Graflex.org

edrobb · Joined: 21 Mar 2002 Posts: 7 Location: Colorado

I bought a film pack adaptor on eBay. The back label says "Graphic Film Pack Adaptor, cat. no. 1234. Does anyone know anything about it, especially how it works and what type of film might be available.

RichS · Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2002 2:33 am Post subject:

As far as I know, there's no film available for it at all. Just an interesting collector's piece...

flynn68 · Joined: 22 Mar 2002 Posts: 2 Location: Midwest

Film pack was rather like Polariod pack films in that they contained sheets of film that you shuffled by pulling on paper tabs attached to the film. It was like sheet film coated on a rollfim base which made it a bit tricky to process. If memory serves, there were 16 exposures per pack. They disappeared probably in the late 60's or so.

edrobb · Joined: 21 Mar 2002 Posts: 7 Location: Colorado

Thank you everyone for your thoughts! Sounds like I have a collector's item - eBay may see it up for auction!

Will any of the new film packs, for example Fuji's, work with a Graflex back? Or should I consider all of my 2 sheet film holders as my best friends?

Thanks all!

jpmose · Joined: 29 May 2001 Posts: 164 Location: Atlanta, GA

Film packs were available at least to the early 1980's, which is the last time I bought one. 16 exposures per pack. As prior posting stated, a lot like Polariod packs. A new pack was opened in indirect light. Then placed in the film pack adaptor that the first post describes. The first black paper tab pulled completely out...this blocked the 1st sheet from exposure so the pack could be loaded in daylight. The next 16 sheets of black paper had the exposure number on the tab. After each exposure, the tab was pulled until it stopped, then torn off. Each sheet of film was repositioned to the back of the pack. After the last exposure, # 16 was pulled and a metal plate pops up and seals off the front of the film pack, preventing light from entering.

Sounds like a great concept, expect the film was thin and prone to buckling. Also tricker to process. Thirty years ago I remember questioning oldtimers and they said they were never that popular even in their prime.

Film packs were never available in as many emulsions as sheet film. As far as I know, it was only available in black and white. At some point, packs were switched from 12 sheet packs to 16 sheet packs.

This is all I know. Incidently, the film pack that I bought in the early 1980's is still in the film pack adaptor with about 12 shots to go....it will probably stay in the Vulcanoid case as long as I own it.

JP Mose

edrobb · Joined: 21 Mar 2002 Posts: 7 Location: Colorado

Thanks JP! eBay is looking more and more likely for disposition of this gem.

Ed

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

Don't plan any celebration based on the proceeds, Ed. They usually don't sell there, [of course you just proved they CAN sell, didn't you?] or, if so for only a piddling amount. I keep one just for looks.

BTW, these holders had some sharpness problems too. I remember one end [or the other] was always unsharp right toward the edge so I couldn't rely on the whole image being usable. Lots of good pics were taken with them, though, including Rosenthal's Iwo Jima photo.

Alec

[ This Message was edited by: alecj on 2002-03-22 15:35 ]

edrobb · Joined: 21 Mar 2002 Posts: 7 Location: Colorado

Fortunately, I didn't pay much for it on eBay.

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

The pack film adapter that has any value is the older one, the with the leather covering the cover. Carefully strip the leather off and use it to replace the leather that came off the ground glass hood on that Pre-Ann.

Also in the mini speed versions....

A pack film adapter is worth only a buck or two but the darkslide that is still in it is work about 5 to 7 when solde by itself.

edrobb · Joined: 21 Mar 2002 Posts: 7 Location: Colorado

Thanks for the tip!