Century Graphic Graflok Back

[s._c.]

I just got a mint century graphic body for $15. It is missing the

graflok back and lensboard & lens and rangefinder. I am having

difficulty finding the back so I can attach film holders. Auctions

seem to primarily have the completed cameras for a lot more. Any

recommendations? Thanks.

[john lehman, college alask]

If you want to use a film-holder all of the time, four standard screws and washers will attach it (I forget the size, and sold mine awhile back, but I found the screws for this in my junk screw drawer)

[walt_donovan]

Hmmmm.... Maybe that's why it was only $15! Keep looking. Auction's the way to go but who knows how long. By time you find a sacrificial camera(s) with a 'mint' Graflok and a rangefinder (and buy yourself a len and lensboard) I'll bet you'll be way over the price that you could've gotten a whole camera for, if you were patient.

[btmuir]

Go to graflex.org . They have a links page that will give you some places for possible used parts dealers like pacific rim, midwest and others. I'm afratd if you take this route though, a graflok alone will be over $100.00 US. On the other hand a decent 135 optar on a pacemaker board should be around $50.00US on epay.If you're not gonna shoot handheld then you don't really need the rangefinder anyway. If can be a pita to get a single rangefinder and then set it up and calibrate it, but there is info on how to do this at graflex.org . Good luck.

[dan_fromm2]

Um, what you're looking for is called a focusing panel, not a Graflok back. The focusing panel attaches to the back. Your camera has an integral Graflok back. Look for a focusing panel.

 

To educate yourself about your camera, visit www.graflex.org. If you just wail for help on the help forat the info on the site, the resident curmudgeons will give you a hard time, be prepared.

 

Modern reproduction lens boards are available from many vendors, for example Midwest Photo Exchange ($19 or so) and Goodwin Photographic ($15 the last time I bought).

 

Normal lenses for 2x3 Pacemaker Graphics (this includes the Century) are offered fairly often on the great auction site. Many of the lenses are offered are on board.

 

If you're going to use any lens but a normal (4" +/- a little) on your Century, you'll have to focus on the ground glass anyway, the rangefinder can't be set up for lenses with focal lengths much different from 4". You don't have a ground glass now because it is part of the focusing panel.

 

Good luck, be happy you paid only $15 for the body,

 

Dan

[s._c.]

John has an interesting thought. I may be able to fashion a frame and focusing glass for the back, focus, then attach the film magazine somehow (it still has the sliding clasps but I may have to modify). Or maybe set up the infinity focus for which ever lens I get and just use the frame finder and scale focus with the guides on the rails? Thanks. I am new to view cameras still and I have been getting by with a toyo field 4x5. Thanks.

[s._c.]

On the back is only the sliding metal tabs attached to the main body.

[User_503771]

What you've got is a partial Graflok back. If you were missing the whole back, the metal panel with sliding tabs etc. would be missing from the back of the camera, exposing the inside of the camera.

 

Your idea to make a focusing panel is a good one, but you'll have to build it very precisely, so that the image focuses on the glass at the same location in space that the film will occupy when you attach the film holder.

 

If you have a way to measure the depth from the face plate of the holder to the film, do that and make the offset for the ground glass that same distance. The ANSI spec for this distance is 0.197", +/-0.007".

 

This is important -- you can't just lay a piece of glass on the spot where the film holder goes, and expect the image to focus on the film.

 

If you don't have a way to measure this directly, then you could use paper and/or card stock as shim material to duplicate this thickness from the film plane to the face plate, then use that shim stock as a "master" thickness when building your ground glass frame.

 

But your easiest bet is to find a ground glass panel. Even if you find a regular panel from a spring back, that would work for focus and composition purposes. You'd just lay it on the existing part of the back, then attach the roll film holder.

 

You're lucky that you still have the sliding tabs. Any time I've gotten partial Graflok backs, those are usually missing.

[tim obrien]

Those sliding doohazs are the legacy of the old Graflex back. If you find a roll film holder for this camera, it will sit in the opening and the slides will slide down and keep the roll film holder secure. If you find some Graflex film holders, they are a bit wider than standard film holders and have slots milled in the sides. The sliders fit in these slots. It would be nicer to find the groundglass for your Graflok

 

The issue is calibrating your rangefinder. Perhaps you can find someone with a back to lend you while you verify the RF.

 

tim in san jose

[dave_s]

Contact Midwest Photo <A HREF="http://www.mpex.com">(http://www.mpex.com)</A>. They can sell you a ground glass focusing panel and a lensboard. (They can sell you a roll film back too, assuming you want to shoot 120. Graphic roll film backs also come up frequently on everybody's favorite auction site-- but make sure you get the right size.)

<p>

Centuries were supplied with and without rangefinders. If you're planning to use it as a quasi-view camera on a tripod, you don't need a rangefinder. Conversely, if you plan to use it as a Big Ass Leica, you don't need a ground glass. But you need some way to focus.

[wayne_crider4]

I'll give you $20 for it. I have the rest of the parts.

[darin_cozine]

Auctions on emay come up from time to time for the focussing panel. I have a century and I am looking for the same thing. The annoying thing is that just the panel usually goes for $40-$50! Which is a realy pain since I only paid $80 for the camera including the 2x3 roll holder and lens.

 

Graphics are weird that way, it seems that it is twice as expensive to peice together a unit rather than buy it whole.

[darin_cozine]

Oh, before you go through the trouble of buying parts. Check to see that the rangefinder is clean and still has a nice double-image.

 

Your toyo field is a much better view camera. I wouldnt use the century without the rangefinder.

 

www.cozinephoto.com

[s._c.]

Lots of great information coming in. I am relatively new to large format (primarily with a sironar-n 135 and an ektar 203) and use the ground glass for focusing of the image. I figure the century would be nice to shoot like a handheld rangefinder (if I get the infinity locks set right for the lens, kind of like my kodak pocket Ia, scale focusing). There are two sets of scales on the left side of the bed. I am hoping to get to an area in the lower catskills known as Hawk's Nest that overlooks the Delaware River next month. Last year, I did this trip with a hasselblad, a rolleiflex 3.5 planar, and a canon s45.

[mag_miksch]

focus by DOF table

[darin_cozine]

You could go wide... I just received a 47mm Super Angulon for my century. With a wide angle lens, you have so much depth of field that scale or hyperfocal methods are easy. Since I have an 80mm Xenotar that I adjusted the rangefinder for, I will be using the hyperfocal and scale focussing (for the 47mm).

 

I've used a ground-glass panel from a busted speed graphic spring back. (the 2x3 spring backs go real cheap btw) I found the hyperfocal was 15 feet at f16, which allows everything from 5 feet away to infinity to be in focus. Perfect for landscapes and street shots.

Here is a good place to calculate hyperfocals:

 

http://www.outsight.com/hyperfocal.html#hyper

 

Tip: calculate the hyperfocal distances for each f-stop and print them onto a page or cardstock to carry with you.

[dave_s]

FWIW, there's a nearly new Graflok '23 Graphic'-size focusing panel on your fave auction site right now. Check auction #3831227249.

[s._c.]

I picked up a RH-10 6x7 back yesterday for $49, but missing a dark slide. I also have a 90 wollensak raptar that I don't use too much, but may be a slight wider normal for this format. I will have to see about a rangefinder (can I grab a side kalart from a speed?) and focusing panel. I think I would like to use this camera primarily handheld.

[jtk]

It's an excellent camera, hand held. The rangefinder is extremely accurate when it's well set up. Mine's set up for 80mm.

 

There are many wonderful, inexpensive lenses to choose from... since it's a humble press camera you get to avoid wildly expensive Japanese and German lenses. You do want faster lenses than you would for a view camera because the ground glass is harder to use.

 

If you use the ground glass you need a *very* good magnifier:I've found a 75mm Fuji enlarging lens perfect. The ground glass is too small for comfort, but that can be helped with a heavy, large, dark cloth and that good magnifier.

 

Mine has a 135 5.6 Xenar, an exquisitely sharp 80mm f2.8 Rodenstock Heligon, and a 250mm Tele Optar (maximum for this little camera, maybe like 135 on a 35mm)

[kelly_flanigan1]

There are several sizes of "graflok backs" Here I have a spring back on a 4x5; a "graflok back" on a 4x5; and a "graflok back" on 3x4 speed graphic. Some Ebay "deals" on "graflok backs" dont mention the size. Some folks bid and buy; and discover later they didnt receive the most common 4x5 size.. The phrase "graflok back" gets thrown around with no reference to which size folks want. Most are 4x5; but dont assume they all are.

[jtk]

It's virtually impossible to find replacement Graflok backs in any size, fairly priced. Expect to pay $100 or more. Not usually worth it. Your Century has almost no value without the back. A lensboard costs around $15...that would have justified the purchase by itself. The focusing locks (little flipper things on the rails) are worth $10-15/pair if you have them.

 

The most economical approach is usually just to buy an intact camera.

 

The Graflok back is crucial if you want to use roll holders and ground glass. Since 6X9 sheet film is becoming hard to find, the future for the format, no matter the camera, involves 120 roll film or digital backs ($25K).

 

Since it's awkward to remove the ground glass component (name?) in order to install a roll holder for each frame (especially if the tripod's too light), and since these little cameras work so well hand-held (sometimes faster than Rolleiflex/Hassleblad for example), I think it's crucial to get a 6X9 WITH Graflok, WITH rangefinder (easy to fix if you're a little handy), and especially WITH the optical finder. It's less a little view camera, more a versatile range finder camera.

 

The 4X5 Graphics are also very light and handy: the same suggestions apply as for 6X9...except that sheet film is more convenient, roll film back less necessary.

 

I've been shooting 6X9 Graphics of one kind and another since 1968. I've just realised that all that time I've used 35mm, 6X6, 4X5 to make money, but never 6X9. 6X9's for fun.

 

Djon

[kelly_flanigan1]

Re <I>The most economical approach is usually just to buy an intact camera.</i><BR><BR>I totally agree!<BR><BR>In used speed grpahics on Ebay; the pricing is interesting. One chap wants say 90 to 150 for the graflok back alone. Another has a complete 4x5 speed with grafloc; rangefinder; 127mm Ektar; lensboard; lens cap for sometimes 200 to 300 bucks. reecently prices have gone up more. I bought two cameras for 450 last year; with graplocs ; and 3 lenses; and about a dozen filters; one flash. May times is easier to buy a big kit; and then sell off the stuff piece by piece.

[s._c.]

Thanks for all the resoponses. I now have a ground glass and a 6x7 graphic holder with a lever. I have seen some horseman 105 3.5s for around $160 or so. There is a 105 xenar for a bit more.

I have noticed that the upper retaining clip is broken which doesn't secure the upper part of the glass focusing frame so I have to be careful not to let the frame fall off. The slide locks for the roll film back work fine. Are there any diy repair suggestions, or replacements available? Thanks.