Speed Graphic Finally Arrived!

[jeff bishop]

I looked out my window and saw the mailman dragging this big box out

of his van. I knew it was going to by my "new" camera.

 

I think I got a pretty good deal on this. It was on that auction

site, but listed as a Hugo Meyer Rangefinder (which is the brand of

rangefinder on it). The link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?

ViewItem&item=7528462095&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

 

It's pretty old and fairly worn. I'll put a new skin on it at some

point in time. The plastic 'straight through' viewfinder on top is

broken.

 

Otherwise, I checked it for speed, and one second seems dead on.

(Hoo-hoo). I'll have to find some instruction for the focal plane

shutter. I fired it (it does work) but really know nothing about it.

 

Has an Ilex shutter and glass (163mm) on it, which is clean and

clear.

 

I burned four frames this am. I'll post the photos regardless of

how they come out.

[diwan_bhathal]

Jeff:

 

What is going on ? The more I read this forum, Classic Cameras, the more I see entries on 4x5 photography with old cameras.

 

To a certain extent, I am guilty of this.

 

One important question: What made you purchase the Graflex, was it the 4x5 format or the desire to have an old clunker of that size ?

 

I went for the quality of the image.

[mike_elek]

It really boggles my mind that this was the standard press camera for many newspaper photographers.

[william_barnett_lewis]

Hey, I was watching that one but didn't have the money to play - I ordered a box of expired

but frozen Tmax 400 4x5 for my Anniversary Speed Graphic instead. Good to see it went to a

good home.

 

Fun to see these cameras start to get the attention they deserve again.

 

William

[dan_fromm2]

Mike, when these cameras were new, the reasonably fast films that were available were pretty terrible. That's why 4x5 was seen as necessary. As films improved and newpaper editors learned what could be accomplished with smaller formats, that was it for 4x5 press cameras.

 

Diwan, for as long as this forum has been up its users have talked about formats larger than 35 mm.

[blakley]

(Slightly OT) I have a Busch Pressman 4x5 which also has a Hugo Meyer Rangefinder - and I can't figure out how to calibrate the thing. If you find any information about this, Jeff, I'd love to hear about it.

[heller_harris]

I bet that you can sell off that flash for way more than you paid for the camera. Some of the flash handles are in big demand with the Star Wars crowd, who turn them into light sabres.

[Troll]

There is NO calibration on the Hugo Meyer rangefinder. Each one was custom matched to the lens furnished with the camera. That's probably why they were more desirable then, but less so now.

[don_mckeith]

Dan-

 

I've also noticed an uptick in 4X5 interest and I'm wondering if scanning has anything to do with it.Would your average hobbiest/vintage user be as likely to buy a 4X5,if they also had to go for a 4x5 enlarger and large lenses?- how many would have the room for it?

 

so out of curiosity,how many of you 4X5 users scan only, and how many still wet print?

[mskovacs]

Now all you need is the hat with the little "press" card. Watch the movie, "The Right Stuff" for good tips on press camera technique.

[glenn_thoreson]

Congrats on your new camera! Be sure to check out http://www.graflex.org and http:www.southbristolviews.com for much good information. Rich at southbristolviews has pdf manuals. Scroll the menu on the left until you see the Graflex manuals tab. Hugo Meyer rangefinder = pretty useless. Ground glass focus unless the bed scale is accurate, which is less than likely. It's easy to make a scale of your own, though. Enjoy! I have something like a dozen or more of the things. One for each hand.

[jeff bishop]

Ok, I burned four frames, all of which came out reasonably well. This is the first one that I have scanned attached below.

 

To answer a few questions. Why 4x5? The quality of the final image. This is the same reason for the 2x3 and 9x12cm. I love the big negatives.

 

My enlarger does not handle 4x5 negs. I built my own 6x9 carrier, which vignettes a bit with my 75mm lens, but does work enough for me. I'm not buying another lens for this enlarger. Once I have the bucks, I'll replace the whole outfit. 9x12cm and 4x5 (which are almost the same size) will print as contacts plenty big enough for me. Once I got this scanner, I've been mostly scanning rather than printing.

 

The Hugo Meyer rangefinder is a "one lens rangefinder." As far as I know there is no adjusting them.

 

"Hugo Meyer rangefinder = pretty useless..."

 

I've had pretty good luck with stuff like this. I bought a Nikon FTN at a swap meet without ever checking the meter. Reason, "Everyone knows they aren't still working." What a surprise when I discovered that not only did it work, it was accurate too.

 

This rangefinder which has just as bad reputation seems to be dead on the money. Perhaps I should knock on wood?

 

Photo, the back side of "Cliveden." This was the Chew estate, the battle of Germantown was fought on these grounds.<div></div>

[conrad_hoffman]

Very nice image. For whatever reason, even displayed at low res from the 'net, 4x5 images just stand out with smoothness and detail.

[Sandeha Lynch]

Well done Jeff - that's a smart shot.

[mike_elek]

I just saw a very nice Speed Graphic today. I'm trying to work the seller down to a reasonable price. We'll see.

 

By the way, that's a great shot. I think if you were to print that, you would get a real sense of depth and dimension that just isn't possible on screen or with the smaller formats.

[paulh]

Good stuff Jeff.

 

I have a 4x5 press camera (MPP Micro Press) - it too came with a "light sabre". I did test the flash (inadvertently I may add), as it had a bulb in. Booof!! <stagers around a bit going "wtf">

 

?I've just taken a couple of shots of our new "wee one" with it, just need to see what they came out like.

 

I scan the 9x12 and 4x5, but I have to stitch them as the scanner only does up to 120 film.

 

Paul

[don_mckeith]

Well, no difinitive answer, -but I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that most of you are scanning only.

 

one of these days I'm gonna have have to look into scanning-seriously

[loreneidahl]

I got several 4x5 graphics. Use scanner and wet printing. I am working on building my self a bigger darkroom in my house. :)

 

Currently rebuilding a 1947-1952 Crown Graphic. Having fun getting all of the "donor" cameras together.

[jeff bishop]

Here's the top right corner of the right hand shutter for detail. I'm impressed with how this camera performs!<div></div>

[Sandeha Lynch]

Don, your point was a good one. Consumer-priced transparency flatbeds are precisely what facilitated my move into larger formats.

[kelly_flanigan1]

A Hugo Meyer has three adjustments. Yea you might have to invest in an allen key; and learn to align one. This concept is called work. In today's disposable world; maybe stateing all rangefinders cannot be aligned might be said :)

[keith selmes]

I scan 4x5 and MF, and have started doing a few contact prints with POP. Certainly don't have room for a darkroom or enlarger, if it weren't for scanners I probably wouldn't be doing much photography at all.

 

Why 4x5? Because I thought 8x10 might be too heavy.

[diwan_bhathal]

Congratulations. Your first photo with the 4x5 is quite impressive. Thanks for posting.

 

I haven't bought any 135 roll since I got the 4x5. I almost have totally forgotten that 135 exists(ed). Could never get the tonalities and quality that I was looking for.

 

Mr. McKeif: I got a 4x5 enlarger a little while ago, that I intend to keep for a long long time. To me, scanning does not render justice to this format, whatever the quality of the scanning. To hold a 4x5 print ...with that "silver" look and feel... inimitable ( this is only one man's opinion).

 

4x5 is absolutely stunning in nice satin paper, has a great depth in glossy paper and in my mind, it is what photography is all about.