An old Graflex 22

Hi everyone! I have an old Graflex 22 that seems to be in good working order, albeit a little

dusty. A dear friend gave it to me years ago and it has been a favorite display piece since.

However, I'd like to try it out and see what sort of images I might get out of it. Doesn't that

sound like fun?! I have managed to get the film loaded but once I've shot the roll (now

don't laugh!) I don't know how to get it out of the camera! There doesn't seem to be any

sort of rewind knob so... how in heck does one get the film out without messing it up?

 

Thanks in advance for the help :-D

TLRs are great user cameras and with a Tessar type lens, I think it will give excellent results. I haven't used a Graflex 22 but I guess that you figured out the loading OK. Most TLRs either use a red window to find frame 1, or have a mark for the "start" line on the paper backing.

 

With 120 roll film, the spool will load onto the takeup spool and there is a peel or lik-n-stik strap to hold it shut. No rewind required! Take out the finished roll, move the old spool up to take-up the next roll and you're good to go. Just make sure you give the crank a few extra turns after the last frame to make sure that you've wound the paper all the way over.

Well that's simple enough! Thanks for letting me know :-D

I believe your camera is the same as the Ciroflex for which there is a free manual which you can download from <a href="http://mikec62.tripod.com/manuals.html">http://mikec62.tripod.com/manuals.html</a>. You'll need to click on the "Ciroflex" link from the main page. The site has a very irritating log-in procedure; I think it is actually a registration for the list-serve discussion. Let me know if you experience difficulty in obtaining the manual and I will email you the zip file.

<a href="http://mikec62.tripod.com/manuals/Ciroflex.zip">Direct link to Ciroflex manual in .zip format.</a> I see its a red window wind camera. A little slower than a frame counting TLR but I'll bet as good as any if properly used and adjusted.

Got the manual - thank you!

The Ciro-Flexes and Graflex 22s do take very good pictures, and being so simple they are very reliable as well. About the best deal you can get in medium format.

 

:)=

The Graflex22 is essentially the same as the last TLR from the Ciro Camera Company, the <a href="http://www.ctzphoto.com/collection/ciroflexfqr.htm" >CiroFlex (model F).</a> Graflex bought them out and released the Graflex22. You should get very nice results from the four element Tessar style lens. My CiroFlex (model F) is a favorite. Nice solid camera, bright focusing screen and smooth shutter. Good luck with your shooting.

Yes, the ole' Graflex has been waiting patiently for me to "see the light" and use it. I'll post

pics when I get a roll developed and figure out how or rather where to scan in the negs.

Thank you for the encouragement :-D

 

I'd like to clean it up just a little - like I said it's a tad dusty. Anything I should avoid using?

Would the same stuff I use to clean my dslr be ok?

To remove the film you just keep rolling and rolling the film past the 12 in the red window, then you open the back of the camera and take out the film.

 

Most Ciroflexes and the Graflex 22 have 3-element lenses which are not a Tessar type. They are pretty poor performers compared to Tessar lenses. You can see this if you compare negatives taken with a Wollensack Anastigmat and a Tessar on an Ikoflex or Rolleiflex.

I have seen the negatives, David, and I'm not so sure I agree. The Wollensak triplets were not quite equal to the Tessar, but they were not far behind, they performed quite well especially if they were stopped down a bit. They also had a smaller angle to cover than the wider 75mm Tessars, which mitigated the tendency toward corner softness somewhat.

 

A $30 Ciroflex is a very sound choice in comparison to a $200 Rollei with a Tessar, on a dollar for dollar basis, and it will produce exhibition quality images if the photographer is up to it.

 

:)=

Again, the last CiroFlex TLR (model F) features a four-element Tesser style lens from Wollensak and performs very well. Especially considering the extreme price difference between this camera, and the equivilant Graflex22 and the lowest quality Rollei. Ellen, what is the top shutter speed on your Graflex, and is there any model numbers on it? My understanding is that the Graflex22 with a 1/400 peak shutter speed, also known as the model F, has the four-element Tesser style lens, and that there were Graflex22's that had the three element Wollensak, these were the 1/200 or 1/300 models. Comparing a CiroFlex/Graflex to a Rollei is like comparing apples and oranges. These weren't high end pro cameras, and never intended to be, but they can't be beat for medium format performance vs. price.

I've got the "Model 200" and the highest shutter speed is 1/200.

 

Gosh, I hope I won't have back-focusing issues! LOL [Read thru some digi-cam threads if

you don't understand that little joke]

 

But seriously, working with a camera like the Graflex 22 isn't about lens performance or

obtaining the technically perfect image - at least in my opinion. It's about the fun of

working with an older format and creating nostalgia on film, experiencing the creative

rush of a new vision by looking into a waist level finder instead of thru a square

viewfinder, the joy of clicking the almost silent shutter and the anticipation of waiting for

the film to get back from the lab just to see what you got.

 

Grain, vignetting, a big scratch running down the side the negative - whatever - the

imperfections add to the charm. It's all good and all in good fun :-D

Couldn't agree with you more!

<i>Grain, vignetting, a big scratch running down the side the negative - whatever - the imperfections add to the charm. It's all good and all in good fun :-D</i>

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Amen! Preach It

The Graflex 22-200 and 22-400 both had the 3-element f/3.5 lens. The 22-400F had the 4-element Tessar-type f/3.2 lens. If you're looking for a lot of visible imperfections you might be disappointed, these aren't Dianas and they were indeed used by pros (though not wealthy ones) in the early postwar period. If you want softness in the image, shoot wide open. The shutter release in the -200 is not as smooth as the one in the -400, so you might get a little camera shake to add character to the images, especially at the slower speeds.

 

:)=