was there ever a whole plate(6.5 x 8.5)speed
built? maybe a prototype

No. Well there are no absolutes in the world of Graflex. If somebody wanted it built and had the money, they built it.

That said, they did make several focal plane shutters for large view cameras 5x7, 6x8 and 8x10. Many times these will say Auto Graflex on the table. Most of the ones I've seen are from the early days of F&S....before Kodak came in and cleaned house.

Quote:

On 2004-02-05 19:17, Les wrote: ... That said, they did make several focal plane shutters for large view cameras 5x7, 6x8 and 8x10. Many times these will say Auto Graflex on the table. Most of the ones I've seen are from the early days of F&S....before Kodak came in and cleaned house.

If you ever see one of those FP backs in 8x10, let me know!!!

Im supposed to be getting a dead cirkut 8
which i think can be also used with ordinary film holders would it be likely there would have been a focal plane back for these, they
look vaguely similar to early cycle graphics.
are they the forerunner of the early speed graphics?

to answer my own question i see that the rb cycle graphic whole plate is a cirkut outfit camera and it did have a focal plane accessory back--now its finding one!
would that be likely what youve seen as an Auto graflex focal accessory

Probably. And yes the Cirkit 8 is and RB cycle graphic with a cirkit back. It should have a Ground Glass back as well or you won't be able to focus and compose. I have a working version right now.

Whether or not an RB Cycle Graphic with an FP back is a forerunner to the Speed depends on how you want to split hairs

The early speeds look more like another camera. Either the Graphic, or the Graphic Senior in design and build. But they lack the FP shutter.

Evidently, there was a whole plate Speed. Last night, I ran across a brief mention of such a critter in the 1944 edition of the Graflex book.

give me a page number. or a chapter number.

Are you sure they weren't talking about Graphic plate holders?

Graphic Graflex Photography
7th Edition - 1944
See -- Illustrative and Advertising Photography By John F. O'Reilly
Page 180 -- Early Graphic Equipment
Quote - "The camera I used during those beginning years was an 8X10 and a 6 1/2 X 8 1/2 plate size Speed Graphic".

There you have it, boys 'n girls.

got my cirkut 8 (better condition that expected)unfourtunately no focusing back
are all the rb cycle graphic backs (whole plate)the same /interchangeable --I can of course make something--Ill look for a while on Ebay to see if anything turns up first though

In theory yes any RB cycle graphic back should fit any RB cycle graphic camera, but I wouldn't be suprised if there were some minor changes made in the 45 years that camera was in production.

I break it down into a few groups... the New York Group, that was made in Manhattan before Geo. Eastman bought the company. (The Folmer and Schwing Mfg. Co of NYC)

The Kodak Group of Div. and Dept. (The Folmer and Schwing Division of Ekc, and then ....Department of Ekc.)

Then the Folmer Graflex Corp.

If you could find which era yours was made and find a back made around the same time, I'm pretty sure it would fit. If you can find a serial number maybe gandolf can help

cirkut 8 serial no.87233 Folmer and Schwing Division Eastman Kodak,Rochester
11",18" lens elements standard?

also serial no.39507 auto graflex junior?

thanks in advance Gandolf

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ascex on 2004-03-03 14:37 ]</font>