Help with Flashbulbs and my Graflex please?

[snederhiser]

Hello All;
When I was much younger I shot pictures for the school paper, covering athletics. Most were indoors or at night. I used a 4 X 5 Graflex press outfit. To use flashbulbs the shutter was set to 1/200th to 1/400th using Tri-X pushed to 800asa. This made the guide number around 450-500. So depending on the distance, f/8-f/22 was used. A graflex sync flashgun with solenoid and press 25 flashbulbs rounded out the setup. At 1/30th with X-sync, the flashbulb is reaching maximun brightness as the shutter is closing, and any action picture will be blurry. I also used a Metz 502 strobe with the same camera. About the same setup except X-sync and 1/100th shutter setting. This was a better combo for stop action! Beat regards, Steven.

[paul ewins]

To be honest, the best solution is to get a 135mm Graflex Optar in the Graphex shutter (which is how you normally find them). It shouldn't cost much more than $150 and it will have the right connections (bi-post) for your flash. The Graphex shutter has both M and X sync.

[BrianShaw]

The Graphex shutter has both M and X sync.

Often, but not always: 135 Optar was also offered in an X-only Graphex.

While I'd agree that the Graphex with X & M is a good option, I achieved the same capability of being able to shooot either bulbs or strobe with a smaller investment... by adding a solenoid release to the X-only shutter (only about $15 for a solenoid and $20 for a bipost-PC cord).

Knowing if the OP has a solenoid actuating his shutter is the question that needs to be answered if he wants to shoot bulbs now and at no additional expense.

[Sirius Glass]

A good Graflex resource is www.graflex.org.

Steve

[djacobox372]

U can use x-sync as long as your shutter speed is 1/30th or slower (i do this all the time). You can shoot at 1/60th, but youll lose 1 or 2 stops of exposure.

The flash trigger on the focal plane shutter is likely unreliable due to age.

[Jben]

I also recommend a solenoid. Depending on your flashgun has the button, you could trip the shutter from the flashgun.

[EASmithV]

Perhaps, but my rangefinder is set up for 152mm