Graflex.org

ljsegil · Joined: 29 Feb 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Highland Park, IL

I recently (and happily) acquired an early Anniversary Speed Graphic, still fitted with the original Graflex back that preceeded the Graphic Spring and Graflok backs that were used on later versions of the camera. The Graflex back has the ground glass in a frame that fits directly to the camera back, held in place by a slot at the bottom and a sliding bar at the top. The ground glass is removed and the film holder is then placed into the position (and slots) previously occupied by the glass and frame. The film holders for the Graflex back are slightly different in size and have a different light trap (a narrow groove by the darkslide, rather than the two ridges of current holders) compared to holders made for the Spring or Graflok back. I have been fortunate, and a bit lucky, in finding some film holders that fit the Graflex back (a few regular cut film holders, one Grafmatic, and a couple of Bag Mags) and so can use the camera without trying to swap out the back. The one item I would very much like to find, to make my life complete, is a Polaroid holder that will fit this back. Did such a holder ever exist? If so, what model, and what sort of film did it take? And if I am fortunate enough that such a thing did exist, any idea where to find one now?
And if anyone has any old film holders of any sort that would fit the Graflex back and are doing them no current good, I would be delighted to try to take them off your hand
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LJ Segil

45PSS · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:33 am Post subject:

I hat to be the one to dissapoint you but....
The Graflex back was available as an option on the Speed Graphic cameras so that a photographer could use the same film holders on their Speed and Graflex SLR's, the Graflex back did not pre date the Graphic or Graflok back.
There is no known Polaroid back that fits the Graflex back.

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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

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

4PSS and I could argue from Happy Hour until Last Call as to whether the Graflex back predated the Graphic or the Graflok back, but the important thing is that there was never a factory Polaroid holder to fit a Graflex back.

Now you could modify a 545 or a pack film back to fit, but Polaroid Corp has made your life complete by announcing the discontinuance of all Polaroid sheet film with in the year I believe. The conversion isn't that difficult to do yourself, but expensive if you hired it out, and with only a year to use it might be exceedingly expensive.

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

hurdy_gurdyman · Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Posts: 44 Location: Central Michigan

Somebody needs to make an affordable digital back in a Graflok mount so we can still preview our film shots.

Dave

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

I've noticed that in the past few years, Graflok digi-backs are becoming scarce, it seems the Hassy and the Mamiya RZ mount are now common. Not sure if the RZ mount is similar to the Graflex, I know the RB mount was.
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"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison