Graflex.org

[parny]

Somehow I wound up with 3 speed & crown graphic cameras with no backs: no spring back, no graflok back, nothing (well, they were cheap, and I can build a film holder to mount to them).

I also seem to see a lot of graphics up ******* on ebay with no backs.

So I'm curious:

Where did all those backs go that industrious folks removed? Is there some lair with hundreds of the backs stashed away against future need? Or is there some alternative use for these backs that I don't know about?

pa

[Les]

Wellll. I have a back made into a 4x5 back for a Deardorff.

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"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[45PSS]

I read on this board sometime in the past that the backs were made of magnesium. That being so, all those press picture takers in a hurry to get back to the press room, droped and broke them, (banging them into walls and lamp post, car fenders and the like). As production ceased the new batch of picture takers, following in their fore fathers footsteps, droped and broke theirs also. Being there were no new ones in production, they started taking the ones off the more worn or left idle too long bodies that were abundant.
The rest were worn out by those super photographers that changed their film holders so fast that they cut groves into the soft material of the back, resulting in nonrepairable light leaks.

Just watch that E__y thing and you'll see one crop up once in a while.
C

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While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a quality photograph is worth a million.


[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2002-11-15 20:58 ]

[bertsaunders]

More likely sinerio was, when I started collecting in the late 70's, parts cameras were available by the dozens, and a parts camera in those days were, a mostly complete body, less lens/lensbd/back,
prices $45/$65......the lenses were selling for $125, and the backs went for $30/$45 for spring backs, and $65/$125 for Graflok backs! I bought and restored (5) Speed Graphics (2 Pacemaker/3 Anniversary model bodies,for $80 (incl S&H), thats an average of $16 ea..
but after buying backs and lenses, had to hold on to them for 15 years, before I could come close to recovering the cost! Have 9 SLR's Graflex models from those early days that averaged $85 ea, and they were in most cases in working condition, and in decent shape! Dealers are outbidding everyone these days, and buying cheap, selling hi, so everything is inflated in price......still can get some bargains, but they are few and far between! Shutterbug used to be the place to find bargains, but that source has dried up due to the movement to selling everything at auction!
Bert





[ This Message was edited by: bertsaunders on 2002-11-16 16:18 ]

[ This Message was edited by: bertsaunders on 2002-11-17 16:46 ]

[Henry]

Bert, you are so right! I was lucky enough to just get in on the tail end of that whole Shutterbug thing when I was putting my Century outfit together. Got two great Optar lenses direct from Columbus Camera Group before they went e--y, plus a Minolta 35mm shift lens from a private source who placed an ad in the SB classifieds. Also, fewer dealers show up at the camera shows, which has been a prime source for me. I shudder (shutter?) to think what it would cost me today if I wanted to duplicate my entire outfit.

[vistashift]

in the old days--BP--before polaroid 500--8x10 view cameras seldom had 45 reducing backs. the standard accessory back was 57. Come polaroid,bye 57, hello 45, there was a rush to
get 45 backs for the 810's. even kodak's gorgeous master view 810 only offered a 57 which generally was sacraficed just to get the outer frame for the 45. thousands of perfectly good graphics and other 45's were rendered useless like your just to get a reducing back.
in short order 45 pre 1950 used for ALL weddings and MOST stock dwindled in use and disappeared forever for these purposes in favor of 120 and now even(gasp) 35, now even (gasp gasp) digital. i forsaw a demand for graflok backs so collected em at shows,flea markets, etc. then i forsaw 45 fading and sold
10 graflok backs to a pal who restores graphics,graflexes and views for $60 apiece.
then along came ebay has tripled that price.
best better is to look for junkers on ebay.
with a graflok back they routinely bring less than a nude back. good hunting.



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rofuerbringer