Graflex.org

[Lambis]

I own a Pacemaker Speed Graphic with a focal plane shutter and i have some questions for this.

1.
Is it Possible to redesign atach the filmholders in portrait Mode?
I shoot 90% portrait mode and if handheld it would be way more easy for me. Maybe there is someone that have a good moddification.

2.
My focal plane shutter, after i have test the speeds with a Audio tester
http://www.apneaimages.com/blog/?page_id=801
is not acurate in 1/500 & 1/30. With cla can we fix it or should i just not care and use those new times?
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Lambis Stratoudakis
www.apneaimages.com/blog

[troublemaker]

Pacemakers ussualy respond well to a good cleaning and proper lubrication. The FPS is more often than not far more accurate than a front leaf shutter. Also, the springs are considerably old. I generally would prefer a slightly slow shutter rather than trying to wind up (preset) an old spring to get dead on. I just set mine to sight sound and feel and generally get withing a 1/3 stop. They are rather easy mechanisms.
The slow speed governor likes to run clean and dry. The roller pins like a light lube oil, something of better longevity than a WD 40 wich I don't recommend for anything but cleaning. I find the larger gearing and shutter realease mechanisms run much better with a light lube grease. And the slider select (front or rear) and the high low speed select like a light grease and then opperate much more smoothly. Not to much, just enough. Over time these things collect dirt and the grease and old lubes, with time, tend to harden, esspecially if not in use. I have also encoutnered a few shutter surtains that hang up and do not roll smoothly which will effect speeds, but never had a probalem making god images and getting reasonably good speeds. More folks complain about pinholes in the curtain or damage.

[45PSS]

[hartwell_a_m]

On the left hand side of the camera as you look at the back there is a second tripod screw. its under the hand strap this will let you attach your camera to a tripod in portrate orientation with the film holder entering the camera from the top.

[alecj]

Another idea would be to get a dividing back and make 2 exposures on one sheet.

This accessory was commonly used by police departments to shoot mug shots. In use, you move the film holder over to one sie and make an exposure. Then move it the other way to make the second.

The resulting negatives are obviously smaller than 4x5, but they are in portrait mode, and you get twice the number of shots on your film.

These backs are commonly found on that big auction site and are not expensive.

[Les]

I'm merely piling on with different words. If you remove the back you'll find a sheet metal mask (the back frame of the bellows) and you'll see Graflex made it just a hair larger than 4x5 horizontal. If you rotate the back, you'll just end up with a 4x4 negative with the top and bottom masked off.

Graflex was asked many times to make an RB back for the Speed/Crown and the answer was always the same-- they would have to make the body considerably taller to make it work. Eventually they redesigned the body, calling it a Super Graphic and adding an RB back at that time.

I'll admit hand holding a Crown in vertical mode consistently isn't a lot of fun. On a tripod, the obvious choice is to use the tripod hole under the handle.

Unless you are using barrel lenses, the best choice is to get a Super Graphic. It takes almost the same lensboards, certainly all Pacemaker lensboards with 8 pads on the front (2 on each side).

If you're using barrel lenses and need vertical format and an FP shutter, then I suggest an RB Auto Graflex. Yeah it's bigger, but it does let you see the image, which is almost mandatory for shallow focus/ portrait lenses.
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"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[brian d]