[LargeFormat] Auto Graflex RB Model Identification

[Clive Warren]

At 2:04 pm -0700 13/9/03, Richard Knoppow wrote:
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Clive Warren"
>Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2003 1:54 AM
>  > The serial number is on the underside of the flip up
>section that holds the
>>  lens cover and is 43705.
>>  Cheers,
>>              Clive
>>
>   There is a partial list of serial numbers in my old
>edition of _McKeown's Guide_ Perhaps the current edition has
>more.
>   The list begins at47,000 to 87,976 for the dates 1915 to
>9/12/1918  F&S serial numbers were assigned ahead of
>manufacture. The book date is the date of assignment. Actual
>manufacturing dates may be as much as 18 months later.
>   Two systems of serial numbering were used. One from the
>begining of prduction until 1947 and another after that.
>According to Roger Adams there is a lot of confusion for the
>second series of numbers but I think the original series is
>reasonably reliable. McKeown notes that while the earliest
>page of the factory serial number book begins in 1915 it is
>"safe to assume" that serial numbers extend back to 1905 and
>are sequential. F&S was purchased by Eastman Kodak in 1905.
>There is no data on pre-1905 serial numbers. F&S began
>making their own cameras in 1897, previous to that they sold
>cameras made by other manufacturers.
>     Although Graflex-made cameras were popular and are found
>in considrable quantity they were never really mass
>produced. According to Roger Adams there are continual small
>changes in all the models over their manufacturing life.

Richard,

Thank you for the additional information. I took the camera out on 
Sunday whilst scouting for additional venues for the forthcoming Fall 
Large Format workshop. It is a delight to use and set up is instant. 
Once the rotating back detent is sorted out it will be a joy to use 
handheld.

Using the Graflex on a tripod was an interesting experience - 
everything seems fine until you open the chimney viewing hood and 
realise that you need a step ladder to use it :-)

Luckily it has a Graflok back and the GG is also useful for fine 
focusing on a tripod. I did forget to check for focus shift on the 
last shot - this was at f22 so I am expecting that the there may be 
focus problems for that shot. Does the amount of focus shift from an 
unconverted Series VII Protar depend on the focal length of the lens 
when closing down to smaller apertures?

Cheers,
        Clive