Graflex.org

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

Look hard at the 58/5.6 Grandagons you're offered. Many have severe separations, often in both cells. You should see mine, also the one that lives the next town over.

Another minor problem with 'em as mounted for Graflex XL is that the shutters have no cable release socket and no "T" setting. I keep meaning to send mine off to be reshuttered. I have the shutter, can't for the life of me get the lens out of the XL shutter its in, and the "new" shutter needs to have an aperture scale engraved.

Murray@uptowngallery.org · Joined: 03 Apr 2002 Posts: 164 Location: Holland MI

OK, I think mine is a 127 because it's f/4.7, not 4.5. I did remember ONE of the numbers on it.

Hey, another distraction...

apparently the less-desireable Polaroid Triplet rollfilm models like 95B, 150, 160, etc DO barely cover 4x5 if you give them a 4x5 back or put the lens/shutter kludge on a lensboard.

Some Triplets are well-liked.

I've never heard any comments from anyone using these...it's usually an experiment, and you don't hear from the individual again.

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

I've used the 103mm Trioptar triplet extensively for landscape stuff mostly color. Nice light weight lens for backpacking.
The Graftar 103 I tried for a while, as found on some Century Graphics was not very good, nor do I like the image quality very much with the 85mm Graftar on my Graflex 22 TLR. But it is useable for a knock around.
I think the Rodenstock Graflar 103mm, found on later model Century Graphics, of which I have one, is a very nice lens, sharp and contrasty, but I dislike the Prontor shutter it is mounted on. But when I tested the Graflar with some other lenses the image qulaity was a little better than the Trioptar,and almost as good as the 105 Xenar.
Another triplet I am pleased with is my old Cooke 7" 5x7 barrel lens. A serious performer for a variety of subject matter on any one of my camera bodies. Old, uncoated, reasonably fast at F4.5, and nice and light on the front standard comepared to lenses form 152mm upwarsd mounted in shutters, esspecially the big Ilex 7-1/2 lens and shutter it replaces on one of my Speed 45's.
I don't know anything about the old Triotars and others mounted on older TLR's, but I would imagine they might make some interesting images.
I don't see anything wrong with triplets, most of mine have been as good or better than most 101mm Wollensak Tessars (Optar?Raptar).