I purchased this Speed Graphic camera while attending college. For $20 I got the camera and a box of film holders. I was a 35mm 'shooter' at the time and my brief flirtation with this press camera convinced me that small format would continue to be my cup of tea. However as one who has difficulty parting with any photo equipment I've kept this old war horse in a box until Mike's contest. Unfortunately during the past 40+ years the film size (31/4 x 41/4) has been discontinued. The only way to use this camera is to cut 4x5 down to size.
The photo is a quick snap shot of my living room...we have been renovating our old Victorian house and I guess you would have to call this a 'high key shot' of the living room. After taking this photo I think I'll do more shooting with this camera. The rangefinder makes focusing rather easy and the sports finder on top is accurate enough for framing.
Mark Gregg
Dexter, Michigan
That photograph sure looks familiar, i could swear that there is a 1970s Friedlander that looks just like it, and I mean that as the highest complement
Posted by: hugh Crawford | Thursday, 04 September 2008 at 10:51 AM
Mark would probably happy to know that 3x4 film is still available under the Efke brand. Only 100 ISO available, but at least you don't have to reach for the cutter.
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=&pid=1000002463
Posted by: MHV | Thursday, 04 September 2008 at 11:01 AM
I have a couple of 4 x5 Speed Graphics somewhere in the blackhole of my basement, they were fun cameras to use, I keep hoping that a 4 x 5 graflock digital back will appear that is cheaper than a car so I can start using them again.
Although the really fun camera is my 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Graflex onto which some master craftsman grafted a 4 x 5 graflock back, now that and a digital back would be great fun.
I then be able to scare women, children & Homeland Security all at once.
(in the process of surviving the RNC convention, police buses, horse police, and $#!@# wearing blue plush elephant hats)
Posted by: Hudson | Thursday, 04 September 2008 at 11:10 AM
Ah, that takes me back to 1959, when the high school physics teacher introduced me to photography by inviting me to join the camera club. All our indoor photos when I joined the club were shot on a 3-1/4 by 4-1/4 Graflex using direct flash. As I recall, the potato-masher flash unit was a Honeywell strobe powered by a heavy lead-acid battery on a shoulder strap. The Braun flash that soon supplemented it had a lighter weight plastic battery case, but it was still lead-acid, and both of them had to be plugged in to recharge overnight. The state of charge was indicated by colored beads floating in an indicator tube.
It's a good thing the camera did not require batteries.
Posted by: Chuck Holst | Thursday, 04 September 2008 at 01:27 PM
I'll just comment on the photo: I am filled with a deep sense of calm looking at this scene; it must be a joy to live there.
Posted by: Miserere | Thursday, 04 September 2008 at 03:58 PM
quirky formalism.
Nice
Posted by: charlie d | Thursday, 04 September 2008 at 05:20 PM