Graflex.org

[Jody S]

Title says it all. I have a strange camera that I tentatively ID-ed as Graflex based on the hardware for the focus mechanism. There is no maker's mark except on the Graflex 4x5 bag mag that came with the camera.

The camera is set up in portrait orientation, there is a fixed semi-silvered mirror that directs light to the side to the bag mag, and pass-through to the focus screen at the rear. There is a screw on the opposite side that allows adjustment of the mirror. There is a 1/4" wide slot for a large dark slide that blocks either the bag mag or the viewing screen. The viewing screen is on a hinge that allows it to fold out of the way for installation of a 2nd bag mag, to take 2 photos simultaneously. Standard slotted Graflex holders fit both.

Finally, the 4x4 lens board is very thick, doubled-up in fact, and there is a slot for a 2-1/2" wide filter behind the lens. Focus at infinity at 7" from film plane, max focus is a little over 9".

So does anyone know what I have? A collector friend of mine is slowly liquidating his gear, he's 81 now and doesn't want to see his collection go in a dumpster if he's forced to leave his apartment. He said he's had this camera for +40 years, and he could never figure out what it was. I have a dozen or so Graflex Speed, Crown, and SLR cameras, besides a few English cameras, I've never seen anything like this. This is not a home-brew camera, there is no evidence hardware was added or removed or that anything was modified. This appears to be as it came out of the factory. The only hint that it might not be a production camera is that the front standard does not rack all the way into the camera, the upward curve at the front of the geared tracks blocks it from retracting all the way.

https://flic.kr/p/2rMmH1U
https://flic.kr/p/2rMmwsU
https://flic.kr/p/2rMm94j
https://flic.kr/p/2rMm944
https://flic.kr/p/2rMm93Y
https://flic.kr/p/2rMfETw

[Jody S]

Please let me know if the flickr images don't load, I'll try a different host.

Alternatively, the LFPF thread is here:

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?182263-Help-identifying-strange-Graflex-(-)-SLR-4x5-camera

[Jody S]

Some closure, copying my conclusion written over on LFPF:

I'm now 99% sure it's a trichrome camera. The 'dark slide' fooled me. Why is it so wide? When I considered taking some pics with it, I realized I would have to tape over the two slots for the 'dark slide', because they're 1/4" wide and would let in enough light to immediately fog the film. And why would a dark slide be needed, since the bag mags / slotted holders have their own? The viewing hood in the rear closes enough that a dark slide is not needed if only 1 photo is being taken.

Since the camera needs to have something in the two slots for use, the only answer is that they are slots for color filter holders, that did not survive with the camera. The color filters were probably broken or delaminated and got discarded at some point. So the camera would take I guess green and blue with one short exposure, and then a longer exposure for red by itself.

I have found no mention of Graflex ever making a trichrome camera, nor have I seen another quite like this one. They usually have built-in filters and some mechanism for rotating those in and out of place, or elaborate systems to expose all 3 images at the same time. But due to the difficulty in obtaining the red image with ortho film, this camera isn't a bad compromise?