Using a Graflite with a modern lens

[chrism]

I recently bought a Super Speed Graphic kit that came with a 3 cell graflite. The camera has a modern 150mm Schneider lens with an "X" PC post. I went out and got a household-> pc plug, loaded up my graflite, fired the shutter, and got nothing. I tried various configurations but couldn't get the flash to fire. What am I doing wrong here? Do I need an old style bi-post shutter? Is there any way to get this combination to work?

 

[Jim Noel]

Bulbs require an "M" sync, not an "X". With an "X" sync the shutter opens and closes befoe the bulb fires.

 

[BrianShaw]

Look into gatting Graflex Y-cord. It connects the flash unit to the three-hole connector on the body. Jim is correct about bulbs and synch type. The only advantage in using the flash handle, given your x-synch only shutter, will be the ability to trip the shutter (if it is on a real SuperGraphic board and the solenoids work and you have the batteries installed in the body) from the flash handle. If you want to shoot with falsh bulbs, look into a 135 Optar with Graflex shutter. That was one of the original lens/shutter combinations for superGraphic and will give you the M-sych needed to use flashbulbs. They can be found rather affordably.

 

[bdial]

It should have fired the bulb, though as Brian, Jim and Chrism say, it wouldn't do you any good unless the shutter has M sync as well.
There are various possibilities; The shutter contacts may not be closing. Did you plug the cord into the "shutter" outlet on the light?
If you stick the end of a paper clip into the PC tip on the cord does the bulb fire? Are the battery contacts clean?

 

[BrianShaw]

It should have fired the bulb...

This is true. Two other things to check: 1. Were good batteries installed; 2. was the flash bulb good (not previously used, etc.); and 3. is the Graflite configured in some odd way that precludes the flash from igniting? I can't remember off the top of my head all of the various options on setting the config switches on the Graflite. They are described in the manual (available in several internet sites). One configuration, I seem to recall, sets up the Graflite as a slave rather than firing the bulb via the red switch.

 

[chrism]

I managed to get the bulb to fire, it must have been a bad bulb. I'll look in to an M sync lens. thanks for the help.