Topic: Graflex RB SLR

[gothamtomato]

I must admit I never heard of this camera before an hour ago, but I was in Adorama picking up something and there was this guy at the used counter who had one with him. He wasn't selling it, he just brought it in because one of the sales guys was interested in seeing it - and he showed it to me too.

And now I want one. It weighs a TON but how cool would it be to have a 4x5 SLR?

The search begins...

[LT]

Ed's got one - I'm sure he'll post a pic or two when he reads this.  It is a bit of a monster.

[Roger Thoms]

Here's my 3x4. I'm very close to shooting with it. This was a Craigslist purchase and took so rehab, nothing serious. Mainly cleaning an lubrication. The shutter was sluggish and the auto aperture was also sluggish. Mine came with 5 DDS cut film holders and a Cut Film Magazine aka Bagmag. I just got a box of film and loaded the film holders. I still have to modify a Jobo reel so that I can daylight process in my kitchen. I have to figure out what type of glue to use on the Jobo film reel and then I'm good to go.

BTW Graflex.org is a good resource if you find a camera.

Roger

[Ed Wenn]

Well, since you asked so nicely....

 


Graflex RB by Ed Wenn, on Flickr


Graflex RB: Back Modification by Ed Wenn, on Flickr

My original text from Flickr: "Here she is. The knackered, but mostly functional Graflex RB 5x4 that bought on evilBay for a mere £40. Sure it looks like a pile of crap, but they usually go for around $600, so I'll forgo the 'mint condition' styling given the $500+ price difference. She's big though. Pentax Program-A 35mm SLR for size comparison."

My main issue with the beast is that the mirror and glass are so old and degraded that it's impossible to compose a shot other than with a wide open aperture. Unfortunately, the rails are pretty shot too, so if (for instance) the camera's on a tripod and pointing either up or down at its subject, you compose, focus etc. and then go to put the film in, only to find that the lens has shifted forwards or backwards just enough to require a re-focus. Grr! Also, when the RB is wide open the DOF is almost non-existent, so it take FOREVER to compose and focus. It once took me 45 minutes to take a really ordinary photo of a vase of flowers.
 

Most of you will have put up with my complaints over the years of how I have 20 seconds a day to devote to photography etc., so this camera doesn't exactly fit into that timetable.

All of that said however, there's no escaping the fact that an LF SLR is an awesome concept and I guess that's why these babies usually costs a few hundred dollars/pounds. I was lucky to get mine for much less than that and a better person than I would have dedicated some time to fixing it up. As you can see from the 2nd photo of the camera, I had to modify the back a bit in order to use the 545 Pola back, but that should have been the start of the refurb, not the finish.

In the end I bought an LF Field Camera and haven't used the RB at all since then. I've been meaning to sell it on, but never got round to it.

Example shots on Flickr:


1930's Jacqui by Ed Wenn, on Flickr


Clothes Peg by Ed Wenn, on Flickr


Jim Bowles by Ed Wenn, on Flickr


1930's Jacqui #2 by Ed Wenn, on Flickr


John Wenn by Ed Wenn, on Flickr

[Ed Wenn]

Roger...that's a beaut. You're a lucky man.
 

[jojonas~]

are those coins holding the polaroid back in place?? that's hot~

[8x10forever]

I have two Graflexes, a 3x4 1931 RB Series B and a 2x3 1947 RB Series B, both in fine working shape. I managed to find rollfilm backs for both -- eight 6x9cm exposures to a 120 roll. The 4x5s are the hardest to find, most expensive and most difficult to use: Graflex SLRs take a special slotted film holder, also hard to find.
The 3x4 is my favorite portrait camera. On the 6x9 format, the normal 162mm lens is roughly equal to an 80mm lens on 35mm.  Wonderful gentle results from the uncoated lens. The 2x3 has a very sharp top-of-the-line coated Ektar 127mm (normal) lens. The graflex.org site has been a great help.
I tell photo people that the Graflex is the grandfather of the Mamiya RB67 (true enough), but it's only a 6x7. What other SLR can you find in that great 6x9 format without paying a fortune?