Posted by Dick Streff on February 14, 2001 at 20:39:49:
I took delivery today of a box of old 4x5 Graflex bag
magazines. I noticed a couple odd things about them that
piqued my curiosity. I thought someone here might know
the answers.
While inspecting them I noticed all of them at one time
had a nickel taped to the upper right back of the #12
septum. (Only one of them had the nickel still extant,
1947 Jefferson to be exact.) Would I be correct to
assume they were there to give a tactile signal to the
photographer when he hit the last frame of the magazine?
Or is there some other reason for them?
Also, every one of the magazine's had the little door
over the red window removed. Was this a common practice,
or was the assembly just so fragile that it was often
broken off in use? Just how important is that little
door to keep the film from fogging? I guess I could
always put a piece of gaffers tape over it if necessary.
Any old press corps shooters out there have the answers?
My years in the newspaper business started with the
Nikon F3HP so bag mags are a few decades before my time.
Thanks,
Dick Streff