Graflex.org

Doug Kerr · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Dallas, Texas, USA

I have recently acquired at auction (not from Sotheby's) a lovely Century Graphic. The lower lens board retainer (slider) carries the marking "Special". Do we know that that means?

The pebbled finish on the case is gray, and the bellows black.

The camera is equipped with a Graflex Graflar 101 mm f/4.5 lens in a Prontor shutter (1 sec-1/300 sec plus B). The shutter appears to have an Ev scale operated by the combination of shutter speed and aperture.

I understand that in the initial production, both the tubular viewfinder and the coupled rangefinder were optional. Some things I have read suggest that later in the life of the product, the tubular viewfinder may have become standard.

In any case, my new machine is equipped with both, as well as what I think is probably a fork to hold the plunger end of a cable release (for easy operation by the phtographer's left thumb). (The camera isn't here yet, so I am operating from the seller's pix, which however are excellent.)

I have not yet ascertained the date of manufacturer. (I have an inquiry in the Serial Number forum here.)

The machine is a surprise 71st birthday gift to me from Carla (that is, she was surprised).

She likes the 2-1/4 x 3-1/4 format; she has a nice Miniature Speed Graphic, and thinks it is just her size. ("How did that Jacqueline Bouvier ever schlepp that big 4x5 Speed?")

Thanks.
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Best regards,

Doug

45PSS · Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 9:57 pm Post subject:

From Graphic Graflex Photography, 11th Edition:

From A Review of Graflex by Paine, the Century was available in Black or Gray body with Red or Black bellows and was issued in 1966 as the Century Professional with Gray body and Black bellows.
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

clnfrd · Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 10:14 pm Post subject:

I've always wanted to ask you to elaborate on your reminder that Graflex was a supporter of rain forest devastation. Is it therefore evil to use this camera that contains magogany from South America? Or could we possibly have our local clergy exorcise the evil spirits from our Speed Graphics so we may continue to use them guilt-free?

Doug Kerr · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Dallas, Texas, USA

45:

Thanks.

Best regards,

Doug

Doug Kerr · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Dallas, Texas, USA

Hi,

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

A lot more mahogany wood went to manufacturing furniture, trim and paneling for buildings than these cute little camera boxes, and who cared until later in the 20'th century? (well besides those who did a small amount of subsistence slash and burn farming intherainforest areas)
The Century models, IIRC, started as all black with black bellows. Later on they were produced with the gray covering and a spiffy looking red bellows. Perhaps a function to enhance sales. The late runs returned to black bellows and retained the gray I believe. The Special I have also has the "Graflar" 101mm mounted on the Prontor shutter. This is said to be a triplet. If you look at the Graflars and Prontor shutters mounted on the Graphic 35, they are very similar, though a bit smaller. Anyway, when I ran a lens test a while back I included the Gralfar 101 and it turned out to be a very nice lens, which some herewill confirm. I believe these were produced by Rodenstock. Why the camera was monikered as a "Special" is probably along the same lines as the Pacemaker 45 Specials that simply came with a German Schneider Xenar 135mm. While a good lens itself, folks here have documents that show the Special 4x5 cameras were sold less than the standards with Optars and such.
While I really liked the Graflar performance, I certainly didn't cotton to the the lack of a Time setting or provision for opening the shutter for GG viewing beyond a locking release cable. I hope yours shows up in a more special condition than mine did.
Oh I almost forgot, check the models listings and production dates page on the site here and you can estimate your date for now...

45PSS · Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 2:10 am Post subject:

Doug Kerr · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Dallas, Texas, USA

Hi,

45PSS · Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 4:38 am Post subject:

Doug,
When you get your hands on the camera check the bottom of the front most rail cross bar for the definative "date code".

Charles
_________________
The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

clnfrd · Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 11:44 am Post subject:

When I said "this camera", I was referring to Graflex cameras in general, some of which contain mahogany. I have a Century Graphic, made of Mahoganite, not mahogany, and a pre-anny baby Speed, which, I assume, contains mahogany in it's construction. Anyhow, the entire query was intended to be in jest....a possibly feeble attempt at a little Graflex humor. Fred.

troublemaker · Joined: 24 Nov 2003 Posts: 715 Location: So Cal

I thought the Mahogonites were a group that grounded a new basis for worship based on tree hugging, and were thus persecuted for thier beliefs, and then driven to another land where they began the production of bakelite plastics. Not too many people know about this I guess...

Henry · Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 4:09 pm Post subject:

The 103mm f4.5 Graftar (as opposed to the 101 Graflar) that came with my Century is a pretty good little lens; I think it's also a triplet. It's in a Century shutter with T, B, 10/25/50/100/200 speeds. The really handy thing about the Century shutter is that it's self-cocking, i.e., one pull on the shutter release both cocks and releases the shutter in one motion. This makes it ideal for hand-held shooting. The one drawback with this lens is that it allows only very limited movements; that's why I mounted the 101 Optar as my standard lens. If I ever get around to re-calibrating the Kalart (the horror!), I will set it up for the Graftar again and do more hand-held work

alecj · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 853 Location: Alabama

Doug: I hope there is no serious damage to your Prontor shutter. I bought a Century Graflex, Grey body, red bellows, in 1968 as a "closeout". It came with that lens/shutter combination. Although I later bought an 80mm Planar and had Graflex mount it, I continued use of the Graflar lens too. In fact, for the 30+ years I had that unit, it never failed to perform 100%, incl. the self-timer! And, for 6x9, vs 6x7, it was sharper than the Planar (not designed for the 6x9 format as Graflex noted in their ads). Hope yours is a good performer too.

Doug Kerr · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Dallas, Texas, USA

Doug Kerr · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Dallas, Texas, USA