Graflex.org

[Ron]

I picked up a Graflex 22 Model 400 with the 3.5 lens. The price was right. It's in good condition to place on a shelf but I would rather have it repaired so it would be usable. My question is: is it worth it? Known problems are as follows: film rollers need to be replaced. They have a few spots of rust on them. Lens seems to have a film inside. Either lens would have to be replaced or totally disassembled and cleaned. Haven't tried shooting any pictures with it yet because of the rollers. If it would be worth it to get it repaired, could I please have some suggestions of places that would repair this camera. Thanks in advance.

Ron

[FrankS]

Ron,
I'm totally new to Graphic cameras so I'll just ask the obvious question. Can you remove the rust with fine steel wool? As for the lens, I've had luck cleaning with isopropal alcohol and water mix and lens cleaning tissue or cloth. (after first blowing or brushing off any grit that could scratch the glass or coating.) If the lens still looks filmy, unscrew the front and rear elements and clean as directed above. If the lens still looks filmy there are problems between lens elements or between glued lens elements and you can probably forget about using it. The important part to examine is the shutter. If the speeds all sound right, that's great. If not, a CLA will cost some bucks, but a good shutter is worth CLA'ing. If you're lucky, all the camera needs is a good cleaning.

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...preferring to be on the shiny side of the film, Frank S.