[LargeFormat] WWII signal Corp newsgroups

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Les Newcomer" <lnphoto@twmi.rr.com>
To: <largeformat@f32.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2002 12:06 PM
Subject: [LargeFormat] WWII signal Corp newsgroups


> Most everybody knows that 90% of WWII was shot... er taken
with Speed
> Graphic cameras.
> I'm trying to find out more about the military versions of
the cameras,
> what differences there were, when model names changed, and
perhaps a
> theory as to why.
>
> Is there anybody on this list that also knows of a similar
list dealing
> with WWII/Korean war reinactment groups?  I'm thinking the
people that
> want to be a signal corp photographer today will know more
about the
> differences between a KE-12 and a PH-47-J than most.
>
>
> Les
>
>
>
  There may be additional information at
http://www.graflex.org
  PH-47 is the Speed Graphic camera itself. The PH-47-J is a
late version. It  is likely the Pacemaker with Graflok back
but might be the top rangefinder version. I think the KE-12
is the Super-Speed Graphic.
   WW-2 models would have been Anniversary series Graphics,
built up to 1947. I think the last military Anniversary is
the PH-47-E. The PH-47-H is the side rangefinder Pacemaker
with the older all-metal Graphic back. Pacemakers with
Graflok backs probably had a different designator.
  The entire camera kit, including case, camera, tripod,
flashgun, holders, etc., is designated PH-104-.
  Early military Graphics were painted olive drab. Some were
standard but had the metal work, normally chrome plated,
painted black or olive drab. Kodak supplied some Supermatic
shutters in black.
  There was also a bellowsless Graphic called a Combat
Graphic. While the standard models are sometimes called this
the name properly belongs to the special model. It used a
nested box system for focusing, presumably because it was
less vulnerable to damage. These were fairly common on the
surplus market once but are now collector's items.
  Graflex had dozens of variations of all models. Most were
simply production changes of one sort or another and there
is no separate designator. For instance, I have a side
rangefinder Pacemaker with completely enclosed focal plane
shutter bearings.
  Most of the Army cameras seem to have been equipped with
Kodak lenses but Ilex was used as a second source. I've
never seen a Speed Graphic with an Ilex lens and shutter on
it. Late Navy cameras had either Kodak or Wollensak Optar
lenses. Graflex switched from Wollensak to Rodenstock, and
others, for Optar lenses sometime around the time the top
rangefinder cameras came out. Super Graphics have Rodenstock
lenes on them. A few top rangefinder Graphics were equipped
with Schneider Xenar lenses in Compur shutters as Speed
Graphic Specials.
  Before about 1940 the most common lenses on Speed Graphics
were Zeiss Tessars in Compur shutters although a wide
variety of lenses was always offered.
  The U.S.Navy also used Speed Graphics but none of the Navy
technical manuals I have gives military model designators.
  Both the Army and Navy also used Graflex cameras and Kodak
Medalist cameras along with standard view cameras. The
specification for view cameras appears to have been written
for the Kodak model 2D but many Agfa/Ansco cameras were
built with 6x6 lensboards to fit the spec. Both Army and
Navy also used the Graphic View camera.
  Busch also built cameras to fit the Speed Graphic spec but
they are very rare. The post-WW-2 Busch camera had an
elaborate self-capping focal plane shutter. Few were made
and I have never seen one in the flesh.
  The Graflex.org site will have more on Graphic models.
There are a couple of sites which have military designators
translated into commercial model numbers. These apply mostly
to electronic equipment of various sorts. I have a couple
bookmarked at work but not here. Google may find them and
might find more on the military versions of cameras, I
haven't tried it yet.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com