[LargeFormat] 5x7 Graflex...

[Jim Hemenway]

Les:

Thanks very much for this explanation.

Jim - http://www.hemenway.com



LNphoto wrote:

> Welcome to the confused world of Graflex.
> 
> For every rule written in stone, was a stone mason ready to change it.   
> This is one of those cameras.
> 
> Graflex the company, made two types of backs, well okay three,  The  
> Graphic or spring back, the Graflex back, with a removable ground  
> glass, and the well known Graflok back where the ground glass had the  
> option of being removed.
> 
> The Graflex back was developed for the Graflex SLR camera line to  
> employ the "Graflex plate magazine" (later "film magazine") This bag  
> mag as it's called was too thick to be able to slide under the Spring  
> back. The SLR cameras, with their mirror didn't really need a ground  
> glass where the film went anyway.  The Graflex back is found on 99% of  
> all SLR Graflex cameras like the Series B, D, Super D, Auto Graflex,  
> etc.  It also shows up on 1% of the Speed Graphic cameras.
> 
> They are easy to spot as the ground glass MUST be removed in order to  
> put a GRAFLEX type film holder into position. GRAFLEX film  holders are  
> slightly wider and have grooves running the length of the holder to  
> catch the slide lock that holds them in. This is the way 99.44% of the  
> way Bag Mags or film magazines work as well.  Because they are wider  
> and also have a reversed light trap, YOU CANNOT USE MODERN FILM  
> HOLDERS.  They don't have the groove to hold them in place.
> 
> 
> Now that's the rule that's set in stone.  The PRess Graflex is the  
> camera that breaks that rule.  This uses a spring loaded ground glass  
> back to hold Graflex film holders in place.  The groove isn't used but  
> the width and the reversed light trap are still necessary, so this  
> camera still can't use regular film holders without modification. You  
> can build up the width of a common holder, but you'll need to plane  
> down the ridges and make a groove in the holder.
> 
> Also you can't use common bag mags.  Because this Graflex Back doesn't  
> have slide locks, they modified the bagmags with pins and clips to keep  
> it in place.
> 
> Graflex the company made both film and plate holders in both Graflex  
> and Graphic type holders.  Infact I've seen a Graphic (common, normal)  
> plate holder that they made as late as the mid 50s.
> 
> I got mine with a plate type bag mag, but no glass back.
>