After a long search, this weekend I purchased a Century Graphic. Considering the age, very clean, with roll-film back, and I am looking forward to actually using it - rather than just displaying it on a shelf!
Only one problem, the person I purchased from, never ever had the ground glass screen, complete with flip-up metal shades, focus unit.
I have spent much of today searching the web, but sadly there appears to be no enthusiasts club, or specialist camera shop here in the U.K. that is able to assist me.
So here is the question: Can anyone help me? Does anyone have a spare unit that I can buy, or can anyone recommend a reputable dealer that I can contact, who might be able to locate a focusing screen for me and mail it from U.S.A. To England?
I'm looking forward to your replies, and also to spreading much time on this excellent web-site.

These do come up from time to time on eB*y. Enter search terms "Graflex Graphic" on their main page and see what comes up. Over here there are usually at least ten pages of listings for various and sundry items. Meanwhile, this firm may have something; I'd contact them with your needs so they can be on the lookout for it: http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/catalog/hubs/graflex.htm

Hope this helps.

(I wonder how the owner ever used the camera at all if it had no focus screen/ground glass?!)

Frame complete- Focusing Catalog number 9278, part number 31715G1 in the event you run across a NOS.

Quote:

(I wonder how the owner ever used the camera at all if it had no focus screen/ground glass?!)

Set up the infinity stops and RF with a focus panel installed then removed the focus panel, attached a RFH and never looked back. Composition was with an optical finder or sports finder.

Right, good enough for rough work. For critical stuff, no way.

Hmm. 2x3 film pack adapters are inexpensive. A 2x3 ground glass isn't that expensive.

A 2x3 focusing panel that will work on a Century can be made from a 2x3 fpa with the back removed, a shim as thick as the front of the film pack, and a 2x3 gg.

Not that I've ever done it, just looked at an fpa and had the idea.

Dan, I've had similar thoughts. One question: if the gg is installed so as to lie in the same plane as the film, why need a shim? Mind, I've never looked at a film pack adapter in the flesh so I don't know what's involved here.

Henry wrote:

Dan, I've had similar thoughts. One question: if the gg is installed so as to lie in the same plane as the film, why need a shim? Mind, I've never looked at a film pack adapter in the flesh so I don't know what's involved here.

Fair question, Henry. The front of the film pack rests against the inside of the front of the FPA. The film rests against the inside of the pack. This is why a shim as thick as the film pack's front is needed.

If I coiuld get at my gear I'd measure and report, but the painter is in and all is chaos. I can find an fpa but not the calipers.

Bookmark and or save a copy to your hard drive:
http://home.earthlink.net/~eahoo/page8/filmhold.html
2x3 film holder depth from the edge of the film holder to the front surface of a sheet of film loaded in it should be .197 inch / 5.0038 mm ± .007 inch / 0.1778 mm .
Kodak TriX sheet film is .007 inch thick.
A FPA, and RFH will have to meet the same specification to be directly interchangeable with any adjustments to the camera.

Dan Fromm wrote:

Henry wrote: Dan, I've had similar thoughts. One question: if the gg is installed so as to lie in the same plane as the film, why need a shim? Mind, I've never looked at a film pack adapter in the flesh so I don't know what's involved here. Fair question, Henry. The front of the film pack rests against the inside of the front of the FPA. The film rests against the inside of the pack. This is why a shim as thick as the film pack's front is needed. If I coiuld get at my gear I'd measure and report, but the painter is in and all is chaos. I can find an fpa but not the calipers.

Aha! Thanks for the explanation. Now I'm wondering whether that thickness varied with the type of film being used in the pack? Or was Tri-X the only type available?

I based my film thickness on current production TXP 320 TriX 4x5 sheet film.

I have been told by photographers of that era that pack film was thinner than roll film. Roll film is 3.5 mil (.00035 inch) for Fuji and 4.5 mil (.00045 inch) for Kodak and Ilford B&W films. Kodak does not state the thickness for their color films and I have not researched tech sheets on other brands of film currently available.

120 film backing paper is 6 mil (.006 inch) thick.

I speculate pack film was in the 1.5 mil to 2.5 mil range.

Film thickness makes no difference because the emulsion side of the film is pressed against the inside of the front of the pack. And the front of the pack is pressed against the inside of the FPA.

Thanks, Dan. I get it now; took a while.

Paulf, here's one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Graflex-Graflok-2x3-Crown-Anniversary-Graphic-back-/281341755223?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item4181467f57

Of course, you don't need the whole back, just the screen and hood. Maybe hold out until another one comes along?

Thanks to those who have replied to my request.
I have been particularly interested in the conversation between Henry, and Dan Fromm.
Thanks, Henry too for Pacific rim camera's e.mail: I have mailed them, and await their reply. 45PSS, thanks to you also for part numbers and catalogue description- I now know exactly what I'm looking for!
Henry, thanks for passing Eb*y reference to me on Thursday, for viewfinder unit. Sadly, I was away working, so missed out on that one, so I'm still in the market.

Paulf

Today, while adjusting the view screen in a 3x4 Telescopic Graflex SLR, I found out that a piece of ground glass pressed against the inner front edge of the FPA is .040 inch closer to the lens than film in a film holder.

The Century's back is made into the camera body. To check film plane distances remove the lens board and measure from a straight edge across the front standard to the back plate of a film holder with or without a sheet of film in it and to a piece of glass held against the inside front edge of a FPA.
Shim the glass in the FPA to match the film holder distance. For the most critically sharp focus use a sheet of film in the holder and use only film of that thickness.