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LelandRay
Joined: 24 May 2001 Posts: 115 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 6:44 pm Post subject: Initially posted this in the wrong place, so here it is agai |
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Sorry about that.
I dropped out of sight here several years ago and took a break from photography. Then I went all medium format, then to digital. But I kept most of my Graflex equipment and wanted to use it again, so I tried to preserve it as best I could.
Anyway, I'm back.
A few days ago I started wondering about my old Graphic View II, which I sold to another photographer back in 2003. I got in touch with him and asked if he'd be interested in selling it back to me, which he was. So it will be here in a couple of days, and I'll start using it again.
What I'm wondering is, while he says the camera is still in the condition in which I sold it, I know this will not be true forever. The question is, is there any treatment I can perform on the bellows to keep it pliable and preserve it? I'm sure there's someone who will repair or even manufacture a bellows, but I'd like to prevent that if possible.
All help given will be gratefully accepted. Here's the old camera from back in about 2000, and I can't wait to see it again.
![](http://www.vangargoyle.com/post/graphic.jpg) |
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Billy Canuck
Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 165 Location: Calgary AB Canada
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LelandRay
Joined: 24 May 2001 Posts: 115 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 7:40 pm Post subject: Wow, that was quick! |
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And I thank you.
From reading the link you sent, I'm thinking the solutions are all simple, and I'll trust that all will work, so I have only to decide which to use.
But Pledge? That sounds too good to be true.
Again, thank you.
Here's a picture I shot with the Graphic View II before I sold it.
Shot on Plus X with a Nikkor 210mm at either f22 or f32. |
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LelandRay
Joined: 24 May 2001 Posts: 115 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 6:30 pm Post subject: Update |
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Well, I got the GVII back, and the owner said he'd taken good care of it since I'd sold it to him. He was as good as his word, but the screws holding the rear tilt bars had fallen out into the case. I replaced them and tightened them, and other than a couple of knobs that wanted to fall off, I got everything back up to speed and ready for a photo excursion on Saturday (December 3).
I was really concerned about the condition of the bellows, but I needn't have worried. It was literally like new. I tried Armor All on an old compendium lens shade I had on hand for the camera, and while it did seem to darken the leather somewhat, it did restore flexibility and seems to be working just fine for the chemical's intended purpose. The hood is in BAD shape, so any help is good. As for the bellows on the camera, I'm not going to do anything now other than keep an eye on it, using the tips I was offered here if and when they are needed.
So basically this is a message of thanks to Graflex.Org users, and I'll sign off with a shot from Saturday.
![](http://www.vangargoyle.com/post/img317a_edited-1.jpg) |
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Henry
Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 1636 Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
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Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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ooh, no! I was just going to caution against using Armor-All! This junk ruined the padded dash on my '70 Dodge Dart, 'way back when. I would endorse the Lemon Pledge recommendation. Try to find it in the spray bottle (not the aerosol), if they still make it available that way. Failing that, use it however you find it, but please please don't ever use Armor-All again!
And yes, I have used Lemon Pledge on the red bellows of my Century, with great success. I assume that the bellows material is identical to your GVII.
P.S. Lovely photos! What film/developer? |
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LelandRay
Joined: 24 May 2001 Posts: 115 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:40 am Post subject: Advice noted |
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I'm going to be at Wally World tomorrow or the next day and will get the Pledge. No reason to do anything to my bellows now, so I haven't.
Let's see... the first image was from 2002, Plus X developed in D76, exposure in the f32 range, but forgot the speed. I think it was 1/8th of a second.
Second one was from Saturday, Ilford FP4 processed in TMAX for 8 minutes at 68 degrees. Rated at 125, f45 at either 1/2 or 1 second.
I got this new scanner, and it's so much better than the one I was using that I'm going through about 25 years of negatives and transparencies and rescanning them.
This is from Kodak E100SW, summer of 2003. I haven't rescanned this one yet. Shot with a Speed Graphic, 127mm lens, f8.
I'd like to shoot some color with the GVII, but I simply can't afford it. That stuff's gone and gotten expensive on me. |
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Henry
Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 1636 Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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Nice. That Plus-X is my favorite b-w film; I shot it for years with 35, bought it in long (100') rolls and bulk-loaded it into cassettes. Used Microdol-X diluted 1:3, then switched to D76 [oops, I meant Dektol]. Now with the Century for b-w I use Ilford XP2 Super chromogenic and have it developed (C-41) at the camera shop lab; no more chemicals for me!
BTW, you might consider acquiring a roll film back for your GVII and shooting 120 for color. It would be much more affordable than 4x5 sheet film, and with a good scanner you'll get really good results. There is still a range of choice for 120 films, although it's harder to find a local lab that does E-6 (actually, my camera shop lab recently started doing E-6 again---big surprise to me---after they had disposed of their troublesome processer. I think they obtained another one from a local lab, now defunct.). C-41, OTOH, should be easier to find locally. You can always shoot color negative film if color is your thing. |
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LelandRay
Joined: 24 May 2001 Posts: 115 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:47 pm Post subject: I love bw |
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I'm going to stick to digital for color and film for black and white. I love the color and convenience of the digital, but when I shot in B&W mode I felt like I was cheating. For some things I'll keep doing it, maybe, but I'd rather stick to film and process it myself.
There's been no E6 processing locally for several years, and E6 large format was gone many years ago. I think I could still send big slides to Holland Photo for processing, but I"m not willing to pay the price anymore. I have a freezer full of Tri X, Delta Pro 100, and TMAX, but Plus X seems to be kind of hard to find. Truth is, I've been very happy with the Delta.
I recently bought a new, hotshot scanner, a new computer, and an Epson R3000 printer, which does stunning black and white. I'm armed and ready to go! |
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45PSS
Joined: 28 Sep 2001 Posts: 4081 Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.
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Henry
Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 1636 Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 12:53 am Post subject: |
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Well, there you have it. One thing's for sure: if Kodak doesn't make it, *no one* will buy it. Guess that's what they want.
I, for one, have never understood EKCO's marketing strategies, which seem to me to range from downright stupid to totally clueless. That goes for their entire history, as I read it and have experienced part of it. Historically, most of their success was based on the principle of "effortless superiority" in the face of limited competition for the kinds of products they made---the same conditions that killed Bethlehem Steel and are odds on to do in Great Yellow Father as well. There is nothing EKCO does now that somebody else is not doing as well or better, and cheaper.
Sorry, folks. End of rant.
BTW, E-6 processing is available from Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, KS. The same mailer for 35 they will also honor for 120, and at the same price. I get mine from B&H Photo |
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45PSS
Joined: 28 Sep 2001 Posts: 4081 Location: Mid Peninsula, Ca.
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:57 am Post subject: |
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And after seeing a post on another site, I checked Kodak's site and
Tri X is the only B&W film they make that has 120 and sheet film sizes listed.
Good by Kodak! _________________ The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU. |
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tsgrimm
Joined: 04 Apr 2004 Posts: 158 Location: SE Michigan
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 6:37 am Post subject: |
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LelandRay,
What hotshot scanner did you buy? |
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LelandRay
Joined: 24 May 2001 Posts: 115 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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tsgrimm wrote: | LelandRay,
What hotshot scanner did you buy? |
Epson Perfection V700 Photo. I'm beginning to think going to the V750 would have been better, but the 700 was in the budget, as I was replacing the whole system, including the printer and computer. |
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LelandRay
Joined: 24 May 2001 Posts: 115 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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45PSS wrote: | And after seeing a post on another site, I checked Kodak's site and
Tri X is the only B&W film they make that has 120 and sheet film sizes listed.
Good by Kodak! |
And I'll be durned if I can find ANYBODY who makes 220 film. I have 11 rolls of Tri-X 220 in the freezer, and I figure when it's gone, it's gone for good. |
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Henry
Joined: 09 May 2001 Posts: 1636 Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania
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Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 1:27 am Post subject: |
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Check this out: http://tinyurl.com/7jeaag4
Looks like it's all color stock, though; no b/w. |
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