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red bellows on graphic view II

 
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pottographer



Joined: 23 May 2005
Posts: 2
Location: deep south/Miss./Alabama

PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm new to large format and recently purchased graph. view II, but in the photo the bellows is black. Is this an indication of the year model, ( don't have the camera yet)?
Just wondering.....
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 3:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2005-05-23 06:04, pottographer wrote:
I'm new to large format and recently purchased graph. view II, but in the photo the bellows is black. Is this an indication of the year model, ( don't have the camera yet)?
Just wondering.....


As far as I know, Graflex only produced these with the red bellows. I could be wrong, and Graflex is well known for doing odd things...

I don't think the color would be any indication of age...

I have seen a few black bellows GVII's on ebay (or maybe the same one sold over and over? )

My best guess is that they are replacement bellows from someone other than Graflex.

The only good indicator would be the surface of the bellows. All Graflex bellows that I have seen in their later years were made with a shiny vinyl outer coating. Many replacement bellows do not have a shiny vinyl coating, but have a cloth surface...

On the other hand, the Pacemakers were all made with black vinyl coated bellows. There's always a chance that for one run they ran out of red and used the black material???

Maybe someone else knows for sure?
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can't prove it but I suspect the color of the bellows in GVIIs closely parallel those of the Century cameras. For quite a while they were red (and of the same material) then in '64 they went black. I suspect the GVIIs did too.

Another tell tale is later models will say General Precision on the front along with the name Graflex Inc.

I just found this auction of probably a 60-65 version

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=15247&item=7517995682&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2005-05-23 14:40 ]
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disemjg



Joined: 10 Jan 2002
Posts: 474
Location: Washington, DC

PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2005 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just added another GV, my third. It is a II, and has a black bellows. It is marked General Precision. Aside from being black, the bellows looks exactly like the red ones on my other cameras. The surface of the bellows material appears identical to the red ones. While nobody seems to know for sure, I think Les is on target with his Century comment. For some reason they went to the black bellows late in the game. BTW, when did the General Precision marking come and go? And was the GV gone by the time Singer took over?

That camera on Epay is intersting; did you note that the Ilex was in a flat-face early Copal, the kind seen in the late sixties and early seventies? If the lens is original the camera is probably a very late one. And what about that weird tripod clamp; is it aftermarket or did Graflex radically change it on the late production cameras?
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Les



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 2682
Location: Detroit, MI

PostPosted: Wed May 25, 2005 2:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The clamp is an current third party make. But it's nice to see he has the old one there.

There's not enough data to defininitively answer the question about the name coming and going. I thought the GV was still around after '68 but have yet to see a Singer badge on one.

Les
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2005 2:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank goodness that camera kit went for well above my budget, I think

If I could figure out how to spell the expressions I had when I saw the bids go up, I'd post them here I would have loved to get that one. No way to know who did from the bidding name, but I hope he gets a lot of enjoyment out of it. Looks like a fantastic kit...


_________________
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"Ya just can't have too many GVIIs"
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disemjg



Joined: 10 Jan 2002
Posts: 474
Location: Washington, DC

PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2005 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That was a nice kit, and the camera looked to be in great shape. I would have liked to get that Ilex convertable by itself.

And, when you realistically add up what was included, I think it was a very good deal for the 495. After all, there were the two lenses, the Polaroid back, the Pacemaker lensboard adapter, extra boards, and other goodies. From what I have seen these things sell for, the buyer paid for the camera and lenses, and the other items came along for the ride.
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