Hello - I'm new to owning a Crown Graphic, by about three days. So this might be funny, kinda, but I had no instruction manual, sort of messed around until I figured it out, and starting shooting polaroids today- so, at one point, I was trying to move the front lens area with the focus knobs, normally opened, with a tilt lens, not too near the box- it felt kind of jammed, so I pressed harder (always a bad idea...) and there was a snap and a rod and ball bearings and bits of metal appeared from nowhere. I'm not sure what broke, but it still focuses fine, takes pics in general - but I know I broke something, and I don't know what. Does anyone know what I did? Can/should I close the camera anymore? Is this a genius prize for breaking a fine working camera in the shortest time?

You've got a top rangefinder Crown, don't you? And, now I bet that rangefinder doesn't work, does it?

From your description, sounds like you broke the tube which transfers the rangefinder position on the bed via those balls to the rangefinder itself. There are lots of little balls, spacers and one rod. Unless you saved every last one of them [do a search on this subject and you'll see from past posts just how many there are], you'll need a new tube with balls. Check the manual on the http://www.southbristolviews.com/ site for more details. Time for the camera to go to Fred Lustig, I bet.

If it helps, a search on this subject will indicate you are far from the first to encounter this phenomenon. Exciting, isn't it? Like you hit the jackpot on a 25¢ one-armed bandit!



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: alecj on 2005-04-24 07:21 ]</font>

Thanks!

and don't overlook the spacers that go between the balls and wouldn't you know Graflex didn't keep the count the same from camera to camera, but generally 42 or 43 of each