National Graflex and Kiev-88 at Fort Altena

<p>Early March I went to a World War II Living History event held at Fort Altena, carrying my Kiev 88 and National Graflex cameras with me. <br />The theme was the "Bitter Cold of the Eastern Front". (Un)fortunately the weather wasn't cooperating and we enjoyed a pleasant 18+ Degrees Celsius with bright blue skies.<br>

The Kiev-88 had a Vega-12v 90mm f/2.8 lens on it and was loaded with Rollei Superpan 200. Eager to test the effect of the anti-reflection flock I had installed earlier that week. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/Kiev88-01.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="420" /><br>

I only have the Bausch & Lomb 75mm f/3.5 Tessar lens for the National Graflex - series II. It was loaded with a roll of Ilford Pan F+ 50. <br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.flibweb.nl/flibweb/cpg143/albums/userpics/10001/NG02.jpg" alt="" width="820" height="580" /></p>

<p>First, A few from the first roll with the The Kiev-88<br>

<br />1. Brothers in Arms<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/9e45135025c59147b5de460fdac8b20a.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />2. Ausgekämpft<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/d599cb8dfb340766124d990e8fb70257.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />3. The MP-40 Submachine gun, often called "Schmeisser" after the designer of the WW1 vintage MP-18. Schmeisser had very little to do with the design of the MP-40, but it was manufactured at his factories at some point during WW2.<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/e9f5ddc328bc3562f52dba5786b7d691.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br />National Graflex - Series II with Bausch & Lomb 7.5cm f/3.5<br /><br />4. Dangerous ladies<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/e60263c20c0938afcec1919bac697ff8.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />5. Raucherpause<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/0300b953bcb88974b204328a54d505e8.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />6. NKVD questioning "So, tavarish, where did you obtain this non-soviet camera?"<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/aeac4382d46f123b64560b241485f738.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />7. Showing all the different uniforms and equipment to the public<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/23c75da5bdf8eada149edf4d223a8116.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br />And from the second roll in the Kiev 88<br /><br />8. Urrah! After a few minutes of tinkering the Maxim Mle 1910 is back in action.<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/7a2e961bbc1e71fa2611c13c19e2f93a.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />9. Radioman<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/6f4b9094942deea2fcae85f80332770b.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />10. The Rookie<br /><img src="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/get_image/original/13844c6e7b95f4a643f59b9b5570c578.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>The test roll with the National Graflex camera shows some minor problems; Scratches on the negatives and I had the feeling the shutter was a little sluggish, the negatives look a little over exposed because of it. <br />Camera shake is a big issue with the camera too. You really need to grip it tight and hold it close to reduce the shake of the mirror flipping up. <br />Overal I'm glad to know the camera works 'okay'. I'll be sure to take it out more often.<br>

The Kiev-88 has given me some troubles over the year, but so far I've been able to clear them all. Latest being a anti-reflective flock strip sticking to the mirror and retarding it's flip up. The Vega lens is tack sharp. I'm looking forward to see the negatives that I shot last week with the wide-angle Mir-26B lens on this camera.<br /><br />All the images can be viewed here: <a href="http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/browse/album/17-03-2014">http://www.historyinmotion.nl/m/photos/browse/album/17-03-2014</a></p>

<p>Very Nice. These characters look quite real. I think you've got great period results. The Kiev pics are really excellent. I can'T see any faults with the the National. This B&L lens is the same as on my Graflex Jr I think. I was pleased with the performance. Very impressed that you are able to coax pics out of the National. It is a unique design. Did the that machine gun really fire? Do you guys shoot live rounds when out and about? Either way shooting pictures is probably safer!! </p>

 

<p>Beautiful as always, Rick. I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favo(u)rite, but maybe "Brothers In Arms." I have got to get over there and see one of your living history events sometime!</p>

<p>I've never seen a camera like that National Graflex. It seems a great historical piece and curiosity/oddity, if not quite practical in use. And I'm blown away by your Kiev shots. Those look unbelievably sharp, in fact "clinically sharp" as is often said about Japanese lenses in general, but rarely uttered about Soviet glass like this. <em>And</em> the lens gives very nice, non-swirly out-of-focus areas. Wow! Did you do much sharpening in post, or did they come out like that in the original? I'm almost tempted to get such a lens and try to kludge it onto my Bronica somehow.</p>

<p><em>--Dave</em></p>

<p>More to the point how did a WWII Soviet cameraman get a <em>post</em>-war Kiev? If the CCCP had time travel, I guess things might have turned out differently. ;)</p>

<p>Nice shots with them, and nice Tokarev, is it?</p>

<p>The pistol is a 1911 Colt .45. I've always heard European gun laws were very restrictive--how did you get one? In my state, even fully automatic rifles as you had in your photos are legal to own if you fill out the proper permits. The Kiev 88 has always been an interesting camera. Not familiar with the National.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>Great work, <strong>Rick</strong>. There's something distinctive about those Kiev images; I had the Vega 12V but traded the Kiev 88 outfit for an 88CM with the standard Volna 3 lens. It's very sharp, but it doesn't have the same pictorial rendering as the Vega. The photographs have a very authentic look to them; those great creamy Vega OOF areas seem to lend a period look to the scenes. Just love the "radioman" pic. As a child, there used to be a Schmeisser in the top of my parents' wardrobe, a war souvenir that was smuggled home. I remember being sad when my father surrendered it during one of the amnesties for possessing illegal wartime objects such as Walthers and Lugers and grenades. The Graflex is certainly a great collectible, if not the greatest of users. Thanks for another really interesting post.</p>

<p>Hard to know which is most lethal, the .45 or the Kiev :) These shots are amongst the best that I have seen from you, crisp but still looking period correct. The whole re-enactment thing is fascinating.</p>

<p>I read up a little on the National Graflex. I've actually been looking for an early camera with focal plane shutter. This might actually work for me. The other contender is a Kodak Speed 1A. I don't want the other type Graflex models. How hard is the National Graflex to load & shoot? Is it a pretty decent camera, all in all? They do look plentiful out there.</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>Thanks for the replies all,<br /> <br /><strong>Chuck,</strong> all re-enactment guns have to be deactivated or adapted for blank-firing. the Maxim was rented from a movie-prop company. You still need a firearms permit for blank firing guns. <br /> <strong>Dave,</strong> I scanned all the images at 2400 dpi with TMAX presets and D-76 CL=.40 in Vuescan. I resized the images to 800 x 580 and used regular 'sharpen' with Photoshop CS2. Then I adjusted the levels. Did not need to play with the curves. <br /><br /><strong>JDM,</strong> you obviously never heard of the conspiracy at the Katorga-12 research facility. Hahaha ;) <br /><br />And <strong>Kent</strong> is correct, though it is a Chinese copy of the .45 M1911A1 made by the Norinco company from recycled railroad steel. It has been blank-fire adapted and is on my firearms permit. <br />Normally automatics can't be owned legally except blankfirers for re-enactment with special dispensation from the Justice Department. <br /><br /><br /> <strong>Tony,</strong> they weigh about the same fully loaded. <br /><br />The National Graflex (series 1 and 2) from the early 1930s to 1941 was a failure to Graflex at the time. Mainly due to bad marketing. The engineers wanted to make it larger than initially planned, but the CEO wouldn't let them. <br /> This smaller size made it difficult to operate the camera with larger fingers. I think that might be the reason why the camera was offered as a lady's camera. But the sheer number of controls and the routine required to operate the camera make this anything but a lady's camera. I had trouble understanding its workings with my engineering degree!<br />Now before anyone breaks out the flamethrowers, I'm not saying women wouldn't be able to understand and operate the camera. It just doesn't make sense of that Graflex marketed this for them when the world was a much more a male chauvinistic place. <br /><br />You need to unlock the frame lock.<br /> Wind the film until it locks.<br /> Pull the mirror level towards you to lower the mirror into place. <br /> Wind the shutter.<br /> Set the shutter dial to the correct number (that corresponds with the shutter speed displayed on a table located on the hood).<br /> Open aperture enough to see the subject.<br /> Compose the image.<br /> Close down aperture to the require setting.<br /> Press release button. <br /> <br />Be sure to pull the mirror lever before you fold up the lens into the case for storage.<br /><br />Loading isn't particularly hard. Just make sure you have the 120 spools with holes big enough to properly fit the keys and that you load the film the right way round. I had no trouble with the Ilford spool. And I think most modern ones will be okay too. <br />After closing the door wind until the 1 shows in the red window and set the frame indicator between 9 and S (closer to S) and wind it until it stops. Then you're ready to take the first picture.</p>

<p>The Kiev results are fantastic. I just got one not too long a go and have just finished a color roll. Great pictures as always. Thank you for sharing.</p>

<p>Great results from that rare National Graflex! I've never seen photographs taken with this camera.</p>

Thanks for going in to detail about the marketing and operation of the National. I had shunned it a bit . I

have a hankering for most things Graflex / Graphic but I had basically stayed away from this as I feared it

to be a klunker.. over engineered too fussy and less bang for the buck as the regular Speed. in short such

SLR construction were better left to others. You demonstrated that I was wrong... Oh and thanks too for

clarifying the "blanks" principle. OF course such policies must be necessary. Thinks are always a bit

more complicated than you realize. Realism and authenticity must have some boundaries.

<p>Great picture series, whatever the cameras. Did you need the gun?</p>

<p>Yeah, the Soviets came for my Kiev ;) </p>

<p>Great series. That Vega lens is indeed sharp and Superpan 200 is a good choice to work with that lens. Thanks for sharing.</p>