Posted by Les on March 21, 2001 at 20:35:58:
In Reply to: Need a little advice... posted by Phil on March 21, 2001 at 17:44:37:
I'll try to make this as concise as possible. I will try to show some logic in my reasoning, but I do have my personal biases, and depending on what kind of shooting you are doing, the logic may not work.
For your first Graphic, stick with a Crown. While there are photographers that still use the focal plane shutter on a Speed, for the most part they complicate things, are usually slow, add weight to the camera and dust to the film. The Super Graphic will be difficult to focus short lenses (90mm).
There are only two advantages to a focal plane camera, when tweaked they are capapble of 1/1000 of a second and they allow the use of barrel lenses (lenses without shutters)
In my 25 years of photography, I have never needed to shoot large format at 1/1000 of a second and most if not all barrel lenses are 50 years old. If you are ready to take the plunge into LF lets at least use lenses that are 35 years old or newer until you get the hang of it. (yes there are process lenses that are newer, but I don't want to get that far off the main path)
The Crown will also take the shortest lenses of all of the Graphics, that being a 58mm lens. The longest of the normal design lenses are 10", you can get a telephoto in both 10" and 14". These lenses need less bellows and allow you to focus closer.
There are three backs out there, The Graflex back the Graphic back and the Graflok or International back.
The Graflex back is the one to stay away from. hey aren't that common on a Pacemaker, but they are out there. The ground glass is removed with one slide lock, and must be removed in order to put the film holder on the camera. IT WILL NOT SPRING BACK.They also use non-standard film holders which are hard to find.
The Graphic or Spring back will be cheaper than the same camera with a Graflok back. The ground glass is not removable on this camera without a screw driver. It will however accept Grafmatic backs, Polaroid 545 and 545i backs and the Calumet C2 Roll holder, which I think will hold the film flatter than the Graphic roll holder.
The Graflok back. This is the back that is the most versitile. You can ID this back by two horizontal chrome arms. By pushing down on them the ground glass can be removed. It will accept all of the accesories that a spring back will, plus it will accept the Polaroid 405 Pack back (which uses cheaper film than the 545 back, but the pictures are 3x4 instead of 4x5). It wil also accept the Graphic roll backs. My thinking is if you intend to use roll film get a smaller camera!
Lenses. A 127 ektar that isnt' all scratch up will do very well. You may find a Crown Special. These command a premium for the 135 Xenar lens. At the time they came out these were CHEAPER than the camera with a 127 Ektar. If you demand critcal sharpness at the edges, a nice 135 Symmar S will cost about $300 and do very well.
Top rangefinder or side rangefinder? Early Pacemakers came with
Kalart rangefinders on the side. These can be adjusted for just
about any lens but can be set up for only one lens at a time.
The top rangefinder uses cams so can be set up for several lenses,
but in my experience, is difficult to tweak if your cam doesn't
match perfectly with your lens.
Pitfalls and weaknesses. Check the linkage on the viewfinder, I've seen where people have had to mess with them and look a mess. Check to see how close the rangefinder is to the lens by focusing and checking the ground glass. Side rangfinders tend to have failing partial mirrors, so the moving image is weak. Find one that is strong. Also make sure the image in the finder moves smoothly and contantly from infinity to about 6 ft. Check the bellows for light leaks. The Pacemaker series bellows seem to have held up very well. The best way is to get to a darkened room and shine a flashlight (minimags with the head off are great) inside the bellows and look for pinholes in the corners of the folds.
Front shutters. Graphex and compur shutter are very good, kodak super matic shutters are okay. A lot of times the slow speeds are slow. Check to see if you can hear a descernable difference between all of the speeds. Speeds below 1/2 sec should have a nice smooth zzzzzzzip! to the sound rather than one that slows down and speeds up though the time it's open.
Flash. If you get camera with a Graphex or Compur that has an
adjustable sync setting, you can use electonic or bulb flashes.
Some Graphex shutter say Graphex X which is electronic only. Others
will have an appendage at about 4 o'clock where you can change the
delay from 0 (x) up through 20 Mil (M)
Compurs have an X/M switch.
At some point you will want to play with flash bulbs. I suggest
you get the brushed aluminum model battery case with 5 house hold
type sockets at the top. These are cheaper and easier to use, and
for the most part chronologically correct than the earlier
stainless steel model with the clear lens infront.