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Henry Carter



Joined: 20 May 2005
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use Grafmatics all the time, and find them especially wonderful for hand held shooting. They work very well with the current Master Technika. In fact Linhof used to sell Grafmatics as an accessory for the Technika.

Alas, most of the remaining Grafmatics are 35+ years old, supply is dwindling and prices are rising. Even the odd unused "new in the box" Grafmatic appears occasionally, and its cost is still far lower than what a Linhof made product would be today...

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David A. Goldfarb



Joined: 03 Sep 2004
Posts: 142
Location: New York City

PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2005 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Must've missed this thread when it first came around. I get about the same range of responses as the original poster when I'm out and about with the Tech V. My favorite, though, is when I run into someone else with a press camera, which is more common than you would think in New York. Like at B&H, you can often see employees--with a whole store full of the latest gear--out by the side of the building shooting store ID photos on Polaroid with a Graphic.

I love running into this guy--

http://www.apug.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2593&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

His name is Louis (or maybe Lewis), and he sells Polaroids at events where people get dressed up, like at parades and gospel shows, or sometimes just in touristy spots like Times Square. At shows where he's got to sell as many photographs as possible before the show, during intermission, and afterward all outside the theatre, there are usually three of these guys with Graphics and Polaroid pack film holders, working together I would assume. When he sees me with the Technika, he smiles and nods, and I smile and nod.

The 5x7" Press Graflex hasn't been out on the street too often yet, but it's more unfamiliar looking than the Technika, so people usually just gawk and say things like, "He's got a really big camera!" If I'm looking down the hood, they usually don't bother me, though.

[ This Message was edited by: David A. Goldfarb on 2005-05-21 16:19 ]
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Graflite



Joined: 08 Nov 2001
Posts: 103
Location: Southeast US

PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 2:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The recent posts in this thread remind me of this post below that I made on 06-13-2003:

I took my 4 x 5 Crown Graphic Special into my local camera store one Saturday last year, to show to one of the salesman who had expressed an interest, and was mobbed by a group of High School students who were starting a photo course at their school.

The questions they asked about my camera were both sincere and comical, as they had never seen a camera like this, much less in person, and were at a loss as to what it was or what it did.

I explained to them the background of the Graflex cameras and their niche in the history of the world that these great cameras played a part in, and in a huge leap of faith I let each one hold the camera as if they were going to take a picture with it.

And I hoped that this gesture and my time spent with them perhaps made some converts amongst them to our cause of using these older cameras, not because they are the latest model or the most fashionable, but because of the time and effort needed to use these cameras which makes one more understanding of what it takes to produce a quality image, both in the field and in the darkroom.

My great-nephew (4 years old) likes to look at my camera equipment, but doesn't like the darkroom because he says it smells like a hospital, and my great-niece (11 going on 30) who can't be bothered as she's too busy being a brat, but there's still hope for the younger generation I suppose.

"graflite"

Now 2 years later, with my Crown and Speed resting in their cases gathering dust, I need to get outdoors and start shooting something, anything, but shoot something, and perhaps will meet someone, young or old, who expresses an interest in my old camera and wants to talk about it.

And when the local schools start up again in August I'll pay a visit one day to my friend at the local camera store and perhaps he will have tipped me off when the students are buying photo supplies for their classes and I'll be able to ply my magic with the Crown and/or Speed and will perhaps make a convert or two.

And my great-nephew who is 6 years old now and seems so much smarter, and now seems more interested in the darkroom, so perhaps I'll let him shoot some film and help him develop and print it (safely of course) and once the Photo bug bites him he may never forget the time we spent together learning Photography.

"graflite"
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Top



Joined: 06 Apr 2002
Posts: 198
Location: Northern New England USA

PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 12:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was shooting a WW II re-enactment in PA a couple of winters ago when a national Geographic TV crew stopped by. There were three photogs chatting, all with perfect kit and equiptment. One had a Leica IIIb and a Super Ikonta around his neck, one had a pair of Contax II (real ones, not Kievs in drag), and the third had a nice black paint Anny Speed. Guess which one the TV guys wanted in their shot?
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Murray@uptowngallery.org



Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Posts: 164
Location: Holland MI

PostPosted: Sun Aug 28, 2005 3:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, you guys getting deals on parts cam Graphics; I'll go look again.

I was getting sick of how high the prices for poor condition units would go. I guess it's all relative...th eproblem is I paid $25 for a 4x5 Speed with bad triple-taped bellows & no back. I keep seeing $80-100 units & I don't need the back that badly, but I know you'll give me grief if you see me with homebrewed foamcore & Bondo back on it someday ) !

Murray

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