Graflex: the View Cameras
The Graphic View II By Gerald Pierce |
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The Graphic View II,
seen in the above photo (left), was introduced by Graflex, Inc., in 1949.
The photo above shows the View II and the Graphic View with both standards
adjusted to maximum tilt and swing. The newer version has a slightly different
finish, but you have to look hard to see it. The Graphic View has a satin
gray finish on painted metal surfaces. The same parts on the View II are
painted with a silver paint that has a slightly mottled look to it. The
measurements for the Graphic View II's movements are the same as the original
Graphic View’s measurements. The Graphic View II has a four-inch longer
monorail and a correspondingly longer bellows extension of 16 inches. The
tilts were changed to axis tilts from the Graphic View’s base tilts.
With the axis tilts, adjustments of the tilt pivot at the optical axis,
and thus affect focus less than the base tilts do.
At first, the Graphic View II was
available with the same array of Graflex and Graphic backs and reducing
backs. In the early 1950's, Graflex would make a Graflok back by special
order. After 1955, the Graflok back was the only back available. One very
useful accessory is an adapter that allows use of 4x5 Pacemaker lens boards
on either camera. The adapter attaches to the camera, and any number of
Pacemaker lens boards may be used with one adapter.A clever person might
consider buying a Super Graphic camera and a Graphic View or View II. This
person could spend money on the best lenses that he/she can afford and
an adapter so the mounted lenses could be mounted on Pacemaker boards and used
on both of these fine cameras. That combination would cover most situations
unless extension of more than 16 inches is needed. Another 3 inches of
extension would be available with a Crown view, which could be bought for
a couple hundred bucks. Well, maybe that is carrying this Graflex thing
too far. The author, for one, does not think so.
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Start: Graflex: The View Cameras Brought to you by Graflex.Org |