Hunting a Speed Graphic.

Alan Clark said:
Chris Killip took some amazing hand held 5 x 4 portraits. Does anyone have any idea what camera he used?
Click to expand...
Chris Killip used a Linhof Technika for his hand-held 5x4 pictures. I once met a chap who worked at the Pirelli plant in the midlands who remembered Killip going there to photograph workers there for his book Pirelli Work. It was so dark in there he was forced to use flash.
 
Matt Bigwood said:
Chris Killip used a Linhof Technika for his hand-held 5x4 pictures. I once met a chap who worked at the Pirelli plant in the midlands who remembered Killip going there to photograph workers there for his book Pirelli Work. It was so dark in there he was forced to use flash.
Click to expand...
Have you got that book? My father worked for Pirelli in the 50s and 60s.
 
If you are shooting portaits a Graflex Reflex is a good option eg Super D, Series D
 
Well ... all thanks to the nice member who pointed out the advert to me ... I have what appears to be a very good condition Speed Graphic on its way to me. The price was not too bad at all ... especially since I'd just CLA'd, reconditioned and sold some lenses and 35mm camera bodies on the dreaded Flea bay ... and had some 'camera tokens' as it were - in hand :)

Now I'm hunting nice glass -
AJD said:
If you are shooting portaits a Graflex Reflex is a good option eg Super D, Series D
Click to expand...
I'd thought of that ... but they are perhaps even thinner on the ground! I may get around to one at some point in the future if it all comes up roses with the Speed Graphic.
 
Ian Grant said:
What sort of glass are you after ?

Ian
Click to expand...
Well a Dallmeyer pentac 8" f2.9 would be nice ... I don't think I can run to an Aero Ektar ... but a 150mm Hector projection lens would be a possibility.
Happy for any suggestions :)
 
Marley's Ghost said:
Well a Dallmeyer pentac 8" f2.9 would be nice ... I don't think I can run to an Aero Ektar ... but a 150mm Hector projection lens would be a possibility.
Happy for any suggestions :)
Click to expand...
They're all nice. Don't ask me how I know. The 150mm Hektor is the hardest to use because it doesn't have an aperture. The Aero Ektar has radio active elements. Something to be aware of but not enough to be put off by. Just don't store it under your bed and you should be fine. I had to widen the front standard on my Speed Graphic for the rear element of the Aero to fit. Simple to do with a bike chain extractor and used a bit like a rib spreader. The metal on the inside of the lens board mount is soft.
 
Nas said:
They're all nice. Don't ask me how I know. The 150mm Hektor is the hardest to use because it doesn't have an aperture. The Aero Ektar has radio active elements. Something to be aware of but not enough to be put off by. Just don't store it under your bed and you should be fine. I had to widen the front standard on my Speed Graphic for the rear element of the Aero to fit. Simple to do with a bike chain extractor and used a bit like a rib spreader. The metal on the inside of the lens board mount is soft.
Click to expand...
All handy tips :)
 
Marley's Ghost said:
Well ... all thanks to the nice member who pointed out the advert to me ... I have what appears to be a very good condition Speed Graphic on its way to me. The price was not too bad at all ... especially since I'd just CLA'd, reconditioned and sold some lenses and 35mm camera bodies on the dreaded Flea bay ... and had some 'camera tokens' as it were - in hand :)

Now I'm hunting nice glass -

I'd thought of that ... but they are perhaps even thinner on the ground! I may get around to one at some point in the future if it all comes up roses with the Speed Graphic.
Click to expand...
There a special interest Graflex discord I'm a member of where they can even tell you the exact date your's was manufactured, mine was 15th May 1955.
 
jhotopf said:
There a special interest Graflex discord I'm a member of where they can even tell you the exact date your's was manufactured, mine was 15th May 1955.
Click to expand...
Hummm I'm a Discord member though I haven't used it much ... how do I find?
 
WAW_4909.jpg

So here it is - mostly in very good condition. The name/serial number plates are missing and the rangefinder is way out of whack, but the shutters both seem to work fine. Bellows are exceptionally clean, and 135mm f4.7 Optar is clean and all it's speeds seem right.
I got a Graflex film holder and an almost full a box of Fomapan 100 with it so quite chuffed.
I'm currently spending the weekend sorting the rangefinder ... a bit of a process ... and I may have time to shoot a few sheets ... if the rain holds off!
 
Looks very nice, that would be pre 1955 as that year they had the top mounted rangefinder. Show us the speed settings, the older ones had more speed options.
 
jhotopf said:
Looks very nice, that would be pre 1955 as that year they had the top mounted rangefinder. Show us the speed settings, the older ones had more speed options.
Click to expand...
I might be going mad but I think it might originally have had a top mounted rangefinder ... if you look at the pic there is an indentation on the top leathercloth that looks suspiciously like a rangefinder footprint ... plus some neatly blanked off holes (which look to have been done long ago) .
IMG_793379621.jpg

I think the speeds are the 'less speeds' later type.

IMG_793379633.jpg
 
Ok looks similar to mine so my guess would be early 50s. The earlier ones had a table for the various tension/slit settings.
 
If cameras could talk ...
I wonder why it got converted to side rangefinder. I have the original manual ... and yep it's the later model and according to that it should have the top mounted rangefinder!

Well I've got infinity set ... and the rangefinder bang on at infinity ... still got some tweaking to do on the closer settings. Bought a 25ft tape ... and luckily have a hallway that's pushing 35ft long for the closer setup. Though I do have to set up the tripod in the toilet for the long distances!
 
It might be worth doing a test shot to check the ground glass - film holder back register , as it could have some gg/fresnel jiggery pokery due to the frankenstance history, quick shot of the tape at 8 or so feet with the optar wide open should give a reliable check.
This thing of a test shot for register seems to me to be very important with LF , with any LF camera old or new as the consequences are costly and frustrating especially for those new to LF .
Quick check with a depth guage and compare film holder and gg is sometimes possible too.
 
HowLarge said:
It might be worth doing a test shot to check the ground glass - film holder back register , as it could have some gg/fresnel jiggery pokery due to the frankenstance history, quick shot of the tape at 8 or so feet with the optar wide open should give a reliable check.
This thing of a test shot for register seems to me to be very important with LF , with any LF camera old or new as the consequences are costly and frustrating especially for those new to LF .
Quick check with a depth guage and compare film holder and gg is sometimes possible too.
Click to expand...

Yep ... that was on the radar: it has a fresnel on the film plane side of the GG so I will be checking that
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top