Speed Graphic Questions

[nyoung]

OK,
I finally got the "new" Speed Graphic this weekend, along with some unexpected problems.

The good news is that the focal plane shutter and side mount Kalart Rangefinder appear functional and the bellows is good.

The bad news is that it came minus the lens and lens board. (Bought it based on a photo of it - folded up - protruding from a box of other junk so I have next to nothing in it).

I know I could make a lens board and mount any of my other 4x5 lenses and focus on the ground glass, but I want to find an original lens so I can use the rangefinder and a Grafmatic back.

Is there any way to tell - from serial number or other signs - whether it originally came with the 127mm or 135mm lens?

Also, who's around that would be able to CLA this beast - particularly the FP shutter?

 

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, there is a good website called graflex.org that has a lot of useful info. You can probably lube and adjust the spring tension on the shutter yourself. Take off the back by removing the screws and take a look.

Jon

 

[Ian Grant]

This guy Heavy2Stars sells brand new boards at an excellent price. I assume its a Pacemaker not a pre-Anniversary model, go to Graflex.org for info.

I CLA'd my own pre-Anniversary Speed Graphic shutter, well I actually re-built the whole camera and carefully cleaned the shutter and used a very dilute water soluble black acrylicx solution to recondition the shutter blinds. Everything works perfectly now.

Best way to test the rangefinder and sse what its set for is try it with a lens fitted. The Kalart can be adjusted to the lens, this file will also give you an idea what lens it's set for.

Ian

 

[BrianShaw]

There are repair manuals out in internet-land. Here's one of the better sources: http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/graphicmanuals.html

If you aren't willing/able to tackle the FP shutter yourself, the best bet is probably to contact Fred Lustig. His contact information can be found on the site Jon mentioned in post 3.

To answer your lens question, it would be nice to know what model you have. Even with that information, there may be a range of answers. There was not necessarily one lens, but sometimes different options. It is likely to be in the 127 - 135mm range, though.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Is there any way to tell - from serial number or other signs - whether it originally came with the 127mm or 135mm lens?

Post WWII Pacemakers also came with 152mm Ektars and 150mm(??) Zeiss Tessars.

The Kalart rangefinder can be calibrated for the lens of your choice.

Quick ways to guess at the focal length the RF is set for:

1. Measure from the infinity stops to to the film plane. The distance will be the focal distance less a few mm.
2. Take off the RF cover. The settings have scales next to them and the Kalart instructions available on graflex.org will give you an idea of the lens the RF is set for.

The lens the RF is set for may or may not be the lens that originally came with the camera.

It is the lens that makes the picture with a large format camera. There are superb large format lenses selling for very little money these days. There is no reason to use one of the original lenses these cameras came with - QC at Wollensack seems to have been a very foreign concept when it came to making lenses. To be fair, sometimes they did make a sharp one by mistake. If you are going to get a Raptar anyway then be sure to check for corner sharpness, most all Raptars are OK in the center, but then so are magnifying glasses used as camera lenses.