Graflex Pacemaker Speed 4x5'' - wide angle?

[Marco Gilardetti]

Good morning.

A fellow engineer from the US has recently preseted me a Graflex Pacemaker Speed, 4x5 inches format, with which I'm having fun out in the field. It obviously came with its standard "normal" lens made by Wollensak.

I am now looking around to find also a wide angle for this camera, and at the beginning I thought that - seen the abundance of these cameras on the auction sites - it should have been a very easy task. All the contrary, I can't seem to find any wide angle lens readily available on Graflex' specific lensboard.

Is this condition normal, or perhaps I don't know the exact production name of the wide angles made for Graflex cameras?

What did other fellow owners of a Graflex 4x5'' do to expand their lens setup? Did you buy a spare Graflex lensboard and mounted a third-brand (say - Schneider for Linhof) wide angle lens on it?

Thanks for your insight.

[Bertil]

Hi Marco,
yes, buy Graflex lensboards, normally not hard to find on eBay, and adapt the lenses you like. I myself have a Nikkor-SW 4/65 mm to my Crown Graphic, but also a Graflex Optar 6,8/90 mm, and some other lenses, no problems!
/Bertil

[Ian Grant]

Many 90mm lenses fit Copal #0 lens boards which are readily available. (Heavystar on ebay is the best source).

I use a 90mm f6.8 Angulon on my Crown & Speed Graphics and I have used a 75mm f8 Super angulon on my Crown Graphic but it might no fit a Speed because of the shutter box, I've not tried it but a 65mm won't work..

Just tried a 90mm f5.6 Super angulon and it's OK mwith my pre-Anniversary Speed Graphic.

I'd guess in the US many used Wide field Ektars, Raptars and Wide angle Dagors on their Speed Graphics as well as Schneider lenses.

Ian

[rawhead]

The only thing you need to have right is the size of the hole. I had a Graflex board that was just lying around doing nothing. Then the other day, I chanced upon oa Schneider Super Angulon MC 75mm F5.6 for a steal and purchased it. Turned out it has a Copal #0 shutter, and the lensboard I have had the exact size hole for a Copan #0 shutter. So, I attached on to the other andn voila, I have a wideangle 4x5 :-)

[bdial]

New reproduction boards are available too, SK Grimes is one souce, there may be similar suppliers in the EU. Or they can be fabricated from thin plywood and other materials.

[jnanian]

hi marco

i too have a pacemaker speed graphic and love using it !
have you checked out grafex.org for all things graphic/graphlex ?
there is oodles of information on your camera there.
as for wide lenses ...
pretty much everything will work on your camera ..
make sure you push the cover struts in after they are "locked" open
and put them down even further .. they will angle down so the cover
won't be in the field of view when using a wide lens. i have a 90 and a 65 SA
i use on mine all the time, and even used a tiny little 58mm brass lens for a while.

have fun with your new toy !

john

[Marco Gilardetti]

Thanks everybody for your informative reply. I see that buying separate board and lens is the usual way indeed.

I seem to understand that standard Graflex lensboards come with a COPAL 0 gauge hole, is that correct? So I suppose they can natively fit also Compur 0, right?

@ jnanian: yes thanks, I've checked graflex.org many times even before getting the Pacemaker Speed.

[Ian Grant]

It's the modern boards for Pacemaker Graphics that tgend to be #0. it's standard tom Prontor's, Compur's and Copal of tthe same size.

Ian

[djacobox372]

The only thing you need to have right is the size of the hole. I had a Graflex board that was just lying around doing nothing. Then the other day, I chanced upon oa Schneider Super Angulon MC 75mm F5.6 for a steal and purchased it. Turned out it has a Copal #0 shutter, and the lensboard I have had the exact size hole for a Copan #0 shutter. So, I attached on to the other andn voila, I have a wideangle 4x5 :-)

I use the same lens on my graphic, just be sure to drop the bed or it will end up in your photos.

[rjbuzzclick]

+1 for the heavystar boards from ebay. I have several for my Pacemaker SG. Lenswise, I mostly use a 90mm Optar, a 135mm Optar, and a 203mm Ektar, but I have a few other odd lenses that are fun. I think the Speed Graphics are one of the most adaptable cameras around.