Fitting a Graflok back

[shane_booth]

New to LF so this may seem like a stupid question, is it possible to

fit a Graflok back to a Bushch Pressman 4x5.

 

Cheers

 

Shane

[gary_deal]

A perfectly reasonable question, especially if you're "new"

 

It's *possible*, just not real simple.

 

If you don't care about the Pressman's rotating back feature, then it wouldn't be all the difficult, but it would be ugly because the Graflok back I have here is notably taller than the back of my Pressman. Shaving down the top and bottom of the Graflok frame would increase the amount of work involved, and the attaching holes would have to be moved.

 

If you do like the rotating back, then the cool thing would be to make an adapter plate that mates with the rotation mechanism on the Pressman, shave down the frame to match the body, and attach the three together. Quite a bit more work involved there, more of a job for a machinist. If you're not a machinist, having the adapter plate made would probably cost as much as a whole graphic with a Graflok back already on it.

 

Being new to LF you wouldn't know this yet, but you need more than one one camera. Even if there's no *really*good reason for it that you could explain to, say, your wife (bring up *shoes*), but for example:

 

"I like this one better for 4x5 but it doesn't have a graflok back and this other one does but those two have smaller front standards and won't accept this rather large lens I got so I need this other one because it has a larger front standard opening and it's a lot lighter than the other one with the larger front standard opening that has the graflok back, and the monorail has way more movements and huge lens clearance but it can be a horrible beast to lug around outside."

 

I've got about four 4x5 cameras (maybe five), after having sold the Graphic and the Linhof. I've also still got a few of the repro Pressman lensboards available.

 

-Gary

[dan_fromm2]

Hmm. The usual reason for wanting a Graflok back on a 4x5 camera is to shoot roll film.

 

A roll holder that mates to a Graflok isn't the only way to shoot roll film with a 4x5 camera. There are roll holders that slip in like sheet film holders. The easiest to find relatively inexpensive ones are the Calumet/Cambo C2 and C2n, available for shooting nominal 6x7 (easier to find) and 6x9 (much less common). There are also Adapt-A-Roll 620 holders (6x9) to fit 4x5 cameras. There's the very expensive Sinar multiformat. And I'm sure there are others.

[shane_booth]

Thanks Dan and Gary,

fitting a roll film back is what I was thinking, well that and a polaroid back, but if I dont need one then all the better.

I am right in thinking that I dont need one for polaroid???

[michael_briggs2]

Since Dan guessed your reason for asking this question, you should be able to use the Calumet/Cambo roll film holder, and also the Polaroid 545 holder.

 

There are two styles of roll film holders (see http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0097uY) -- one style slips in like a regular sheet film holder and can be used in almost all 4x5 cameras. A common and inexpensive model of this type is the Calumet/Cambo 6x7. I had one and it worked fine, but many people have reported problems. I suggest buying from a seller who allows a return period and testing the holder with a roll or two, paying particular attention to the spacing of frames.

 

Almost all 4x5 cameras will also accept the Polaroid 545 holder, the holder slipping in like a sheet film holder. I also recommend this holder as the best choice, since it is the holder for the 4x5 sheet films. See http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00FeTG and http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00EwGH

 

So you don't need a Graflok/International back to use a roll film holder, nor a Polaroid 545 holder.