Gentleman;
I'm pleased to say I just acquired a top rangefinder 4 by 5 Pacemaker Speed Graphic. Went to photographic a quilt and found no matter what I did the image on the groundglass just won't focus sharpe the way I expect from such a camera! I shot three images using a #405 polaroid back and they were very soft. I already own a Horseman VHR and shot some 120 images with it and could see a big diference between the ground glass images! The graphic is as follows #930612 f4.7 Graflex Optar lens 135mm. Any ideas? Have wanted a SG all my live and am really dispointed in it. Tried all the adjustments on the lens and body but still soft? Put the Graphic on my tripod on my deck and compared GG images with the horseman and could see a big diference. Do I need to hunt another lens? Thanks Bob Thompson

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: n4yzj on 2002-06-28 23:19 ]</font>

Shall we assume that you have infinity stops installed and were against them?

Ground glass and fresnel could be dirty. For some unknown reason a white film seems to settle on them if stored for long times. Wash/clean carefully.

Same white film accumlated on lens elements. Is lens clear when you look through it only? Are the element groups fully seated into the shutter?

Many experts here, just the possibilities I can think of for now.

take a look at the way the lens is seated on the board. sometimes theres a pin that should fall into a hole or slot so you can't rotate the lens. many times this gets ignored and the lens gets mounted crooked.

then take a good close look at the lens. Are there any dents on the rear element? sometimes a fall can knock out the rear alignment.

take a small flashlight and shine it through the lens and look at the surfaces obliquely (don't look directly into the flashlgiht, move it slightly off axis. This will turn up dirt, but it will also turn up elements starting to seperate.

Try to focus on something flat with detail or texture-- wall paper, a brick wall, etc.

Withthe ground glass parallel to the wall can you get any part of the wall to be sharp? When you move the focus rails does the sharp part travel down the wall?

If this is true then the lens is somehow cocked to one side, or the ground glass isn't seated to the bed properly.