I am new to large format and have many questions, but will narrow this to one right now. I came by a Speed Graphic with a 4.7f 135mm optar lens, camera ser# 977718. By means of this site I can only figure out that this is a Pacemaker? On the bottom lens board holder it reads Model FP, I am assuming that this stands for focal plane?Which is the type it is. I know that EBAY isnt necessarilly the best resource for this, but none of the Pacemakers or Crowns have the lable "Model FP" on them. Is this unusual? Is this in fact a Pacemaker?

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On the bottom lens board holder it reads Model FP, I am assuming that this stands for focal plane?
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Neither of mine say that, so I don't know.


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Which is the type it is. I know that EBAY isnt necessarilly the best resource for this, but none of the Pacemakers or Crowns have the lable "Model FP" on them. Is this unusual? Is this in fact a Pacemaker?
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"Pacemaker" refers to the last leather-covered-wood-box Graphic. "Speed" means it has the FP shutter; "Crown" does not. That's the difference between the Speed and Crown.
If it's a Crown, it is a Pacemaker, and has no FP shutter.

If it's a Speed:
It's a Pacemaker if the lensboad is metal with a satin finish, and there's a shutter release button on the right side of the body, near the bottom.

If there's a switch and a windup key above the body release, it's a Speed and therefore has the FP shutter. If no switch/windup key, then it's a Crown.

Hello,

The model Speed Graphic that you own was manufactured from the early 1960's forward. Two Pacemaker models carried the name "Speed Graphic" from this point through the late 1960's. There names were "Speed Graphic, Model FP" and "Speed Graphic, Model 1000". The "FP" model, as you own, is the equivilant of the famous Pacemaker Speed from 1947 forward (with rear focal plane shutter). The "Model 1000" was the equivilant of a Pacemaker Crown with a special lens which had a leaf shutter with a maximum speed of 1/1000. It also had different name badges. Otherwise it is identical to a Crown Graphic.

To provide you some further background....In 1957, Graflex introduced a new model 4 X 5 named the "Super Graphic". It was a modern version of the Pacemaker. In 1961, Graflex introduced a new concept in shutters...a leaf shutter that had a maximum speed of 1/1000. It's design was paramount! Unfortunately, Graflex used plastic cams and the shutter never proved to be durable IMHO. Graflex decided that this new super shutter would prove worthy to offer on both it's Super Graphic model and Pacemaker as well. The name "Speed" has always been associated with a top speed of 1/1000. So, with this new super fast leaf shutter, Graflex modified the flash connections and offered it on a Pacemaker. In order to segregate it from the tradition focal plane shutter model, they stamped the badge with "FP" versus "Model 1000". Hope this reads clear.

It should be noted that the "FP" and "Model 1000" versions are more rare that the prior models.

Best regards,

J. P. Mose

Thank you gentlemen the information was very helpful.
r_desrosiers