Century Graphic

Hello

I picked up a Graflex Century Graphic 2 1/4 3 1/4 this weekend and had a question, it has a solenoid on the front standard, I have read this is for flash and as I do not intend to ever use flash with this camera can I remove from the camera.

 

Thanks

Don

I have read this is for flash and as I do not intend to ever use flash with this camera can I remove from the camera.

Maybe, maybe not.

Some had an electrical release and the solenoid is there to trip the shutter from a rear-mounted switch.

 

Did the camera come with lens and shutter?

 

If the solenoid isn't in the way, why remove it?

If there's no "other" way to trip the shutter... you may have a problem. But generally IIRC the flash or switch fired the shutter. It was triggered by flash so the shutter tripped at the peak of the flash. It is harmless if you leave it on too assuming you have a way to trip the shutter

mine

The solenoid pulls the release lever on the leaf-shutter when you press the remote release button on the flash synchronizer.

Taking the solenoid off the camera should not cause any problems if you are just going to be using the release button on the shutter itself (or body trigger, or a remote cable release)

Geoff, that device at the B mark is a flash cable adapter. It fits on the shutter's Kodak/ASA flash terminal, accepts a PC flash cable.

 

Don, I have most of the standard issue normal lenses for Century Graphics. Don't ask. They are in Rapax/Graphex or Flash Supematic shutters. All the shutters have normal ordinary cable release sockets. I've seen some that have had screws in the cable release socket. If your shutter (what is it?) has a cable release socket with a screw, remove it and you'll be able to use a normal ordinary cable release to fire the shutter.

Thanks all

This one doesn't have the remote release in the back but does have the cable release as do the other lenses that came with it

The solenoid is not even attached to the shutter release so I will remove it

 

hello Dan

I have an old pack of Tri-x and a film pack adapter, I am sure they are not available any longer but I am watching a Grafmatic have you used one and is it worth purchasing one.

 

Thanks

Don

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2021 by Donald Harpold

Don, I have two 2x3 Grafmatics, one busted (internal spring), the other OK, that I've never used. I shoot roll film with my little Graphics.

 

The consensus, such as it is, on graflex.org and largeformatphotography.info/forum/ is that good ones are very useful.