AndyMan 7 #1 December 18, 2003 I bought one of these last night at auction: http://www.photo.net/equipment/large-format/speed-graphic Craichead says I'm not allowed to even attempt to helmet-mount it. It will be a interesting toy... _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmcd308 0 #2 December 18, 2003 I'm jealous. How much did it put you back? There was one in a small camera store here for a while, but they were asking for $500, which struck me as very steep for what would essentially be a toy doubling as an interesting conversation piece. Does your flash work? Brent ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #3 December 18, 2003 We paid $135 for it, and we believe everything works. We're not sure where we're going to get bulbs for the flash, though. Actually, there's a lof of things we're not sure of... like how we're going to process the film as we don't have a darkroom. I've never played with medium-format, never mind large format, although I do have very high expectations in clarity. It will be an adventure... _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jalisco 0 #4 December 18, 2003 I've got a super speed graphic. My model doesn't have the focal plane shutter, so all my lenses for it have leaf shutters. Which lens did you get on it? Most larger metro areas probably have a shop that can develop 4x5 for you -- call around. If not, you can do it via mail-order, or you could get a medium format "roll-film" back for it, or a 4x5 polaroid back. There's even a (black and white) polaroid film that gives you a print and a negative (type 55 -- I've had reasonably good luck with it). As far as clarity/resolution goes, it's all about the lens and tripod. I have no doubt you could blow 4x5's up into murals -- given a nice slow film, good lens, reasonably small aperture, a solid tripod and a long exposure (or good flash combo). Personally, I think the extra negative area also gives you extrordinary subtlety of tones in normal sized prints -- yes, your 8x10 from 35mm may not show grain with modern films, but 8x10 prints from a larger negative seem to have a lot more "depth" (or something similarly subjective). I think there may be some specialty companies around that might have some of the bulbs you need, although they've mostly been out of production for a long time. I've heard of companies with old stocks of them that people making period films call on. If your lens has a leaf-shutter that's not too ancient, it might have an X-sync flash setting that will work with a modern electronic flash. Oh, and my super speed graphic will find itself in the air at some point -- maybe chest-mounted with some sort of cut-away mechanism, or maybe I'll tether it to the plane with break-cord and get some aerials from the door rather than trying to take it with me. We'll see... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #5 December 18, 2003 Hey Andyman, You just need a police scanner and you could be the next Weegee, prowling the Naked City in the middle of the night!-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fasterfaller 0 #6 December 19, 2003 I use Sinar and Cambo cameras all the time and they amaze the shit out of me . Large format is a steep learning curve but worth all the trouble when you get the image you want . I love digital but large format is the shit . I have a Cambo bellows ordered for my 1ds and can't wait for the fun to begin . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #7 December 19, 2003 It came with the "Fully Synchronized" Graphex 135mm lens/shutter, with f stops 4.7 through 32 and a shutter speed of up to 1/400. I'm a bit concerned over the spring that drives the focal plane shutter, I'll have to find someone who can test that. The manuals say there's a regulator that forces a constant speed... but I'm a bit skeptical that its working properly. The "between the lenses" shutter seems to be working great, as does the range-finder. I'm absolutely amazed at the simplicity of the range-finder, especially how well it works in low light. I find it easier to focus then my Nikon. I have absolutely no idea how old it is. There is some rot on the leather casing, but the vinyl bellows are in great shape. A purely subjective guess, is a DOM of somewhere in the 50's. Now I just gotta go find some film... then some flashbulbs. _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #8 December 19, 2003 Speed Graphic is a great cmaera, it used to be standard issue for press photographers. I know of quite a few places here that do the bulbs and film let me know if you have trouble sourcing themYou are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
