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[Tyler]

Hello and thank you for letting me be a part of this forum.
I just received my first Speed Graphic via ebay. I have been spending quite a few hours getting to understand the camera. I have used LF cameras for thirty years, but this seems to be a different animal......mostly due to rangefinder and focal plane shutter. My first question is in regard to the focal plane shutter. When I wind the crank I can see 1/30, 1/125, 1/500 in the viewing window but it only clicks in at T, 1/50, 1/250, 1/1000. How do I set the focal plane shutter to tale advantage of all the shutter speeds? Thank you for your help.

[C. Henry]

Tyler;

On the Pacemaker Speed Graphic cameras the focal plane shutter has only four openings in the curtain, there is a lever near the bottom of the camera that changes the spring tension between two settings. On my 2 x 3 SG when the lever is toward the back of the camera it selects the high tension for speeds of T, 1/50, 1/250, & 1/1000. Moving the lever to the front changes the tension to the low setting for speeds of T, 1/30, 1/125, & 1/500.
If you listen carefully you can hear the difference in the speed that the curtain is moving. Hope that info helps.

C. Henry

[C. Henry]

Tyler;

Since you are new to Speed Graphics you might not be aware that the focal plane shutter should be released to the open (O) position before the camera is put away after use so that the main spring does not lose strength and cause the shutter to run slow.

C. Henry

[Tyler]

Thank you!
I shot some polaroids this morning ( not using the focal plane shutter ) and I was thrilled that the 135mm Optar was right in tune with my light metering of the subject.
I am going to check out what you told me about the focal plane shutter. Thank you again....