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willysmb · Joined: 28 Feb 2004 Posts: 128 Location: France _ Europe

Dear Sirs

Is the side Kalart on pacemaker was discontinued in 1955 by top RF or is it possible to find some Side RF ( in Stock Vs) after 1955 ?
With all my best regards
laurent

t.r.sanford · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:53 pm Post subject:

I'll be interested in the answers to this one. When I was in college (c. 1961), I was told that the camera was available in a basic version, without a rangefinder, or with the top rangefinder. If you got the basic version, you could have a Kalart rangefinder installed later. None of this was cheap -- even the basic version -- so I had no first-hand experience of shopping for a new one.

pv17vv · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:26 pm Post subject:

Erased, hit the wrong key.

pv17vv · Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 6:27 pm Post subject:

I once saw a camera advertised where-you-know with an astonished comment from the seller saying something like " I cannot see a hole in the wood where the side RF normally is, maybe a prototype ".

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

The main body of the Pacemaker was llittle changed when the top RF became standard. When the transition was made, the Kalart RF cameras were sold in as a " Special Promotional camera" This was the basis of the Crown Special though it wasn't marked that way.

The top RF body used the wound spring type wire finder and the body release had only two screws instead of four.

The Special Promotional camera was so popular that they kept making them even after the supply of old style cameras exhausted, so there are Top Rangefinder bodies can be found with Kalart RF mounted on the side.

After a time they gave up on the Kalart RF for 4x5 and the Crown Special got the top RF like the rest of the line. However, the holes for the Kalart RF were never removed. The flash mount strip on Crowns uses a threaded plug to cover the large hole near the top and the holes for the machine screws are still there, just covered over with leatherette. Thus should the photographer want to have a rangefinder for two lenses, he could order a camera with both the top rangefinder AND a Kalart rangfinder.

Les
_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

bruiser · Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:38 am Post subject:

Hi Laurant,
At one time I had a '62 Crown (according to the serial number) that had a side mounted Kalart. There was no sign of it ever having a top mounted rangefinder. Maybe it was a custom order.
Cheers,
Bruce

willysmb · Joined: 28 Feb 2004 Posts: 128 Location: France _ Europe

Many thanks for all theses informations.

Best regards
Laurent

t.r.sanford · Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject:

It may not be amiss to remind those who did not grow up at a particular time and place that Kalart rangefinders were commonly retrofitted to all kinds of bellows cameras by repair services which usually were not affiliated with the camera manufacturer. You saw a lot of used Kodak "Recomars" and so forth with aftermarket Kalart rangefinders, half a century ago.

Thus, I can imagine scenarios in which a "Crown Graphic" could end up with a Kalart rangefinder, even if Graflex did not supply it that way and even if it had not been pre-drilled to accept one.

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

Though a little off the topic, my 1953 price list shows the Kalart as selling for $32.95 including installation.
The later, I think 1959, instruction reference manual I have has on the cover an image of the top RF Crown, and above it, a Speed Graphic with no RF at all. I imagine the holes were there for mounting and simply cover over as on the many Century Graphics around without Kalarts mounted.
The price sheet I have, though for pre top RFers, lists pricing for camera body, Graflok back with Ektalite screen, and whichever coated standard lens you choose, though one could probably oreder the body without lens. Kalarts, and all other accessories supplied by Graflex are listed seperately.
I always get a kick out of the fact that Graphics sell now for about the same as what they sold for back in the day, $189 to$262.
There was a post a while back that added inflation, which would make a new Graphic now something of a status symbol besides being a nice camera.

Henry · Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:48 pm Post subject:

When I mounted an optical viewfinder on my Century, I found that the holes for the mounting screws were already present under the covering. I suspect the same would be true for the Kalart. My Century came with the Kalart already installed so I can't confirm that last assumption. I wonder in the case of the Mahoganite body whether the relative difficulty of drilling in the plastic material led Graflex to make the camera bodies with all holes cast in place?

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

Yeah they all have the holes, and I think it probably would be more cost effective during production to run all the bodies through the same manufacturing. It would also help in proper allignment and instalation at at a later date should an owner wish to add the accessories, as you probably discovered with the viewfinder. I know I did when I added a Kalart to a Century. One thing that would have been nice would have been to have the front guide rails pre-drilled and tapped for the addition of focussing scales. I've seen good factory type installs and then there are those that are not so hot, including stampings in the guides, scratched in with an awl or something, just hacked.

alecj · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 853 Location: Alabama

That wasn't possible because there were many scales available for different focal lengths, and those scales are not the same length. They were apparently not standardized that way.

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

Perhaps yes. But all the scales I have had for the Pacemakers have been the same spread on the hole centers, seeming to, but maybe not desigend to, coincide with the range finder's ability to focus. One of the Crowns I have here has been tapped for three scales, all the same hole centers, though only the standard lens scale came with the camera. One of the scales was removed at some point and the guide rail was stamped. Based on this, I looked at a very good image in one of the catalogs I have that shows a Pacemaker bed with four scales mounted. They appear to be the for 90, 135, 162, and 10". All are the same length except for the short lens scale which looks to have been shortened so as not to interfere with the rail focussing lock lever on the front right side, which canbe easily done. The scales I have for my 65 and 80mm lenses that I use on the 23series cameras are they same length as those for 101, 103, 105, 127, 135, and the 8" Tele-Rap lenses, which the 127 and 135 are from 45 series.
I am not making any claim here that I am absolutely correct, or arguing against what you say, but just clarifying what I have seen to be a pattern, at least with the Pacemakers I have and have had. I have certainly not had all of the scales in hand that have been made for various focal lengths and I have only refurbished a couple of the pre-pacemaker cameras and Mini-Speeds, which do have considerably longer scales.
I haven't decided ifI like the older long scales or thelater Pacmaker better. The former has more exacting markings for distance whereas the later has limited info but I prefer the later for simple DOF calculations and they are more compact.
Just an observation.
Have a good day