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Crown Graphic built without RF

 
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disemjg



Joined: 10 Jan 2002
Posts: 474
Location: Washington, DC

PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 2:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just got an early Crown 45 that had been built without a rangefinder installed; I wanted it for my collection because of the lack of an RF.

My question has to do with the flash bracket that is attached to the side of the camera. It is the customary flat bracket that accepts the two Graflite ring clamps. It is the early style with only round holes. It is screwed directly to the side of the camera with three screws, and does not have the stand-off bracket that the top RF cameras had under their flash bracket.

I am wondering if the camera came from the factory this way? I suspect that it was a field additon, but this is the only body like this that I have seen. When did this style bracket become available to replace the older simple rail that was rivited to the top of the RF housing?

One other odd detail on this camera is that the fixed focusing scale appears to be a blank that was marked by hand to match the lens. I suspect that the body was sold without a lens, and the factory installed a blank plate since they did not know what fixed scale was appropriate.
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Graflite bracket was introduced at the same time the Graflite flash was introduced, which I think was '49 or 50. Originally this bracket was attached to another bracket or frame that went around the Kalart RF. See : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3807112854&indexURL=1&photoDisplayType=2#ebayphotohosting

I don't think I've come across any "round holes only" brackets they all seem to have an oval hole in there somewhere.

What does the rear peep sight look like?
and
What is the top half of the front sport finder made of?

BTW the link looks like it might be an early, unlabled Crown Special. Not all Specials were top RF.
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disemjg



Joined: 10 Jan 2002
Posts: 474
Location: Washington, DC

PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is an early Crown, with the leather covering and Graphic back. The sportsfinder is the formed aluminum hoop with the parralax adjustment in the base of the front frame. The eyepiece is the simple non-adjustable peep with plastic ring. The tube finder is the early pattern without the reinforcement on the eyepiece.

The serial number on this camera is 964759.

I have another early Crown, number 958648, which has the round hole flash bracket mounted on the customary encircling bracket over the RF. So the round hole brackets are the early pattern, and the ones with the pear shaped hole came in quickly afterwards. I have never found out why the one hole is shaped differently on the later brackets.

The camera in the link is indeed odd, and combines top and side RF features. I did not know that the Schneiders were used before the top RF cameras. It would be interesting to see the serial number on that camera.

My guess is that my cameras were made in '48 and '49, or mabye a year later. Can Gandalf let us know?

[ This Message was edited by: disemjg on 2004-04-09 06:12 ]
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