Graflex.org

[johng]

I've just aquired an early Folmer Graflex C-3 Speed Graphic and I'm going round in circles! I can't find how to mount the front Lens & Bellows onto the rails. I can slide it onto the front of the rails but not on the back. Surely that isn't correct?

2nd issue.
Is there a special way of removing/sliding the back off? it's held down by 2 scewed down springs. I can't find any raised knobs to press anywhere. Any help really would be welcomed. john

[Jim C.]

I don't quite understand what you mean by being able to slide the front standard ( what you call the front lens and bellows ) into the front rails but not the back.


In regards to the back, you cannot remove it, it's a spring back and not a Graflok back.

You may want to take look here -
http://www.cameramanuals.org/prof_pdf/c-3_graflex_camera-1.pdf

[William Hallett]

The C-3 was the military name for the Anniversary Speed Graphic. To put the front standard back where it belongs, first push the focussing track back as far as it will go (to the infinity position, in other words), then drop the bed. (The bed has two possible positions when the camera is open: the normal one is at 90 degrees to the camera body, but you can get it to drop further (to about 45 degrees) by pushing down on the bed braces and pushing the bed down. This is the position used for some wide-angle lenses.) You will now find that a gap opens up in front of the part of the track that is inside the body, and you can slide the front standard onto this.

The reverse of this manoeuvre is used by Anniversary users to put the standard at the front of the bed so as to use a telephoto without disturbing the infinity stops on the track.
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WilliamH