Hello, I just won this ebay auction. The bellows and shutter curtain looked good and it was cheap so i bit the bullet. What can you tell me about this particular camera from the ebay images? I could not find the lens listed on any of the graflex sites linked in the many forums posts about the 3A. I plan on using 120 film in this camera mostly save for the rare roll of 122 i might come across.[/url]

The lens is a 180/4.5 Congo (tessar type) made by Yamasaki Optical. Yamasaki's home page (http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/index_e.html) says they've been in business since 1924 so the lens might be contemporary with the camera.

Odds are that it is a retrofit. If you want to know when the lens was made, ask Yamasaki.

see the reflex help section as the 3A is a Graflex Reflex camera. it will have to be modified to use 120 film.

What is the serial number? it should be on the focus bed.

I'll tell you the serial when I get the camera. Thanks for the help. Any idea what I can do about this missing viewfinder hood?

serial is 98784. cant figure out how to make the shutter open. i think the shutter aperture knob A is damaged

larsenf wrote:

serial is 98784. cant figure out how to make the shutter open. i think the shutter aperture knob A is damaged

I was able to remove the winding assembly. The camera had been dropped on its side and the A knob and gears were pushing against the arms actuated by lever M so it couldnt turn. I was able to bend it all back into alignment but the shutter aperture gear is off time. I'm also concerned the spring is too weak or off and I won't be getting accurate shutter speeds. At tension 1 it wont open T and it barely opens at 6.

I think I'll need to buy another one to salvage parts from.

The serial number is listed in a batch of 1000 but date records were not kept at that time. Best guess is 1916-1919.

If you have been able to remove the wind plate then you are half way there on getting the shutter to work.

http://graflex.org/helpboard/viewtopic.php?t=6131
will tell you most if not all you need to know.
Remove the curtain from the camera, remove the dried out grease from the curtain roller end bushings buried in the left side of the body, apply fresh grease, reassemble and adjust.

You will probably have to make a new view hood as most 3A's go for $150 to $250 in repairable condition.

Hello,

I have a couple of old family cameras that I'm looking to sell. I know very little about cameras, so for starters I'm trying to identify the exact model and serial number. There's a small metal label on the curtain that indicates 3.A. Graflex, followed by a series of rows and columns. At the very lower-left corner of the label is a five digit number (13472) that I'm wondering whether it's the serial number.

Can someone help me identify the exact model and serial number for the camera I have on hand?

Thanks.

That's the shutter speed table. The serial number is on the rear left corner of the lens door when open and looking into the camera.