DONATING: Film Project.

[Ysarex]

(Thanks to Pixmedic for establishing how to do this).

Free to a good home: 2x3 Century Graflex camera with 2 Mamiya RB 6x7 film backs.

NOTE: This is a project. I'm getting you started but you will have to work and spend money to bring this to completion.

What I want from you: A commitment that I'll eventually see a photo from this camera taken by you. THAT YOU WILL USE IT.
This camera is for someone who is and has been a member of TPF. If you joined the forum in the last week or just so you could ask for this camera you're not getting it.
I'd like to see it go to someone who participates in the Film Forum.
I'd love to see it go to a student.

This is a stock photo of the brand/model camera:

The one that I have I salvaged from a junk heap decades ago. I re-covered the camera in brown leather and I made a new bellows for it. It has none of the typical accessories that you would see with this camera like a rangefinder and it must be used on a tripod. It does have a graphlock back and ground glass and will work with either roll backs or sheet holders. As noted I have two roll backs that take 120 roll film that are included. I used this camera in the past after I put in the new bellows and with the right lens it can take stunning medium format photos if you're willing to make the effort to haul out the tripod, etc. I sold all the lenses and backs I had for it long ago but told myself one day when I'm retired I'd get it back up and running and take magnificent landscape photos etc. etc. Well I've been retired for 5 years and that's not going to happen. So it's wrong for me to keep holding on to this.

IT HAS NO LENS. So don't accept this camera if you don't plan to find and buy a lens. It does have a lens board cut to a #1 hole. A normal lens for this camera would be around 100mm. You'll be looking for a lens in a #1 leaf shutter and it'll fit the lens board. If you find a lens in a #0 shutter you'd be able to shim down the board. With some patience you should be able to find either a vintage lens for one to two hundred bucks or a more modern lens for more.

There's some ISSUES with the RB backs. I got one from a guy who said the light seal was bad and he tried to replace it. Now the back is very hard to close and I suspect his fix-up job should be undone and redone. The 2nd back is a Pro-S back and to use that you'll have to figure out a way to defeat the darkslide lock (shouldn't be a big deal and I can help).

To demonstrate that you're serious ($12.35 serious) you're paying the shipping. It'll fit in a USPS priority mail medium flat-rate box and I'll send it to any address to which USPS will ship that box.

Here's a snapshot of what you'll get.

Joe

 

[wyogirl]

I'm interested... How hard will it be to find a lens? My film professor shoots on a large format field camera so I'm sure he can help me with how to use the camera. My only concern is finding a lens.

 

[Tiller]

I'll out my name out there! I do love to shoot film, and this would be a great camera to work on

In the interest of full disclosure, let it be noted that I do already have a medium format camera (a mamiya 645 pro), but this seems like a fun project

 

[MK3Brent]

I'll throw my name in the hat!

I'd turn it into a wet plate collodion camera.

And believe me, you'll see some images made with it.

 

[Ysarex]

OK, we're already off to a good start. Let's give it a couple days and in all fairness to everyone I will have a soft spot for a student.

Amanda, getting a modern lens would be easy but you'll be looking at some serious $$$ think $400.00 and it'll be used. Finding a vintage lens around $100.00 is possible but you'll wait out ebay for a month or two.

Joe

Wet-plate sounds like a real interesting prospect.

 

[Tiller]

Oh hey I'm a student!

But in Accounting

 

[Derrel]

I looked into "lens for Century Graphic" and found this discussion on photo.net, with some suggested lenses. Suggest me a sharp lens for a Baby Century Graphic - Photo.net Medium Format Forum

Here's an article showing the Century fitted with the Kalart rangefinder AND a nifty handgrip, two accessories that would make this into a hand-holdable "technical" camera of sorts.

The 2x3 Century Graphic; The Inexpensive Technical Camera | Shutterbug

 

[wyogirl]

I found a couple on ebay and one on etsy if I happen to get the camera.

 

[minicoop1985]

I would love to add this to my list, but I have a hard enough time finding the lens I want for my Hassie 500EL (the one from the 1600f doesn't fit) and WAY too many projects to make it worth it. It would probably end up sitting in my cabinet with my Minolta SRT-101 that I never use (I do use the lens though). Good luck to whoever gets this, and a thumbs up to Ysarex for doing this!

 

[Ysarex]

Here's a little more info that might help.

Because this camera has no external viewfinder or rangefinder it has to be used like a view camera. Here's the sequence you'd have to follow to take just one photo.

1. Put the camera on a sturdy tripod. (The tripod that holds your DSLR is probably not sturdy).
2. Open the lens aperture.
3. Open the shutter.
4. View the image on the ground glass at the back of the camera (maybe a black cloth over your head).
5. Focus and compose.
6. Close the shutter and arm it.
7. Set the f/stop and shutter speeds for correct exposure.
8. Remove the ground glass from the back of the camera.
9. Attach a roll film holder.
10. Pull the dark slide on the film holder.
11. Click.
12. Advance the film and shoot brackets as needed.
12. Put the dark slide back.
13. Remove the roll film holder.
14. Put the ground glass back on the camera.
Go back to #1 for the next photo.

Joe

 

[wyogirl]

Here's a little more info that might help.

Because this camera has no external viewfinder or rangefinder it has to be used like a view camera. Here's the sequence you'd have to follow to take just one photo.

1. Put the camera on a sturdy tripod. (The tripod that holds your DSLR is probably not sturdy).
2. Open the lens aperture.
3. Open the shutter.
4. View the image on the ground glass at the back of the camera (maybe a black cloth over your head).
5. Focus and compose.
6. Close the shutter and arm it.
7. Set the f/stop and shutter speeds for correct exposure.
8. Remove the ground glass from the back of the camera.
9. Attach a roll film holder.
10. Pull the dark slide on the film holder.
11. Click.
12. Advance the film and shoot brackets as needed.
12. Put the dark slide back.
13. Remove the roll film holder.
14. Put the ground glass back on the camera.
Go back to #1 for the next photo.

Joe

My film professor goes through this every time he takes us out on hikes. Is the image upside down on the ground glass? I would seriously love to use this camera. I develop my own film and do wet prints. I would send one to you matted and everything...(is the bribe working yet...lol)

 

[pixmedic]

Good form Ysarex, good form.

FWIW, USPS priority flat rate shipping covers the continental US and Alaska.

I hope everyone even remotely interested in this pays close attention to that sequence list Ysarex provided...this is NOT like shooting with a 35mm or smaller MF camera. Its far more involved, and will require a little more work and investment into it to see any results. Please make sure you bear that in mind before asking for this camera.

 

[MK3Brent]

Here's a little more info that might help.

Because this camera has no external viewfinder or rangefinder it has to be used like a view camera. Here's the sequence you'd have to follow to take just one photo.

1. Put the camera on a sturdy tripod. (The tripod that holds your DSLR is probably not sturdy).
2. Open the lens aperture.
3. Open the shutter.
4. View the image on the ground glass at the back of the camera (maybe a black cloth over your head).
5. Focus and compose.
6. Close the shutter and arm it.
7. Set the f/stop and shutter speeds for correct exposure.
8. Remove the ground glass from the back of the camera.
9. Attach a roll film holder.
10. Pull the dark slide on the film holder.
11. Click.
12. Advance the film and shoot brackets as needed.
12. Put the dark slide back.
13. Remove the roll film holder.
14. Put the ground glass back on the camera.
Go back to #1 for the next photo.

Joe

My film professor goes through this every time he takes us out on hikes. Is the image upside down on the ground glass? I would seriously love to use this camera. I develop my own film and do wet prints. I would send one to you matted and everything...(is the bribe working yet...lol)

Yes, and backwards.

 

[Tiller]

I would still love it

My brother in law and I want to do a wet plate project one day, so this would give me some good practice with the type of shooting we'll be doing

 

[Rick58]

You should mention that you can still find 2.25 x 3.25 film holders. Last I checked Ilford still made FP4 in this size. Maybe others. While the press cameras movements are very limited, it's a fun way to get into not-so-large format and with the sheet film exposures someone could even get involved in the zone system. I used to use my Baby quite a bit. I think my tanks and hangers are still around here somewhere