Super Speed Graphic Users - HELP!!

[Doc W]

My grandson wants to learn large format and so I hauled out my old Super Speed Graphic. Note that this is not a Speed Graphic but a Super Speed Graphic. Different animal. I have not used it for a decade, at least, and man, I forgot a lot a LOT Being a septuagenarian doesn;'t help.

Is there perhaps a manual floating out there somewhere. Could one of you intrepid Super Graphic users do a zoom session with me? This would be a bugger to describe in only text.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Look here. What I think you want is towards the bottom of the page.

 

[Paul Howell]

Super Speed and Super Graphic instruction manuals

Graflex super speed and super graphic instruction manual

www.butkus.org

 

[Doc W]

Look here. What I think you want is towards the bottom of the page.

Did you send a link? I don't see any.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Did you send a link? I don't see any.

Oh dear. I didn't. Paul Howell nailed it.

 

[Doc W]

Any of you guys have a Super Graphic? The manuals were very helpful but at some point I think I will have to take a look at a Super Graphic to see how various parts fit together.

 

[mshchem]

Biggest issue I see is you need 22.5 V batteries to operate. Not sure where you would find these. I think the Super cameras are stranded without batteries.

 

[BrianShaw]

Biggest issue I see is you need 22.5 V batteries to operate. Not sure where you would find these. I think the Super cameras are stranded without batteries.

Cable release on shutter. Other than that, you are very correct. That electric release was really nice when the batteries were affordable and available.

Another option, which I haven’t done, is to use a regular Graphic board with an external solenoid instead of the SuperGraphic board.

 

[BrianShaw]

Any of you guys have a Super Graphic? The manuals were very helpful but at some point I think I will have to take a look at a Super Graphic to see how various parts fit together.

The manual is quite extensive and complete. What questions do you still have? My SuperGraphic has been in retirement but I still remember how it operates, or I can dig it out to figure out how to explain to you.

 

[mshchem]

Cable release on shutter. Other than that, you are very correct. That electric release was really nice when the batteries were affordable and available.

Another option, which I haven’t done, is to use a regular Graphic board with an external solenoid instead of the SuperGraphic board.

Will a standard board fit? The Super is a great looking camera!

 

[BrianShaw]

Will a standard board fit? The Super is a great looking camera!

Yes. They may rattle a bit unless shimmed because the SuperGraphic locks differently than the Pacemaker. The board I tried was a knock-off so maybe a real Pacemaker board will fit better.

 

[ags2mikon]

The board you will need has 8 raised bosses around the edge. 4 small ones top and bottom and 4 larger ones on the sides of the board.

 

[BrianShaw]

Biggest issue I see is you need 22.5 V batteries to operate. Not sure where you would find these. I think the Super cameras are stranded without batteries.

The other big issue, if it’s indeed a Super Speed with the 1/1000 shutter, could be the shutter itself. They don’t age as well as the Graphex shutters.

 

[gordrob]

There is some additional information for the Super Speed Graphic at this site that may be of help to you.

South Bristol Views Graflex Manuals and more 07/02-08/23

South Bristol Views Manuals for Graflex Graphic cameras and accessoriesr. Super Graphic Cam Designer program, bellows extension calculator, Jiffy Calc

www.southbristolviews.com

 

[Truzi]

You can still find the "correct" batteries. I forget where I got mine, but a search of the web should turn them up. When I got my Super Speed, it had old batteries, and I saved them. I suspect the new batteries are filled with other batteries (possibly button cells, or another off-size that today are basically filled with button cells)... so I will try to make my own at some point.

Oh - don't lose the battery door, they are hard to come by, though are probably easily faked or 3D printed.

 

[ags2mikon]

I bought some of the 22.5 volt batteries for my Super Graphics from e-bay and they would not fit. They were just too thick and would not slide through the opening. They worked just fine in my Simpson meters. If anyone knows where to find the right ones please post them.

 

[Chuck1]

Probably a stupid question but, does a super speed graphic have a focal plane shutter?

 

[BrianShaw]

Probably a stupid question but, does a super speed graphic have a focal plane shutter?

No, neither SuperGraphic or SuperSpeedGraphicvhave a focal plane shutter. Just leaf shutters.

 

[Paul Howell]

The Air Force used Superspeeds, as I recall the focal plane shutter was replaced by a leaf shutter with a top speed of 1/1000 of a second. The Supergraphic may not have had the same shutter with a standard 1/500th of a second as top speed?

 

[BrianShaw]

1/400th… not that it really matters in any functional way.

 

[juan]

I bought some of the 22.5 volt batteries for my Super Graphics from e-bay and they would not fit. They were just too thick and would not slide through the opening. They worked just fine in my Simpson meters. If anyone knows where to find the right ones please post them.

I bought v some green ones from ebay. I had to squeeze them a bit, but the squeezed in.

 

[btaylor]

Yea, you don’t NEED batteries to operate the camera, though I find the electric release pretty cool to use. As mentioned above a cable release does the job too. I like the design very nice to use, great for hand held shooting.

 

[Robert Ley]

The Super Graphic was my first 4x5 field camera and I learned LF movements with this camera. It had full front movements and a decently long bellows. Back movements only had back tilt, no back swing. The only difference between the Super Graphic and the Super Speed Graphic was the Speed had a special lens with a leaf shutter that went up to 1/1000 sec. These lenses had problems and it is rare to find one now that still works.

 

[Doc W]

All of this is very helpful. Thanks a lot.

One remaining question. In my zeal and stupidity, I cranked too hard on the back to open it up so I could insert the the dark slide. There was a loud PUH - TOING sound, and both of the metal "springs" fell out, and the back came apart into two pieces. But nothing is broken as far as I can see. They just popped out. The manual explains (sort of)) how to get it all back together, but after my initial and very stupid move, I am really gun-shy about digging deeper

If any of you think that you can shed some light on this, I would be happy to take pics or do a Zoom session.

 

[BrianShaw]

I have a very distant recollection of doing the same thing. The arms, chrome, flip over to the wrong side of the spring. I suppose you could try to use muscles and force them back but the better idea is to disassemble and reassemble the back. Page 19 of Section 8 in the repair manual is both specific and easy to follow. I remember doing that procedure and it worked.