Graflex.org

starling · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Ottawa, Canada

Hi everyone. I just received a Crown Graphic I bought that seems to be in pretty good user condition (not mint, but everything works). It's from a dealer, so, there's a warranty. I'm totally new to these, but the camera meets my expectations as far as description goes. However, when I focus at 10 feet from subject to film plane (for example) using the ground glass, the little distance scale on the bed seems to be where it should be (10 feet is indicated). However, when I focus with the top-mount rangefinder, it shows 6 ft. So, it seems to me like the rangefinder is inaccurate by about 4 ft. The rangefinder is very clear and easy to see, although, the vertical alignment of the images isn't perfect. What I want to know before I go to the trouble and added expense of returning it is how accurate can these top-mounted rangefinders normally be expected to be at short distances like 6-10ft? Is this something that can be easily adjusted locally (assuming the normal camera repair facilities of a major city). Or should I just return the whole thing to the seller?

Other than that, lens is very clear, and the Rapax shutter seems to work Ok. It was a little hesitant on 1 sec the first couple of times, but now it hums along pretty smoothly.

Pete

glennfromwy · Joined: 29 Nov 2001 Posts: 903 Location: S.W. Wyoming

It probably has the wrong rangefinder cam for the lens you have. Though the lens matches the focus scale, it may have been cammed for a wide angle lens, for example.
Read trough these posts and read all the general information on the site to get a feel for what you have. No need to return it, the cams are interchangeable. It's not a defect.

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"

t.r.sanford · Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 7:58 pm Post subject:

The rangefinder should be accurate enough to conform to your groundglass focusing, at any distance. The adjustment (and correction of coincidence) would be a simple task for a camera technician who knew how to do it, and there still are some left. If everything else is clean and straight and working, I'd definitely get the rangefinder adjusted rather than returning the whole thing.

t.r.sanford · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:26 am Post subject:

I hadn't considered the possibility that someone might have changed the cam on you, but that would be easy to determine, once you figure out how to remove the cam (not difficult, but not at all intuitive)!

Its underside should be stamped with the focal length of the lens for which the cam is designed to work. The one in front of me as I write carries the marking, "135M/M P5," which (of course) is for a 135mm. lens.

If the cam is correct, the difficulty might be the location of the angle tab (Graflex called it a "bracket") on the rear section of the track (Graflex called it the "yoke") which contacts a spring-loaded plunger on the inside of the body, and drives the cam against a return spring through an ingenious mechanical transmission consisting of a curved tube filled with little steel balls.

If you can find someone to adjust the thing for you, you could spare yourself some tedium and annoyance. On the other hand, you might miss out on some education and entertainment!

Rangemaster · Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 1:26 am Post subject:

Entertainment is an understatment!

Dave

starling · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Ottawa, Canada

I guess I could always just use it as a portable view camera, that is, without bothering with the rangefinder. Of course, I paid for a camera with an accurate rangefinder, so I may have to return it in the end, or at least get a discount. The other thing is that, I mainly intended to use the Crown as a high-end Polaroid camera, and I think the viewfinder would be useful at times. Thanks for your comments/suggestions.

starling · Joined: 05 Jun 2004 Posts: 12 Location: Ottawa, Canada

Well..., I just sent it back under warranty (I bought from a reputable dealer, but paid a bit more for the privilege), and I miss it already. Hopefully they can adjust the viewfinder. I've only so far been able to use up a pack of Polaroid 3-1/4 by 4-1/4, but so far, I really like the experience of working on one picture at a time. I realize more and more that this is what I always did anyway, even with the 24 exposures on 35mm film.

And out of 10 pictures, I only forgot to remove the darkslide for two of them