Hunting a Speed Graphic.

jhotopf said:
Ok looks similar to mine so my guess would be early 50s. The earlier ones had a table for the various tension/slit settings.
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All Pacemaker Speed Graphics have this shutter, as well as the MPP MidroPress.

Marley's Ghost said:
Yep ... that was on the radar: it has a fresnel on the film plane side of the GG so I will be checking that
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Pacemaker Crown & Speed Graphics were sold with and without a Fresnel. The focus screen frames differ, to allow for the Fresnel under the Ground glass the T distance is 3.6mm. It doesn't help that the casting numbers are the same, the frame for no Fresnel has a T distance of 5.00mm The ISO standard is 5.00mm +/_0.178mm

Very early MPP film holders, and older wooden 4x5 film are 0.2 inch register, however as that is 5.08mm they are actually within tolerance.

If the Graflex focus frame is 5mm then you need to add the Fresnel on top of the glass screen, and shim the clips that hold the ficus hood.

Ian
 
Ian Grant said:
All Pacemaker Speed Graphics have this shutter, as well as the MPP MidroPress.



Pacemaker Crown & Speed Graphics were sold with and without a Fresnel. The focus screen frames differ, to allow for the Fresnel under the Ground glass the T distance is 3.6mm. It doesn't help that the casting numbers are the same, the frame for no Fresnel has a T distance of 5.00mm The ISO standard is 5.00mm +/_0.178mm

Very early MPP film holders, and older wooden 4x5 film are 0.2 inch register, however as that is 5.08mm they are actually within tolerance.

If the Graflex focus frame is 5mm then you need to add the Fresnel on top of the glass screen, and shim the clips that hold the ficus hood.

Ian
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Thanks for this.

Just confirmed these measurements on my several 4x5 cameras with no Fresnel and on my 2x3 Speed, one GG back with no Fresnel and one with Fresnel on the lens side.

Do you have a primary source for these specifications, by any chance?
 
Well there's a day I won't get back ... after checking the Fresnel/film plane distance with a plug gauge micrometer and finding all appeared well, I set about rangefinder calibration.

All I can say is that is an occupation mildly less painful and vexatious than being hit repeatedly in the junk with a baseball bat.

I discovered that the infinity setting was too far out of whack to be brought in with the slot head adjuster on the baseboard rail. So I centred that and after setting the 15ft adjustment and close range adjustment to factory recommended figures for a 135mm lens - I then adjusted the lower prism angle screw to bring infinity 'in' - adjusted the lateral image screw so everything overlayed and set the 15ft ... and then infinity again ... and then 15ft again ... and so on - and so on - each time getting a little closer to perfection. Each time checking GG against rangefinder ...
Finally with everything 'in' I adjusted the close focus setting ... perfect... after in excess of four hours!!!
The only odd thing here is the closest my rangefinder goes is 6ft ... not the 4ft it says in the manual. But frankly, if I'm getting that close I'll use the GG, perhaps it's because the camera doesn't have the rangefinder it left the factory with.

So onwards and upwards, another big camera to take for a walk :)
 
And if I understand correctly, the calibration or recalibration process needs to be done everytime lenses are swapped out?
 
MartyNL said:
And if I understand correctly, the calibration or recalibration process needs to be done everytime lenses are swapped out?
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Yep ... with the top mounted rangefinders I believe a cam swap to one matched to your lens will do the trick, but with the side mounted Kalart ones I think you have to do the dirty deed every time. That's fine for me mind - any other lenses apart from my standard Optar will be used with the GG. My aim is street portraits, and the 135mm lens should do that pretty well ... admittedly not a tight headshot - but semi-environmental ... with cropping room.
 
MartyNL said:
I thought you were looking for something like this, Pentac?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/127700639187?_skw=pentac&itmmeta=01KJ5C3ZRKZJB2TST30WKGDDNS&hash=item1dbb8d1dd3:g:8ekAAeSwN2tpnFE3&itmprp=enc:AQALAAAA4GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xCD92ieHHbJCC0QxXlk52FWee1hJNxAXwBFqfhk8g4Pb48fpfRJIhy6Vh6NyiC1ClKdY2vke7+W11MnUAuMdk3SzTSQ8AlGkgHuU+gnYEGYl/MI5LKaBJ1hcoXqoVg2cBfRzXjoq71NSRpgmaOei1Yds6hY2D9teaV6/836i12b+Xv8GR/C5tc6X9djj5HwxMB/LiAdap2QDRiLTVB59/btZxlu1CWvhwH9vfyrTtdnsCXGJGJPl93y+rL5hf7Iwb37p9GXJpgKZbBub5CERvFq|tkp:Bk9SR6b9j6yRZw&keyword=pentac&sacat=0&relatedSearch=true
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Yep ... but I think I'm going to have to use one of those with the GG ... at 8 inches or 203mm or thereabouts it's a bit too long for the rangefinder to cope with I think ... it will require some playing about. This is all 'suck it and see' stuff :)
 
It may be possible to calibrate a bed scale for other lenses to be nearly as precise as the rangefinder when used with a laser distance finder that will easily mount on the camera, quick to use and you get to work with a dds loaded and ready , imagine you can set the distance whilst fiddling with the camera and then raise it and shoot rather than seesaw and shoot with the subject wondering if they are in a time warp
 
I think I've worked out why I can't focus down to 4ft with the rangefinder
IMG_793551427.jpg
The rangefinder actuating lever '1' isn't running out of travel, it's butting up against the back of the baseboard support strut '2'
I don't think the lever is attached far enough along the rangefinder shaft as it should be far enough inboard to miss the support strut.
The nut '3' locks the lever onto the shaft ... so I would have to somehow lock that shaft and slacken the nut ... moving the whole arm a couple of mm inboard ... then if necessary slightly alter the lower bend so the arm still meets the adjuster wheel.

Anybody got a pic of how a side mounted Kalart range finder lever should look when fully forward on close focus?
 
I may be able to show pacemaker with kalart later pacemakers have top mounted that use a not so nice cable/plunger thing
 
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HowLarge said:
I may be able to show an anniversary with kalart but my pacemakers have top mounted that use a not so nice cable/plunger thing
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I think an Anniversary should give me a good idea! It's really if the arm misses the bed support and by how much ...
 
These Rangefinders are not designed for close focus, also the shape of the arm differs for different FL lenses with the side mounted Kalart rangefinders, in the same way the cam profiles differ on the top mounted rangefinders.

The Meyer rangefinders used on some earlier, usually pre-Anniversary, Speed Graphics are more flexible in terms of adjustment.

Ian
 
Ian Grant said:
These Rangefinders are not designed for close focus, also the shape of the arm differs for different FL lenses with the side mounted Kalart rangefinders, in the same way the cam profiles differ on the top mounted rangefinders.

The Meyer rangefinders used on some earlier, usually pre-Anniversary, Speed Graphics are more flexible in terms of adjustment.

Ian
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This is an interesting read then
 
From the Pacemaker when opened sets itself to 9ft on the scale for a 135 , kind of like an XA2 and other cameras that set small group shot at opening the cover.
Looking for the kalart pacemaker after supperIMG_5926.jpeg
 
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Here is where we are when strut bound
Rangefinder arm to track guide placement
This is a worn and attic dusty rusty kalart pacemaker the rangefinder mirror is us IMG_5933.jpegIMG_5935.jpeg
 
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Those are both Pacemakers.

Anniversary and pre-Anniversary Speed Graphics have different front standards, no front movements except rise, and, take 4" x 4" wooden lens boards. Another tell-tale characteristic is the carrying handle attaches to a plate screwed on the top edge of the camera, and can be unclipped to access the side tripod mount.

Ian
 
Yes sorry my mistake , I have edited out reference to anniversary and replaced with kalart pacemaker , perhaps more relevant I have both Kalart side mount and Graflex top mount Pacemakers .
And the Main Ghost appears to have a top mount retro to side mount FrankenPace
 
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