cover the side rangefinder Crown in the cited ad. The 11th edition includes the top rangefinder models. Editions before the 8th include only the Anniversary models, but have articles by Ansel Adams, Rudolf Kingslake, Bernice Abbott, Barbara Morgan, and other prominent photographers of their time.

Ko.Fe. · Nov 6, 2015

ColColt said:
Anyone ever had an urge to play around with a Crown/Speed Graphic? I ran across a super nice Speed Graphic 4x5 with 135 Graflex Optar 4.7 lens and all the goodies including flash gun, bulbs, case, etc but no film holders. Are those still obtainable in decent shape?

Those are great for G.A.S. Build well. Easy serviceable due to their size. Holders are available.
Lazy people scan and print, less lazy contact print, guys like me are using 4x5 enlargers, which are also not so difficult to find.

ColColt · Nov 6, 2015

I've looked at quite a few pictures of these cameras trying to figure out where the shutter button was...still looking. As for an enlarger, I'll bet a Besler would be mega bucks. I have the 23CII but of course, it's only good up to medium format.

MattKing · Nov 6, 2015

ColColt said:
I've looked at quite a few pictures of these cameras trying to figure out where the shutter button was...still looking. As for an enlarger, I'll bet a Besler would be mega bucks. I have the 23CII but of course, it's only good up to medium format.

If you were local, I could get you several 4x5 enlargers (Beseler, Omega, Durst) for almost nothing.

So don't hesitate to look for one.

ColColt · Nov 6, 2015

Why, I'm just around the corner I'll look around and see what's available. I remember the Besler 45MX(or something like that) was mega bucks back in the 80's.

If I had one of the Graflex's I'd have to scan the negative on the V600 flatbed.

rjbuzzclick · Nov 6, 2015

The first post on this LFPF page has a great animation that helps to illustrate the distortions in the Lartigue photo:

http://www.largeformatphotography.i...p?31903-Jacques-Henri-Lartigue-and-his-camera

A fully working Speed Graphic is a very adaptable camera. You can mount anything as a lens (including pinholes and magnifying glasses) as long as there's enough bellows draw, there is adequate movements for most needs, and you'll be able to load it with many different formats (sheet film, roll film, paper negatives, instant film). Having the option of using it handheld is nice too. You can even get a Graflarger back and use it as an enlarger.

shutterfinger · Nov 6, 2015

Go to http://www.cameraeccentric.com/info.html and scroll down the page to the Graflex catalogs and instruction manuals then have a look at Pacemaker Graphics Instruction/Reference Manual which covers the Side Rangefinder/ no rangefinder version with a Graphic (spring) Back then have a look at the Pacemaker Crown and Speed Graphics Guidebook next to it which covers the Top (Graphic) rangefinder with the Graflok back. The Pacemaker series was introduced in 1947, the Graflok back in 1949, and the Top Rangefinder in 1955 so there will be cameras with combinations of these features that are covered by both the manual and guidebook. Next have a look at the Shutter Guidebooks for instructions on how to operate the various leaf shutters used on these cameras.

Sirius Glass · Nov 6, 2015

Jim Jones said:
I agree with Sirius about price and condition. For a Graphic that one will use, such clean condition is a bit inhibiting. One that is beat up may perform as well, and can be abused in the quest of the photos it can produce. To learn about the Graphic line of cameras, buy Graphic Graflex Photography by Morgan & Morgan (or Morgan & Lester in earlier editions). You'll need at least the 8th edition to cover the side rangefinder Crown in the cited ad. The 11th edition includes the top rangefinder models. Editions before the 8th include only the Anniversary models, but have articles by Ansel Adams, Rudolf Kingslake, Bernice Abbott, Barbara Morgan, and other prominent photographers of their time.

Good point on Graphic Graflex Photography by Morgan & Morgan I have the ninth addition which is a photographic facsimile.

Theo Sulphate · Nov 6, 2015

ColColt said:
I've looked at quite a few pictures of these cameras trying to figure out where the shutter button was...still looking.

There are at least two ways to trip the shutters.

Holding the camera in hand, lens forward as if to make a photo, the release is at the lower right - a metal tab inside the shiny metal square housing. Just pull it back to release. There's a cable release there as well.

Also on the right side is a lever indicating FRONT, BACK, and TRIP. FRONT and BACK select which shutter trips (lens or focal plane). Moving the lever up to TRIP will also release the focal plane shutter, but I prefer to use the lower front release for both shutters.

For a good bit of fun, close the camera up so that it's just a big black box then ask someone to open it...

John Koehrer · Nov 6, 2015

FWIW the pic by Lartigue was taken in 1912 and was taken with an ICA camera and glass plate.

Beyond that, the leaning stuff is all the same.

winger · Nov 6, 2015

ColColt said:
Why, I'm just around the corner I'll look around and see what's available. I remember the Besler 45MX(or something like that) was mega bucks back in the 80's.

If I had one of the Graflex's I'd have to scan the negative on the V600 flatbed.

Keep your eyes open and see if there are any photo clubs in the area. I got my 45MX for free from someone in the club I was in. He only shot slides and didn't need the enlarger that had been his dad's. He and his brother gave it to me. I've seen them on craigslist for not much money and with other stuff.

ColColt · Nov 7, 2015

A free 45MX-what more could one wish for? That's like finding a Rolex. I'm not a great fan of Craigslist, however.

ColColt · Nov 7, 2015

What about using modern lens with these cameras...like Schneider or Rodenstock, Nikon, etc. Would they require a special lens board?

shutterfinger · Nov 8, 2015

Shutters are numbered 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Shutter sizes were not standardized until the mid 1950's to 1960's, I'm not sure of the exact time frame.
A #1 Wollensak shutter was a different diameter than an #1 Ilex which was different from #1 Compur/Prontor (both Zeiss brands) shutters which later versions of are the same as Copal shutters which are the modern standard sizes.
The lens board has to be drilled for the mount diameter of the shutter in use. Lens boards are not hard to come by for most cameras. I usually make my own from acrylic or plywood depending on the camera.
Wollensak made lens and shutters for Pacemaker Graphics.

It is easiest to have each lens you use on large format cameras mounted on its own lens board as swapping lens is not practical.
Shutters are attached to the lens board by putting the shutter mount threads through the lens board and securing it with a retainer ring that threads onto the shutter or the shutter is screwed into a mount flange that is attached to the lens board with screws. Lens cells screw into the front and rear of the shutter.

Fixcinater · Nov 8, 2015

I have a beat up war time Anniversary, it's been serviced so shutter speeds are accurate enough and it's beat up so I don't worry too much about taking it out and actually using it. I like having the body shutter, I tend to use that more than the lens shutter unless it's something I need less vibration on. I haven't used flash with it so the leaf shutter could come in handy there too.

I adapted a later chrome Crown front standard onto the focusing bed, so I could get front tilt. Don't use it all that often but it does come in handy.

Generally use the RF and top viewfinder and just mentally crop whether I am using full 4x5 or Fuji peel-apart film which is roughly 6x9.

Try to find one with a Graflok back, the spring backs are slower in use and clumsier. Mine has the RB style slotted film holder back which is uncommon compared to either the spring or Graflok style, so film holders are harder to find and more expensive.

Lastly, +1 to the use of barrel lenses. Mine came with a B&L Tessar 210/4.5, great glass.

Speed Graphic 4x5

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