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julianjenkins · Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2004 10:52 am Post subject:

I did search the threads and nothing I found helped but here it goes. I recently got a Speed Graphic camera and need help in many things but let's start with - what kind/model/size is it? Here's a link to some recent pics of the camera.

http://www.sportsshooter.com/prodjjulian/sgpics/

As well, my great grandfather was a photographer in old town San Diego at the turn of the century (1900's that is) and I have a picture of him with one of his cameras. Can you help me to find out what kind of camera and various equipment he had. Any help is great.

Link to great grandfather pic:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/prodjjulian/passmore/

Thank you- Julian Jenkins

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2148 Location: New Jersey

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

The FAQ on the website will tell you a whole lot more, but the Speed is an Anniversary from 1940.

The other camera is a Century Cirkut Camera. While these cameras were made until WWII, the earliest use a flat blade "fan" to control the speed. Later that used a geared govenor. Yours uses the fan (below the back of the camera). It looks like it's a Cirkut 10 outfit, so it would take a 10" tall image up to about 5' by having the camera rotate on the tripod while it was moving--the large tripod head is acutually a geared head. The width was controlled by the photographer turning the camera on and off.

Top · Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2004 2:45 pm Post subject:

Les;
On the subject of '40/'41 Annys, just when was the 'tombstone' sportsfinder eyepiece replaced with the swing-up type?
Top

julianjenkins · Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2004 8:47 pm Post subject:

That was helpful- thank you. I saw a Cirkut 10 outfit on eBay starting at $3000. Wow, quite a lot but I assume they are now rare.

I will look in the FAQ and if I don't get a helpful answer I'll be back- Great site by the way.

Julian

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

I can't give you a firm date I was under the impression that the flip up peep sight and the tubular Kalart RF (scales on the outside) were part of the first year's production, but there seems to be several of these cameras with a 1941 Ektar on them.

Then there seems to be a span of about 6 months where they laquered most of the chrome trim....this finished as yellowed considerably over time and now makes the camera look like it lived it's life inside Rick's American Cafe.

Just when we get everything right.....the swing up peed sight, the chrome Kalart RF and polished crhome trim....the war comes along and everything went black. By the time the war's over the Speed Graphic nameplate is now Italic
and the RF is now black.

Top · Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:10 pm Post subject:

[quote]
On 2005-01-01 20:32, Les wrote:
I can't give you a firm date I was under the impression that the flip up peep sight and the tubular Kalart RF (scales on the outside) were part of the first year's production, but there seems to be several of these cameras with a 1941 Ektar on them.

Les;
My current project is this very camera: 4x5 Anny, flip-up eyepiece, Kalart F, and '41 Ektar (EC 2154). If only the bellows were a little better.....
Top

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

I have one of those with the lacquered hardware. It looks pretty bad, even though it is spotlessly clean. Worse yet, I have one or two that have been lacuered or varnished all over. I've heard of some old time photographers who did that to protect the camera in bad weather. Nothing worse than a reporter with a limp camera, eh?

_________________
Glenn

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