Graflex.org

[scenichair]

i've been looking on ebay for a roll film back to put onto my 4x5 crown graphic, but i am a little confused about exactly what sort of back i have on my camera and which roll film backs i can put on there. i'm unsure if i have a graflok back and confused as to how the various backs go on and off the camera.
thanks for your help.

[primus96]

Well, if you have a graflok back you will have to press down on the two chrome plated arms. However it would help if you cane describe the back of your camera.
I have a Crown Graphic with graflok, but there are spring (graphic) back versions too.
They willl look like a leaf spring & are the black crackle paint finish.
I hope the rangefinder of you camera has been checked for accuracy. Mine needs adjustment before I can consider a roll back.

[t.r.sanford]

A "Crown" is likely to have either a "Graflok" or a "Graphic" back. The latter is a typical spring back -- the focusing panel is attached to the back by long flat springs at top and bottom, which connect to the body by two central screws. The springs usually are painted black or dark grey.

The "Graflok" back replaces those flat springs by two heavy chromed arms held under tension by springs in the focusing panel, and connected to the back by top and bottom latches engaged by hooks on the inner ends of the arms. You can remove the focusing panel by pressing in on the arms to unhook them from the latches and then pulling the panel out to the right.

The "Graflok" back also has two shiny flat metal slides, located on rails above and below the focusing panel. When you remove the focusing panel, you can attach accessories in its place with those slides.

You might do a search of this site for "Graflok" -- there are good pictures here.

Several rollholders were made to slip under a "Graphic" focusing panel. These carry both spools in a chamber that protrudes beyond the right-hand side of the camera, with the leader and film drawn out to the left, around a roller and back to the right, where it's attached to the takeup spool. Calumet made one of these, and there were others -- there's a good deal of discussion of these on this site.

Graflex rollholders were more conventional in design, and were designed to work with the "Graflok" back. The actual film chamber, gate and transport mechanism was the same for all formats, and this module was mounted to a flat plate sized for each of the three camera sizes. The dark slide is carried by this plate.

People on the auction sites sometimes don't tell you what size camera their back will fit, so you want to make sure you find out before you bid.

If you have a "Graphic" back and want to use accessories like rollholders, you can purchase an entire "Graflok" back assembly to replace it. They're not cheap, but the thing is worth doing, in my opinion.