chris_hale

All you need is the "Graflarger" back manufactured by Graflex for use on Speed and Crown Graphic cameras. Linhof also made one for Technika's. The back goes onto any "international" or "Graflock" back and includes negative carriers for 6x9 and 4x5" sheet films.

The latest version of the Graflarger used an Aristo cold light element but earlier ones emitted blue/green light that prints B/W fast but is poor for colour.

If you have a fairly modern, symmetrical derivative lens it will enlarge just fine. Stop it down to f/16 or so and enjoy yourself.

I mounted an older Schneider Componon 135mm lens in a shutter and use it as a taking lens, too.

The cleaning scratches on the lens will probably not cover enough of the lens

area to be significant. The price is lower than the value of a good Copal shutter.

Hmmmm.

 

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Offhand, I would be more woried about the fact that the cells have been remounted

in the Copal from an earlier barrel or shutter. The spacing is critical on these lenses

and needs to be set up on an optical bench for best performance. The older shutters

were not standardized to the present tolarances and lens cells were often shimmed for

spacing. If the remounter knew his job it's a bargain. If not, it will not live up to the lens's

well deserved reputation. Negotiate a trial and do a test, if you can.

Probably your mirror is not sitting at the correct 45 degree angle. Check

inside to see why not. Alternatively, perhaps your groundglass and

fresnel lens are not mounted correctly in the opening at the top of the camera.

It would need to be a lonnnng way out to defocus 1/3 of the image though.

The really nice thing about "American Low Tech" cameras is that you can

probably adjust it yourself if you can accurately measure the mirror angle.

As an experiment, focus the camera on a brick wall using a focussing panel

in the film plane and then see what happens to the focus on the groundglass

when you release the mirror but only let it rise a little, held from behind with a

strip of tape and a string. Don't let the shutter release while you're

trying this. It will probbly show you in what direction your mirror needs to

be adjusted.

Do you suppose that this paper was intended for printing stereo pairs from the 10" square aerial stereo pairs? It would then carry two images with the right spacing for the wartime mirror stereoscopes. The contrast (#4) seems to be fairly high for normal use but would probably be ideal for enhancement of small details lost in the generally low contrast atmospheric haze. ...just a plausible guess. Good luck with your quest. CJH

Later roll backs have larger main rollers and don't bend the film as

tightly. This is the principal advantage that I can see. I have never been impressed that the add-on tiny rollers accomplish much. It

may be more to the point to recognize that the entire film carriage floats in the housing and is pressed forward by two steel springs on the opening back, acting on two screw heads. Carefully (!) tighten these springs by bending **only the tips, not the middle** forward and the improvement in flatness is often amazing. Over the last 40 years many of them have fatigued and allow the film carriage to be loose against the guide rails. Look for 1/2" rollers rather than 3/8" rollers. Interestingly, I have an old graflex factory memo that talks about counter and flatness problems in the later, lever wind backs, too.

Cheers, CJH

I have enjoyed using the Graphic View II within the limits imposed

by its non-interchangeable bellows.

Make a point of finding one with a graflock back as there are some around

with older spring backs that are difficult to use with roll film adaptors

and even a few oversize graflex backs.

The graflock panel is interchangeable with the Speed and Crown, either with

or w/o an Ektalite fresnel. The fucussing hood is a nuisance but protects the glass

when carrying the camera in a pack. The lens board will interchange

with an older anniversary graphic or a B&J press for the field.

Many of the old Graphic views and viewII's are getting to be quite floppy. The II has

a longer (16") rail and axis tilts. The bearings around which the lens and back panels tilt

become loose but can easily be retightened simply by laquering the end of the screw that

is the tilt pivot. Put it together after its thoroughly dry!

The original graphic view had a little shorter rail and base tilts that were less

susceptible to the wear problem, because the locking rods run all the way down to the

base and the geometry is better for locking the tilt.

Before you buy a camera,check to see that all of the washers are in place. There should

be three on each locking point: a fibre one, a bronze spring one, and a steel spacer.

Most cameras are missing most of them which contributes to an undeserved reputation for

wobbliness.

The best manual for these cameras is the USN Photographers Mate 3 and 2.

There is a chapter devoted to this camera so you can read for

yourself whether it's a useful machine.