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polaroid back for mini speed
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AuthorMessage
lunaaron
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 14
PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2004 6:51 pm

I have a miniature speed graphic with a home made graflok back modeled after an 2x3 XL graflock back - ie spring loaded sliders .
Is there a polaroid back that will fit this type of camera and am i looking for something that costs a bomb OR will be impossible to find film for?
cheers, aaron
glennfromwy
Joined: 29 Nov 2001
Posts: 903
PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2004 8:18 pm

I think you are going to have trouble finding such a thing. I often wondered if a Polaroid back for a Mamiya RB-67 could be adapted. I'm sure I've seen backs for the XL but if memory serves, the entire back of the camera is removed and replaced by the Polaroid holder. I don't think it fits on the Graflok.
45PSS
Joined: 28 Sep 2001
Posts: 4081
PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2004 1:46 am

Mamiya RB body has 4 pins, 2 top and 2 bottom, that are about 1/4 at the outer edge then decrease to 3/16 about 1/16 inward from the outer edge. The "P" adaptor fits on the pins and locks and the other side of the "P" adaptor is the graflok where the roll film holder goes. NPC polaroid back fits on the pins like a "P" adaptor. Mamiya polaroid backs are pricey and can be found without the "P" adaptor.
Charles
lunaaron
Joined: 29 Aug 2003
Posts: 14
PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2004 4:22 pm

I just spent the last few months building a new graflock back for my mini speed, The actual XL back that i based it on has different proportions to a speed graphic back so it would seem that the XL polaroid will not fit without some serious reconstruction.
So there are no 2x3 polaroid backs that use the graflok sliders?
t.r.sanford
Joined: 10 Nov 2003
Posts: 812
PostPosted: Thu Dec 30, 2004 5:57 pm

I don't think so. The available Polaroid films are too big to fit between the rails of a 2¼x3¼ "Graflok" back.

In the 1950s, Polaroid briefly offered a 2¼x3¼ rollfilm to work with a camera that looked very much like a downsized "95"; I think it was called "Highlander." Unfortunately, it did not catch on, so the format didn't make the transition to filmpacks.

It wouldn't be very difficult to made a standoff that would latch into the "Graflok" back and hold a 3¼x4¼ Polaroid "405" adapter, with its own suitably-spaced groundglass. Old-timers will remember the Polaroid rollfilm adapter and GG spacer for 4x5 "Graflok" backs.
Stilagrrl
Joined: 16 May 2004
Posts: 51
PostPosted: Fri Dec 31, 2004 5:21 pm

Hi Aaron,

You might want to check out this thread:

http://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?topic=2022&forum=1

as it appears there are/were a couple of Polaroid backs available for 2x3 Graflok backs. The Horseman back does come up on eBay once in a while, but they're not cheap. I ended up building my own by buying a 2x3 Graflex Packfilm Adapter and mating that to one of the newer Polaroid packfilm backs. You do need to move your lens back to match the offset of the packfilm's film plane, but if you pick up an extra set of infinity stops, it's not a big deal.

Rachel


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