Graflex.org

Mediumformatphoto · Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Washington DC, USA

Hello,
I am the proud new owner of a Century Graphic that has an 80/2.8 Xenotar on it. I just got it today and I'm very impressed with the build quality of the camera. I have been using Rollei's and Mamiyas, and I'm looking forward to working with these wonderful cameras.

My first stupid question: how do you know how far to extend the front standard?

Second stupid question: how do I fold it back up again so the camera closed?

This site is a real gem!
TIA, R.J.

t.r.sanford · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 12:39 am Post subject:

The "Century," like its "Pacemaker" coevals, is designed to accommodate a pair of hinged "infinity stops," one on each side of the focusing track (which Graflex called the "yoke"). The hinged toggles on these swing up to intercept the front as you pull it forward after opening the camera. They are locked at the infinity focusing position of the particular lens installed on the camera.

The bottom of the front standard is equipped with a clutch that locks the front on the yoke, where you want it. This clutch is activated by a round-ended lever mounted to a shiny disc on the front standard base, right beneath the lens. Swung out parallel to the bed, it frees the front to slide along the track. Swung to either side, it lock the front in place.

When a "Century" was readied *******, the yoke was racked nearly all the way back. The appropriate focusing scales for the lens were attached to the yoke and the bed. The lens was installed and carefully focused at infinity by sliding the front back and forth along the yoke. The infinity stops then were slid into place; they are secured by little setscrews. If a rangefinder was provided, it then was adjusted to provide coincident images at infinity, and then at closer distances.

In use, then, you open the camera by swinging the bed down horizontal. You then declutch the front standard with the clutch lever, pull it out until it hits the infinity stops, and engage the clutch to lock it to the rails. You now can focus by scale, or with a rangefinder if one is installed.

If your camera has the focusing scales and the infinity stops, the above description should make sense to you. If it does not, you'll need to add them.

Do you have a rangefinder installed? Do you plan to use the camera with the 12-exposure 2¼x2¼ rollfilm adapter? Do you have the tubular optical viewfinder?

Mediumformatphoto · Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Washington DC, USA

Top · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2004 2:24 am Post subject:

I did some of my best work, ever, with the Century/Xenotar combo. If you are using a 6x9 back stop down to f8 and you'll get corner to corner coverage.
This is a great lens to use on this camera as long as you stay on top of corner fall-off at larger apetures.
Top

Mediumformatphoto · Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Washington DC, USA

Thanks for the feedback and advice. I finally realized the infinity stops were not raised on Century, so all is well. Now I just need to find an RH10 back.

Thanks,
R.J.

Mediumformatphoto · Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Washington DC, USA

One more thing: what is the filter size for 80/2.8 Xenotar? Are there any specific lens hoods made for it?

Thanks again!
R.J.

Dave · Joined: 05 Dec 2003 Posts: 78 Location: Canada

You can get the optical data for your Xenotar off the Schneider website-- click here. Your filter thread is 49mm, so you'll have no trouble finding a lens hood. Congratulations on catching an excellent lens-- they don't come up too often.

Mediumformatphoto · Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 18 Location: Washington DC, USA

Thanks for the link Dave and the filter size info! It sure is nice of Schneider to post information on their older lenses.