Graflex.org

npt53 · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 3 Location: montana

Questions about a speed that uses 2 1/4" x3 1/2" film. Are miniatures and pacemakers the same? I don't see anyone selling this size of sheet film, do you cut it from larger sheets? Is the 120 roll back better to use than sheets? What are the advantages/disadvantages of this size versus a 4"x5". Will larger film holders fit on this size of camera? Thanks so much!

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2146 Location: New Jersey

Graflex Sid · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 221 Location: London,England

Grumpy...never,Dan.
Sounded common sense to me,and a perfectly good reply.

...only thing I could add would be a 2x3 back which included pin-rollers.But then I don't want to complicated the issue.

npt53 · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 3 Location: montana

Excuse me but lazy I am not. I have read pages of information and I had a few simple questions. I thought maybe people who were really into these could help me out. What may sound like stupid questions to you could really make a difference to me. Seems odd that if you take the time to read someones questions and bother to give a reply, you would give straight forword answers intead of wise ass remarks. Maybe someone out there is genuine, if so your help is always appreciated!

tsgrimm · Joined: 04 Apr 2004 Posts: 158 Location: SE Michigan

npt53

Seems to me that all your questions were answered or you were given a resource to find the answer yourself.

Don't get off to a bad start here. These folks are very helpful, if at times a little playful in the way that they answer your questions.

You may want to edit your last post.

Keep reading.

Rangemaster · Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 1:16 am Post subject:

Dan Fromm · Joined: 14 May 2001 Posts: 2146 Location: New Jersey

NPT53, your post that started this thread reads as though it were written by an enthusiastic child. Enthusiasm is wonderful and shouldn't be curbed. But children do have to grow up and learn how to fend for themselves.

More seriously, you've taken up a very capable but somewhat old piece of equipment. Operating old cameras requires the user to think for itself. Keeping 'em alive and running well takes a certain amount of "do it yourself" and "work it out for yourself."

Perhaps for those reasons, most of the people who contribute here have acquired pretty good photographic educations -- if you visit Dave Parker, talk with him about this, he knows quite a lot -- and have very strong DIY spirit.

There are books. I learned the most from Al Blaker's book Field Photography. I regret that current photography magazines aren't what they used to be. When I started out the two major US mags I had access to -- Modern Photography and Popular Photography -- each ran a series of educational articles on roughly a two year cycle. After this dawned on me I spent some time in the library reading the last two years' issues of both.

These days there's actually some good information hidden among the misinformation the world wide web is full of. Google and other search engines can find it. But I really miss the Modern Photography that was.

I still haven't learned all there is to know and never will. There's too much to know and I can't read fast enough. But I'd feel shame if I asked "authorities" a question without first trying to answer it myself, from general principles and via search, and failing.

Cheers,

Dan

Les · Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 2682 Location: Detroit, MI

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

[ This Message was edited by: troublemaker on 2006-12-14 18:18 ]

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

No, The Mini-Speed and the later Pacemaker Speed Graphic 23 are not the same. But the use of the term "mini" threw me off for a while as I thought the term simply implied a smaller version and therefore not the actual moniker of a model type.
as mentioned above there is a nice little article on the Mini here on the sight.
The Mini is a neat camera, and a few can be found with retro-fit factory produced Graflok backs, and there are also an occasional set of roll-back adapter clips to be had. I would not recomend the Mini as a first Graphic camera as it is not as versatile as say the later Pacemakers or Century camera that came with Graflok backs that allow the use of Roll holders and or sheet film in conjunction with the groundglass or RF for focussing etc...

Nice to see everyone in such pleasant spirits for the holidays...

npt53 · Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 3 Location: montana

Thank you to Troublemaker and Les for actual answers to my questions! I am obviously not a photo buff, simply a dad trying to buy a christmas gift for my college age daughter who is. Sorry I stopped after ten hours or so of reading and looking at cameras on ebay and other camera sites, and turned to experts for what ended up the few basic things I didn't understand. As far as Dans response goes, "a lazy child". Wow! You have way too much time on your hands. Making personal assumptions about people from reading a few lines of text is a bad thing, but you remember it can work both ways. Thank again.

tsgrimm · Joined: 04 Apr 2004 Posts: 158 Location: SE Michigan

npt53

Had you explained the reason for your questions things would have been different. Think about it.

I can see that you are in a rush, but a trip (Yes, I know Montana is huge. I have driven across the state a few times.) to Kalispell to talk to Dave Parker would be worth delaying the purchase of this Christmas present.

[ This Message was edited by: tsgrimm on 2006-12-15 06:21 ]

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

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

Hi, Dan,

On 2006-12-14 07:01, Dan Fromm wrote:

Jim23 · Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:40 pm Post subject:

BTW - I am originally from Bozeman, MT but now live in KY. We get back up there every few years and visit friends in Essex (Glacier). What a place to be living and into photography!

Of the 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 Graphics, my personal favorite is the Century - no leather to come loose (it's molded bakelite instead of leather-on-wood) - no body-cable-release shutter trip to foul up - and it often has the famous Kalart rangefinder! I also like sheet film (only avail. in b/w) so I can use the focusing panel without having to remove the roll back and switch to the spring back. I use the roll back occasionally for color.

Good luck with your search.