Graflex.org

[jimk]

Hi, I'm a new user of this site but I am not a photographer myself. I was thrilled to find this site as I know nothing about Graflex cameras.

As a surprise, I am planning to give my son my Dad's Century Graphic camera as a high school graduation gift. He's a budding, creative and interested photographer, but this would certainly be a new challenge for him. The camera has not been used in probably 30 years. I have numerous basic questions.

1. In your opinion, is this a good gift at his age or is there a reason why we should probably wait to give such a gift to someone who is heading off to college?
2. Where do I start to ensure the camera still functions?
3. What kind of basic initial maintenance should he or I perform?
4. Where could I find a copy of a user/owners' manual of the exact type that would have come with the camera when it was first purchased?
5. What other items are necessary to start up? Film and bulbs? What else?
6. Where can I purchase film and bulbs?
7. Where can film be developed? Though I understand that much of the joy of owning such a camera is self-developing the film, I'm not sure that my son will have the capacity or facilities to do this as he heads to college.
8. We have found 4 or 5 film packs (is that what they are called?) and some bulbs that are still with the camera. Is there any chance at all that the film or bulbs are still good?
9. Though I know he would be able to secure this camera on campus, (it's a film, communications, arts school so they may be appreciative of it's value,) in your opinion is it simply not too bright to bring such a camera to school? I could see my son using this camera extensively once he learned the ropes.
10. Do you have any suggestions what should be included as part of this gift? I plan to have the camera, an owers' manual, film and bulbs. Anything else to start?
11. What else do you suggest if/as he gets started with this camera?

Thank you very much in advance. Jim

[t.r.sanford]

I think you have an excellent idea there! I purchased a "Century Graphic" during my first year in college, and I got many, many years of use and pleasure from it.

You can purchase a manual from Craig Camera online. Craig presently lists a original manual for $18 and a reprint for $15. He is good to deal with.

Some context may be useful to you.

Concerning film, the "Century" is like other large-format cameras, in that the film is carried in a separate holder or adapter. You mention filmpack. This is a flat metal shell containing (in its last Kodak versions) 16 films, each attached to a long strip of opaque paper and sandwiched in a folded stack. The ends of the strips protruded from the side of the "film pack adapter" that went on the back of the camera, and you pulled each tab in turn as you took pictures.

Filmpack was a sort of early variant of rollfilm, introduced in the first decade of the 20th Century and, perhaps, finding its greatest popularity in the 1920s and '30s. There is much to be said about it, but it is no longer available, in any format, and you cannot rely on finding usable stocks. Any old filmpacks you may find in unopened factory packaging may still produce images, but expect a loss of filmspeed and a high level of "fog." Careful processing can help with the fog. This all can be a lot of fun, but it's not practical.

The other options are cut, or sheet, film (carried in double-sided holders or in a 6-shot magazine called a "Grafmatic"), and rollfilm. Sheetfilm in 2¼x3¼ format is still available, but is not easy to find. There are a couple of good sources on the Web, notably J&C. The big camera stores, like B&H in New York City, also carry it, though not in a wide variety of emulsions. The 2¼x3¼ sheetfilm format has been dying for decades, and it is almost dead.

This leaves rollfilm. Fortunately, the Graflex rollfilm adapters take 120 film, which is the only surviving gauge, but is very widely used and thus available in a wide range of emulsions. Graflex made rollfilm adapters for cameras of different sizes, so you want to make sure any rollfilm adapter you buy is designed for the "23" cameras (not the "34" -- 3¼x4¼ -- or "45" models). You also want an adapter that will fit the "Graflok" back (this is what the "Century" has), not the (relatively rare) "Graflex" back, which was found on Graflex reflex cameras.

Rollfilm backs were made to make eight 2¼x3¼-inch negatives, which is the camera's format and might be your first choice. They also were made in 2¼x2¼-inch format (12 exposures per roll) and 2¼x2¾ (10 exposures per roll), and there was a 2¼x2¾ 20-exposure adapter that used 220 film (still available, but not nearly as easy to find as 120, and offered in far fewer emulsions).

On flash: flashbulbs are no longer manufactured (like all generalizations, this one is false, but for practical purposes they are unobtainable new). You can find them, but bulb flash probably is not a good choice for a working outfit. An electronic flash is a better choice. Classic Graflex flashes attached to the side of the camera, and this is a very good arrangement if you can find the right flash and mounting accessories.

Concerning the camera: I suppose it has a "tubular viewfinder" fitted. This accepts "masks" to adjust the field of view for different film formats (there are square ones for 2¼x2¼ images) and different lenses. This need not concern you initially, if the finder is there and is fitted with the right mask for the lens on the camera, and the film adapter you propose to use. (For example, my "Century" came with a 101mm. "Ektar" lens and an 8-exposure rollfilm back. Its viewfinder had a "#2" mask).

Does the camera have a rangefinder fitted? (Mine didn't.) This will be a narrow black metal box with two round windows in front, mounted vertically up the left side of the camera as you face it and inscribed "Kalart Synchronized Range Finder". You can use a "Century" successfully without a coupled rangefinder, but it is a great help. I had one installed, which you could do in 1960 when Kalart was still a going concern. Alas, it now is no more than a memory and a toxic waste site in Connecticut. If the rangefinder is present, it may or may not be correctly adjusted (they can drift off, over time), and its optics may or may not have deteriorated (they contain a beamsplitter mirror whose coating tends to go away as the years pass by).

Concerning service: this site is populated by people who like to restore cameras. You might be better advised to find a camera technician who is familiar with Graflex equipment -- they do still exist -- and who can check the camera out for you, test the rangefinder, and service the shutter. The premier Graflex technician at present is Fred Lustig (Las Vegas, NV), who unfortunately has been inactive for the past year or so because of illness. Word is that he is on the mend and is getting back into action; it might be worthwhile to contact him.

Once you've assembled a working outfit -- camera, rollfilm back, viewfinder, rangefinder, and lens-in-shutter -- I think you can count on your son to pick up the ball and run with it, regarding additional accessories and options.

[troublemaker]

Ditto above...
I have four Century cameras. All came to me in good enough condition to produce photos, though all required a bit of cleaning and a couple lenses needed to be taken apart and cleaned. Let us know what lens and shutter you have, and about the range finder.
I got my Century first and foremost as an educational tool with an eye on producing and selling my work. They are easy, reliable, fairly compact,durable, and make excellent all around cameras for a variety of uses. I would guess that if the camera has been well taken care (even if not) that it may very well be ready to go back into action. There is a plethora of info here on cleaning and servicing the Graphic camera. Shop around the auction sites and see what you find, it is an easy way to familiarize with what's available. I suggest looking at the following roll film backs, Gralfex 22, and 23 with the knob wind, and the RH-10 and 12 with the newer lever wind. There is a description of these on the site here. A littel caution should be taken when purchasing old roll film backs. A good source may very well be your local camera shops if they have vintage equipment and ofetn these things are on consignment so you can deal directly with a real person. I have received excellent items form auction sites but also a couple that were inopperable.
REgards,
stephen
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=29973&item=3808959149&rd=1
HEre is an example of the RH-10 roll holder.
Note the description, no dark slide. It says excellent condition but keep in mind that is a subjective statement as this unit has seen a lot of use.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=710&item=3809908401&rd=1
This one is a Graflex 23 knob wind insert in a 22 body. It looks pretty used. May or may not function, but this what they look like. IT is certainly not excellent.
I like these older knob winders because they are a littel lighter for backpacking, but they fussy and do not always advance the film properly. I wouldn't spend more than 30 bucks for this one , but new in the box mint would get a premium. note that there are no bids on it.
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Anyone can buy tools...

[ This Message was edited by: troublemaker on 2004-04-18 11:02 ]

[ This Message was edited by: troublemaker on 2004-04-18 11:09 ]

[ This Message was edited by: troublemaker on 2004-04-18 11:10 ]

[ This Message was edited by: troublemaker on 2004-04-18 11:12 ]

[Nick]

[Nick]

How did the red guy end up in my post?-)

[Les]

the number 8 with a ) without a space in between gets

[jimk]

This was all incredibly helpful. I've now got a lot of work to do but I'm very encouraged. Based on all the replies I'm certain that this is a perfect gift for my son.

I know my son will also be excited to know that such a site as this exists. It's great!

Thanks everyone. My guess is we'll be back with more questions once he receives this in early June.

[45PSS]

Answer to question 10: A good basic tripod with pan tilt head.
Bogen/Manifutio 3221 with either 3025 or 3029 head is a good start.
http://www.bogenimaging.us/

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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 2004-04-18 21:07 ]