[LargeFormat] 5x7 Graflex...
Jim Hemenway
largeformat@f32.net
Sat Dec 13 08:20:08 2003
Les:
Thanks very much for this explanation.
Jim - http://www.hemenway.com
LNphoto wrote:
> Welcome to the confused world of Graflex.
>
> For every rule written in stone, was a stone mason ready to change it.
> This is one of those cameras.
>
> Graflex the company, made two types of backs, well okay three, The
> Graphic or spring back, the Graflex back, with a removable ground
> glass, and the well known Graflok back where the ground glass had the
> option of being removed.
>
> The Graflex back was developed for the Graflex SLR camera line to
> employ the "Graflex plate magazine" (later "film magazine") This bag
> mag as it's called was too thick to be able to slide under the Spring
> back. The SLR cameras, with their mirror didn't really need a ground
> glass where the film went anyway. The Graflex back is found on 99% of
> all SLR Graflex cameras like the Series B, D, Super D, Auto Graflex,
> etc. It also shows up on 1% of the Speed Graphic cameras.
>
> They are easy to spot as the ground glass MUST be removed in order to
> put a GRAFLEX type film holder into position. GRAFLEX film holders are
> slightly wider and have grooves running the length of the holder to
> catch the slide lock that holds them in. This is the way 99.44% of the
> way Bag Mags or film magazines work as well. Because they are wider
> and also have a reversed light trap, YOU CANNOT USE MODERN FILM
> HOLDERS. They don't have the groove to hold them in place.
>
>
> Now that's the rule that's set in stone. The PRess Graflex is the
> camera that breaks that rule. This uses a spring loaded ground glass
> back to hold Graflex film holders in place. The groove isn't used but
> the width and the reversed light trap are still necessary, so this
> camera still can't use regular film holders without modification. You
> can build up the width of a common holder, but you'll need to plane
> down the ridges and make a groove in the holder.
>
> Also you can't use common bag mags. Because this Graflex Back doesn't
> have slide locks, they modified the bagmags with pins and clips to keep
> it in place.
>
> Graflex the company made both film and plate holders in both Graflex
> and Graphic type holders. Infact I've seen a Graphic (common, normal)
> plate holder that they made as late as the mid 50s.
>
> I got mine with a plate type bag mag, but no glass back.
>