Hi All,
I am trying to get my pre-anni speed back to what it may have been like in its day. I think, for one thing, the back is wrong. It has a graflok with the flip up speed finder on the top just like the ones on my anniversary and crown models. Would this have been available during the pre-anniversary years? Serial number puts it around 1938.
The photos of a pre-anni I have seen show a flip up rear speed finder that appears mounted to the body, similar to the one on my mini-speed. This does not have that or holes where it may have had it. The flip up, curved top front finder is in place on the front standard. It does have a flip up finder on the top in the right front corner. It is not on any other graphic I have, kind of interesting, like a open air pre curser to the barrel viewfinder on most other models. A single curved piece of glass with a cross hair on it. Is this thing right?
Lastly would this have a lens with shutter or would it have had a barrel lens? It now has a Ektar 127mm 4.7 in a supermatic (x).

Thanks for your patience reading this long query. Any opinions out there?
Cheers, Larry

Recalling from previous post the Graflok Back was introduced in the early 1950's. Graflex offered an upgrade to the Graflok Back for early Pacemakers and Anniversary Graphics. one would send their camera in and the back would be exchanged and returned.
The X designation for flash sync started with the introduction of Electronic Flash, sometime in the '50's. (I don't know the exact date of introduction). You can date the lens here: http://graflex.org/speed-graphic/lenses.html#EktarLenses (graflex.org>cameras>Graflex Graphic Model History).....
Oh, history expert!

Yeah, these parts felt too modern. So what would be right? A spring back I have here has a swing up rear speed finder on it. It does not have the up/down adjustment several others have. This right?
And what lens was common on this model when it was new?
Thanks,
Larry

Thanks for the lens link. I'm running around dating all the Ektar lenses around here!

Quote:

Oh, history expert!

Did someone call my name???


From the 1938 price list...
common lenses would have been
a Kodak Anastigmat, in either 5 1/2" or 6 3/8" focal length,
A Bausch & Lomb Tessar of 6" length
a Carl Zeiss Tessar of 6" length.

All of these lenses are of Tessar design, were moderately priced of the 18 or so lenses available from Graflex at the time. All of these lenses could have been bought in either barrel or in a Compur shutter (probably rim Compur as opposed to a dial compur) None would have had flash synchronization.

At the high end of the price list was a 190mm 2.9 Anticomar @ twice the price of the Zeiss Tessar even though the tessar was in shutter and the Anticomar was in barrel. .... $225!

Below is a photograph of one of my Pre Anns. It has the early rangefinder on it so it's probably around 1937 or '38. The folding viewfinder is proper on all Speed Graphic cameras until 1939. The tubular finder shows up on 1939 Pre-Anns, just before the introduction of the Anniversary.

Ah, the photos helps much and thanks for the lens info. The rear speed finder thingy is part of the spring back, not mounted to the top of the body as I thought from the photos I have seen. Any resources, aside for ebay, for a back with one or the finder part to put on a spring back?
Thanks again, very helpfull.
Larry