ken_miller4 Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 I have a Ganfolfi Variant Level III, which has the rotating international back, which I understand is also referred to as a Graflock back. There is a small tab that protrudes from the bottom of the back that interferes with my Grafmatic film holders - if you push the Grafmatic in until it seats properly, the tab at the lower left forces the Grafmatic away from the back, breaking the light-tight seal. The tab has a small, threaded hole, that serves no purpose on the camera as is. Can anyone tell me what this thing is for? I want to grind it off so the Grafmtaic back will fit properly. It almost seems that the camera back was designed to only work with standard 1/2" think film holders, and not Grafmatics, althought without the tab, they would work fine. Please see the attached image for a picture of this tab....the image is of the lower left of the camera back, as viewed from the rear. Thanks!<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_driscoll2 Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 You are supposed to remove your GG back and utilize the the graflok locks to use a grafmatic. Yes on some cameras you don't have to do this, but the whole meaning of graf-LOK is the locking tabs under the GG. This also allows you to use polaroid 550 and 405 holders and roll film backs such as the linhof super rollex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_miller4 Posted September 23, 2003 Author Share Posted September 23, 2003 Right, but you missed the jist of the question. The tab prevents me from using Grafmatics *at all*, since it pushes them away from the camera back, creating light leaks. I want to know what the hole is for so I can evaluate whether or not to grind off the tab. I've never wanted to stick anything in there (!), so I doubt if I need it for anything. Once I grind it off, then the Grafmatics will fit properly, and all will be well :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s._c. Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Is there a similar tab on top? If there is, it might possibly be a holding point for a folding focusing hood. I am able to fit a graphmatic into my toyo back without removing the gg. I still use the toyo holders though. I find it difficult to set the film into the septums. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_driscoll2 Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 your right i am a dumb dumb!!! I looked closer and saw the GG back was off already. i am baffled, on a sinar the hole is there to allow you to thread in the auto cable to close the shutter when using an auto shutter. Unless Gandolfi, had aspirations or thought there would be a third party system like the Sinar's, I really have no clue why a threaded hole would be there. Since the answer is not obvious, the application is probably rare enough (not in the "collector sense" but usability sense) to warrant just grinding it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_miller4 Posted September 23, 2003 Author Share Posted September 23, 2003 <em> Is there a similar tab on top? If there is, it might possibly be a holding point for a folding focusing hood. I am able to fit a graphmatic into my toyo back without removing the gg. I still use the toyo holders though. I find it difficult to set the film into the septums. Any suggestions? </em> <p> No, there's no tab on the top, just the bottom left as depicted by the photograph. And Jeff at Badger suggested that it might be a securing point for a reflex viewer, so you may be right. <p> Regarding loading septums, what I do is pick up a sheet of film with my right hand, then pick up a septum with my left, with the hole pointing 'up'. I hold the septum cradled in my hand, with the left edge of the septum resting in the palm of my hand - so really, the septum is resting in my hand, as opposed to actually holding it. My left thumb goes over the top of the septum, allowing me to guide the bottom left edge of the film into the top left edge of the septum. I actually slide the film under the septum groove from the side, rather from the top. I then bow the film with the fingers of my right hand, and slip it under the right groove, and then slide the film in. It's very quick, and I've never dropped or scratched a sheet of film. Best thing to do is practice in a lit room for a while. I find septums much easier to load than the two-sheet holders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirteenthumbs Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 S.C. check your specturms with a piece of film in the light. It should slide in easily and lock under the rear edge and not slide out. If it binds going in the specturm is not flat or the lip is bent and needs to be reformed. In my darkbag(photoflex changing room) I hold the specturm in my left hand with its notch in the lower right. I pick up a sheet of film with its notch code in the lower right. I lay the rear right corner of the film on the specturm so that the film is at a 45 degree angle to the spectrum and is only 1/4 to 1/2 inch on the specturm and slide it over until it touches the right edge then turn the film so that it is in line and the left edge just slips under the top(left) edge then slide it in using the notch as the pressure pont to secure it under the rear lip. hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_miller4 Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 I should mention that after grinding off the tab, Grafmatic films holders now fit perfectly. Not trusting anything to chance, I ran a sheet of film through each holder outdoors under the late afternoon sun. No sheets were fogged. The operation was a success! Thanks to all for the various suggestions and comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s._c. Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Glad that it worked out Ken. I will give the graphmatic another try. The septums seem pretty flat, so I'll practice in the light again. I'm still learning to get decent results from 4x5 in time for fall foilage (more $ for polaroids). I still drag the hasselblad and rollei into the catskills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s._c. Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Sorry, that's foliage. Time for my second caffeine infusion of the morning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_taylor2 Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Well, since you've already taken it off, this answer comes a little late, but I'll give it anyway. My Calumet came with an international back and it had a similar tab. Mine did not have a threaded hole however. The tab interfered with mounting certain kinds of full sized backs on the camera. After some invetigation, I took off the minimum needed to get those backs mounted and all was well. My experience since then has been that the tab was just a little bit of overengineering to ensure that film holders seat properly. I have no idea what the hole in yours is for. I eventually did find a reflex rear viewer for the back. It turns out that they fit entirely over the ground glass, which has two retention clips (one is spring loaded). So removing the tab has no effect on using one, since the viewer comes off with the ground glass. Good shooting, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvp Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 I had the same problem using a Grafmatic on a Calumet 540. Same solution, and haven't had any problems since grinding off the offending tab. Still no idea why it's there in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_miller4 Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 It was mentioned above that the threaded hole was for securing a cable release for opening/closing the shutter when viewing through the glass.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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