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griswell
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
Posts: 3
Location: Alabama
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 Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 12:19 am Post subject: A Happy Thrift Store Find! (Speed Graphic) |
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This big guy was peeking out of the top of a box full of flimsy plastic 35mm cameras at the local Salvation Army store. No price on it, and when I saw it was a Speed Graphic (something I had only seen in pictures) I quickly walked it up to the register and asked the price. The cashier didn't even know what it was. (The front was closed.) She asked her manager "Hey, how much for this old radio?" and in the end, I walked away with it for twenty bucks.
Take a look at the images below, and you can see this one is pretty well used. Not a showpiece by ANY means. I have no idea how it works, but I have used Mamiya C330's in the past, so I am not totally in the dark. The board, bellows and rails work nicely. The lens is clean, but the shutter sticks open sometimes and the diaphragm is a little bit wonky. The leatherette door over the focus screen in the back is peeling pretty badly, and the roll-ip baffle inside is wrinkled (although still light-tight.)
I'm taking it from the images I see on the site that what I have is a Speed Graphic Anniversary edition. I don't know what all is missing; this is one of those times I wish I had a regular user alongside me to tell me "Ah, you are missing the _____ and the _____is really not supposed to turn that slowly."
But anyhow, this camera just made my day when I found it. I'm getting ready to open my photography studio (after twelve years of freelance) and this guy is gonna be on a shelf where everybody can see it! The only thing I wish I could do is take some shots with it, but I don't want to burn money on film when I don't even know if anything on it works!
Sorry for my wordy-ness, just have a look at the photos and tell me what you guys think! Was it worth my twenty bucks? Does it look like it can still be used? I started out shooting Kodachrome in that C330, and now all I wanna do is see what this guy can do!
On a side note, I think it's awesome that the Graflex is bigger (and about the same weight) as my Canon 1Ds with the 70-200L attached! (see first pic)
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM01.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM02.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM03.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM04.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM05.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM06.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM07.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM08.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM09.jpg
And now a few little happy ones I took shortly after I bought it. This is in the field right behind the thrift store. I bet they thought I was an idiot out there taking pictures of my "old radio". 
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM10.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM11.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c272/dgriswell/Graflex/CAM12.jpg
Someone else has already said this before, but I wish this camera could talk. I'd love to know who held it when it's box was first opened, and how many people it has photographed!
289390 is the serial number, don't know if that tells anything else or not. 
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Sirius Glass
Joined: 06 Jun 2010
Posts: 162
Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 12:30 am Post subject: |
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With the serial number 289390, that dates it as one from 1941.
287212 – Miniature Speed – 1941
289222 – 1941
292785 – Miniature Speed – 1941
Is it older than you or younger than you?
Steve
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Nothing beats a good piece of glass. |
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griswell
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
Posts: 3
Location: Alabama
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| Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 12:44 am Post subject: |
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| Sirius Glass wrote: | With the serial number 289390, that dates it as one from 1941.
287212 – Miniature Speed – 1941
289222 – 1941
292785 – Miniature Speed – 1941
Is it older than you or younger than you?
Steve |
Right after I posted this I was browsing the site here and saw that you can also date the camera if it has the Kodak Ektar lens, and mine does! Based on the lens serial number, and on your info, that's pretty much unanimous--1941!
As for your other question, I am about to turn 37, so this guy has quite a few years on me! (and will most likely be clicking away long after I stop clicking!)
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Innovation is about thinking outside the box. Photography is about thinking INSIDE the box. |
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Les
Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI
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| Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:44 am Post subject: |
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The lensboard was made by Heiland Research or "HR". The shutter does not have flash synchronization so the thingy on the side does just that. It's possible that the solenoid came with the lensboard.
The hugo meyer rangefinder is a very good rangefinder IF you have the right lens for it. Kalart made one finder could be adjusted to a wide range of focal lengths, Hugos made several models that could be tweaked for that particular lens. A hugo designed for a 127 won't work with a 135mm lens.
The top viewfinder is not original, the original probably broke and was replaced. No biggie. besides that, its all there!
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"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison |
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45PSS
Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.
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| Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:31 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | and the roll-ip baffle inside is wrinkled (although still light-tight.) |
I do not see any wrinkles in the bellows, the pleats look as they should in your pictures.
You can set the front shutter to T, cock then trip to open the shutter blades, adjust the aperture, then set the rear Focal Plane Shutter according to the table on the top, put a film holder with film in place, and shoot.
To determine if the rear shutter is working properly set the tension to 1, curtain to O for open, trip the shutter=it should close and lock without any hesitation or loud clunk. If it does not the bushings on the left side need to be relubed. The controls are more difficult to remove and reassemble.
At SouthBristolVirews.com http://www.southbristolviews.com/ under the Graflex Manuals link there is an Instruction Manual
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/Anniversary.pdf
and a service manual http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/AnniversaryService1.pdf
The Kodak Supermatic front shutter is a rugged work horse and is easy to service. You will need a service manual if you plan to do it yourself.
I wish I could make such a find.
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griswell
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
Posts: 3
Location: Alabama
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| Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 3:41 am Post subject: |
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| 45PSS wrote: | | Quote: | | and the roll-ip baffle inside is wrinkled (although still light-tight.) |
I do not see any wrinkles in the bellows, the pleats look as they should in your pictures.
You can set the front shutter to T, cock then trip to open the shutter blades, adjust the aperture, then set the rear Focal Plane Shutter according to the table on the top, put a film holder with film in place, and shoot.
To determine if the rear shutter is working properly set the tension to 1, curtain to O for open, trip the shutter=it should close and lock without any hesitation or loud clunk. If it does not the bushings on the left side need to be relubed. The controls are more difficult to remove and reassemble.
At SouthBristolVirews.com http://www.southbristolviews.com/ under the Graflex Manuals link there is an Instruction Manual
http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/Anniversary.pdf
and a service manual http://www.southbristolviews.com/pics/Graphic/manual-pdf/AnniversaryService1.pdf
The Kodak Supermatic front shutter is a rugged work horse and is easy to service. You will need a service manual if you plan to do it yourself.
I wish I could make such a find. |
A few things for me to test! Sadly, both seem to not be working like they should.
It doesn't matter how I set the front shutter, whether it's "10" all the way down to "T", when the shutter is tripped it is either so fast I can't see it, or it isn't opening at all. About once out of every ten or twelve "trips", the shutter will stay open...that's about it.
As for the rear shutter, I set it like you said, then tripped it. Nothing happened. I set the curtain to "C" (it would not lock into place at "D") and tripped it. It rolled by nicely for bit, then hesitated, and rolled to stop again. There seem to be a lot of wrinkly horizontal lines runing acorss the rear shutter curtain. I shook the camera a bit, and the rear shutter returned to being open.
Methinks this camera has been sitting idle for a while. 
I hope it's not a lost cause.
Thanks to everyone who has responded! I'd love to hear more! I'm a total photo nerd.
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Innovation is about thinking outside the box. Photography is about thinking INSIDE the box. |
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tsgrimm
Joined: 04 Apr 2004
Posts: 158
Location: SE Michigan
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| Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 1:12 pm Post subject: Fixing 'er up |
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Im my miserable opinion, by the time you have the front and rear shutters professionally cleaned, lubed and adjusted (hoping that the rear shutter curtain is good) plus a general cleaning of the rangefinder and the camera body; you paid about what it is worth.
They are fun to use and worth the money to bring back to working condition. Enjoy. |
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