Graflex.org

[JimBob]

I'm looking for some advice on which Graphic would be best for my type of photography. I am a storm chaser and I photograph severe weather using a Canon Rebel XTi. I also occasionally shoot landscapes, and that is how I started researching 4x5 field/view cameras. I stumbled across the Graflex press cameras mosly due to the lower cost than field cameras like the Wista, etc.

A press camera looks like the best choice for storm photography as they were built for use on the go. I typically shoot from a tripod when storm chasing but often the scene changes rapidly and there is little time to focus using a loupe on the ground glass.

Since I also want to use the camera for landscapes, I would like sufficient movements to allow focusing for near-far compositions. This has me leaning towards a Super Graphic or Super Speed Graphic. Storm photography requires wide angles, preferrably 65-75 mm on a 4x5, without the need for movements. A 75mm would be nice for landscapes but I could live with 90mm.

Am I looking in the right direction? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Les]

Graflex came close to making the perfect camera in the Super Graphic, but they cut corners in one important area. With the Pacemaker series, the bed rails inside the body are linked to the rails on the bed. This makes lenses wider than 90mm to focus easily. With the Super Graphic that feature was eliminated. The workaround was lenses in a helical focus I have a 65MM SA in a Helical and I believe they made a 90mm SA the same way.

If you can find one of these, the Super Graphic is a great camera for wides. But lenses in a standard mount will be a right PITA to focus as you will have to push/pull the standard and hope it doesn't shift when you lock it down.... Not exactly what you want to be doing when Auntie Em's house is coming at you.

A Speed Graphic won't focus most 65-75mm lenses as the focal plane shutters are in the way. I'd go for a Crown, but don't expect the rangefinder to work on these short lenses. The focus shift between INF and 6ft is quite short.
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"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[JimBob]

Thanks for the info. Most of my subjects are near infinity focus so I can deal with the ineffective rangefinder at wide angles. That would lean me towards a Crown. However, after reading up on the Crown, I'm a little confused on the available movements. It looks like I can get downward tilt by dropping the bed, but only with lenses >90mm? I would like the downward tilt for landscapes so I would prefer a lens around 65-75mm. It sounds like the front standard does not drop with the bed for shorter lenses.

In the end, the benefits of shooting 4x5 outweigh the wide angle limitation. Worst-case, I'll spring for a Super and use a 90mm.

[Les]

The other option is to reverse the front standard and remove the top wire finder. This will give you some rise inside the body and forward tilt. You'll still have to drop the bed to get it out of the image.
_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[JimBob]

As of this week I'm a new Super Graphic owner. I'll have to play with reversing the front standard once I receive it from the seller to see how much room I have to work with.

Thanks again.

[Rick from OZ]

If you have a Super Graphic, you shouldn't need to reverse standards.

The Super has front tilt in both directions. Just press down on the (otherwise redundant) tab under the standard, and you will enable tilt in both directions. It also has an enormous swing range, too !

Also, if you are using a wide angle, be careful of the bed being in the frame if you use the rotating back, too.

Some people have modified the drop bed to increase the angle, but then you lose electronic shutter control. Personally, I'd just rotate the camera, like using a speed or crown grapic.

[JimBob]

Thanks for the info. Now that I've had a chance to play with the Super, it looks like it has plenty of tilt for my needs. The next challenge is finding a wider lens (90mm?) that has sufficient coverage to take advantage of the movements.

[Les]

Cheap and good lenses
88mm Bauch & Lomb
90mm F6,8 optar/Raptar**

Not exactly cheap but good
90mm Angulon


pricey but very good
90mm Wide angle dagor

Pricey with lots of movements but big and heavy
90mm Super Angulon.

**Wolley made more 90mm lenses than I can count. Stay away from the f3.5 and f4.5 lenses, they don't cover. the 6.8 was the standard wide lens for Crowns for many a year. They also made an f9 and an f12.5 both of these will have move coverage for movements but are considerably darker on the ground glass.
_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison