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Lens for a Century Graphic
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bojphotp



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 7
Location: West Haven, UT

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:36 pm    Post subject: Lens for a Century Graphic Reply with quote

I have my grandfathers Century Graphic that I am trying to use. I sent lens in for repair and today got word back that it is not feasible to repair.

It was a 103mm lens and the repairman said that it is a Copal 0 shutter. So does anyone have any suggestions on a replacement lens I can look for? Id like to get the camera working as a sentimental deal, but really cant justify several hundred dollars to get it fixed

Thank You


Last edited by bojphotp on Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:13 am; edited 1 time in total
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1banjo



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 492
Location: kansas

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:37 pm    Post subject: lens Century Graflex Reply with quote

will that up to you in what you would like to have
WIDE ANGLEs lens 65mm S-K Angulon or 80mm K Ektar WF
NORMALs are 101 to 107 ,, 101mm Kodak Ektar , 105mm S-K Xenar & 105mm
Kodak Ektar
long 240mm S-K Tele-xenar

but to day I have not seen that minty on Ebay to look at!!!
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Dan Fromm



Joined: 14 May 2001
Posts: 2119
Location: New Jersey

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Copal 0 shutter? 103 mm lens? Century Graphic? Possible but unlikely.

Several hundred dollars to overhaul? The repairman was telling you to get lost.

Before you get lost, tell us what is engraved or painted on the front of the shutter and on the front of the lens. Copal shutters can usually be overhauled -- repairmen say cleaned, lubricated, and adjusted -- for under $100.

After we know what you have we can direct you to capable and not-too-expensive repairmen. And -woman, there's one of them too.
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bojphotp



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 7
Location: West Haven, UT

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I figure I'll keep around a Normal 101-107 lens. This is more of a lets get it to work for fun and memories, not looking for day to day shooter, just something to have fun with and show my son how film works
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bojphotp



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 7
Location: West Haven, UT

PostPosted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sent the Lens to SK Grimes, they sent me this:

After a couple repair attempts, we have determine that this shutter is beyond economical repair. We found a number of worn parts and springs, one of which snapped during disassembly. We can remounting the optics into a modern Copal shutter, or if you have a replacement shutter, we can investigate remounting it into your shutter. The lense uses a #0 size shutter. Copal #30 size shutter are $250. Engraving the blank aperture band with full stops is $50.

Please advise us with how you would like to proceed.

I asked him t return the lens

And I was wrong on the lens It's a 101mm Graflex Graflar F/ 4.5 Serial 2204048. It seems to be the original lens.

The lens was very sticky hard to move the EV/Aperture settings, It seemed to fire OK about 1/8 but would trigger but not close below 1/8
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bojphotp



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 7
Location: West Haven, UT

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This eBay auction has the same lens that is on my camera

http://cgi.ebay.com/Century-Graphic-2-X-3-Folding-Camera-/140523320061?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item20b7d7b2fd
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

And that one is in a Prontor SVS shutter.
Have you got yours back yet?
What does it say on the shutter?
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bojphotp



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 7
Location: West Haven, UT

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No i just got the email this morning, haven't heard back to my request to return it
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Henry



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 1636
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 12:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In house, as it were, there were two, possibly three, "standard" focal length lenses offered with the Century: the 103mm Graflar or Graftar, and the 101 Optar. I have the Graftar in Century shutter, which is a very reliable, trouble-free, self-cocking shutter. The Graftar lens does not admit of very much perspective correction (commonly referred to as "movements," such as front rise/fall and shift, the only possibilities on the Century). The other common lens-shutter combo on the Century is the 101 mm Optar in Graphex shutter, also a very reliable mechanism and a decent lens that allows more generous movements. I use the Optar 101 as my everyday "normal" lens when shooting from a tripod; the Graftar/Century combo is preferred for hand-held work. You do not have to, nor should you, spend big bucks to acquire any of these lens-shutter combos. In my experience, however, they don't seem to come up often on the auction site unless they are already on a camera.

Last edited by Henry on Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:35 am; edited 2 times in total
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

FWIW I charge about $50 + shipping for a cla, Flutots gets about $60 and there are others for under $100 + shipping.
Graflex did not make their own leaf shutters that I am aware of, they used Wollensak and Kodak shutters rebadged as Graphex or Graphic.

Go to ebay and do a search of the cameras and photo section for Graflex then use the side bar refinement for lens. You will find a Wollensak 101mm in Raptar and a Graflex 103mm Trioptar in Century shutter.

Graflex did a lot of word play with graflex and graphic in naming their products. Tie your tongue in a knot and you'll be well on your way to speaking graflex.
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Henry



Joined: 09 May 2001
Posts: 1636
Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

45PSS wrote:

Graflex did not make their own leaf shutters that I am aware of, they used Wollensak and Kodak shutters rebadged as Graphex or Graphic.....

Graflex did a lot of word play with graflex and graphic in naming their products. Tie your tongue in a knot and you'll be well on your way to speaking graflex.


Right, most if not all of the "Graphex" shutters I own say "Made by Wollensak in Rochester, NY" or some such, right on the shutter case. As for word play on Graflex/Graphic etc., I think they stole the idea from Kodak! I used to chuckle at the many variants and neologisms derived from "Kodak" (Kodacolor, Kodachrome, Kodaflash, Kodabromide, etc., etc.). They even called their film processing operation "Kodalux" (which I naughtily transformed to "Kodasux").
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bojphotp



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 7
Location: West Haven, UT

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the information, I found one on eBay. A bit ore than I wanted to spend but it looks like a good one

When I get the other one back I will get with you, maybe you can do something with it
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45PSS



Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Raptar=Graftar; Raphex=Graphex

Set the shutter to 1 second with maximum aperture. Position the shutter so that you can see the shutter blades and the second hand of a watch or clock, sweep type works best. Cock the shutter. Trip the shutter just as the second hand reaches a second mark. Observe that the shutter blades open fully and just close as the second hand reaches the next second mark. Second hand width either side of the next second mark is the tolerance limit. Repeat the test 2 more times. Shutter consistent=good, inconsistent-questionable. Next set the speed dial to 1/2 second and repeat the test, this time the shutter should just close as the second hand reaches the mid point between the start and next second marks. 1/2 the width of the second hand is the tolerance limit. Continue increasing the speed setting and tripping the shutter. The speeds should noticeably increase until you reach 1/60~1/100 second. Work your way back down the speed dial, the speeds should get noticeably longer. Fast slow speeds-delay gear train not setting, gears stuck or have excessive drag. Slow slow speeds-gear train setting but running slow. Either condition-shutter needs servicing. Shutter slow first fire or two then runs fine until allowed to rest for an hour or so-service soon. Inconsistent at several speeds-needs servicing.
While this is not an accurate speed test it will tell you the approximate condition of your shutter.
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bojphotp



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 7
Location: West Haven, UT

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

when I tried any shutter speed below 8 it would not close until I pushed the lever shut
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Dan Fromm



Joined: 14 May 2001
Posts: 2119
Location: New Jersey

PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your lens was made in Germany by Rodenstock, not by in Rochester by Wollensak, and it was probably originally mounted in a Prontor #0 shutter, possibly a Prontor SVS. Everything you've been told about shutters made in Rochester is true but irrelevant.

Your have two choices. Find a #0 shutter (Compur, Copal, Prontor, Seikosha), transfer the Rodenstock cells to it and have the aperture scaled to suit. New #0s are expensive, used ones will probably need to be overhauled. Find another normal lens for 2x3 in shutter. Examples have been given. Again, the shutter will probably need to be overhauled.

If I were you and wanted to use the camera, I'd look for a 103/4.5 Graftar (or is it Graflar?) in Century shutter. You'll need a new board to use this lens, its shutter fits a smaller hole than the #0 you have. I suggest the 103 because its a good lens but not well-respected so relatively inexpensive.

Alternatively, look for a 100 mm or so lens on 2x3 Pacemaker Graphic board. They turn up from time to time on eBay. Just be patient.
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