My fondness for the iconic Graflex Graphic cameras was no doubt in evidence as I reviewed the Pacemaker 45 Crown Graphic back in 2020, and my fondness for the Graflex brand has only expanded since, as I discovered the quirky but quite usable Graflex Graphic 35 rangefinder cameras for 135 film and restored a few of them on my workbench. But while the Pacemaker 45 scratched the 4×5 large format itch, I continued to be intrigued by its smaller sibling, often referred to as the “baby” Graflex, baby Graphic, or “23” Graphic. The 23 is a reference to the cameras’ use of 2¼ x 3¼ inch sheet film (2×3, nominally), and they’re everything the larger Graphic cameras are — just presented in a petite (and adorable) little package that has charmed me to the core.
The Back Story
I’d been admiring the baby Graflex cameras for years now. For an eternity, my local brick-and-mortar camera shop, Englewood Camera, had a couple of them sitting on top of their used film camera case, complete with fading and yellowing price tags. They appear to have eventually caught the attention of buyers, but I wasn’t one of them, because for the longest time, I assumed — as I had been told by someone, at some point — you couldn’t buy film for them any longer. (Which is incorrect, but more on that later.)
But, it was a posting by Glass Key Photo in San Francisco to social media in January 2022 that pushed me over the edge. Matt and his crew were promoting a Graflex Century Graphic at a terrific price, and I was sorely tempted. The Century is an “economy model” of the 2×3 Graphic cameras with a composite body. Theirs was well-appointed with both a roll film back and the standard ground glass back, and came with some 2×3 sheet film holders as well:
But lacking a rangefinder and tubular viewfinder, sporting a Century shutter with a top speed of just 1/200th of a second, and equipped with a suitable but unextraordinary Trioptar lens, I hesitated to buy it. Once I’d made the decision to go ahead and get it, regrettably, it had already been sold.
Once I’d been bitten by the bug, however, I went on the hunt, and found a Graflex Pacemaker 23 Speed Graphic listed for sale at National Camera Exchange in Minneapolis — the same shop where I’d purchased my Pacemaker 45 almost exactly two years ago. While it was more expensive than the Century, and lacked a ground glass screen and hood, it was quite a bit more camera for the money overall in my view. Sporting a side-mounted Kalart rangefinder, tubular viewfinder with lens- and back-appropriate mask, a faster Graphex shutter (top speed, 1/400th of a second), a 6×9 roll film back and the more desirable Optar lens, as well as being Speed Graphic and thus had a focal plane shutter operating at up to 1/1000th of a second as well, I jumped immediately. Soon, the camera was in my hands. While the Century is a great camera, and someone’s going to get a lot of use out of it, I’m not unhappy that someone else got it before I did so that I could be steered toward this one instead.
Experience told me that the chances that the rangefinder was properly aligned, let alone the focus scale or infinity settings, was relatively slim. The camera’s serial number indicates that it was made in 1950, as part of a production run initiated on February 21 of that year, a few years prior to my Pacemaker 45. And at 70+ years of age, I knew the little baby Graflex would need a good, thorough cleaning and adjustment throughout.
On arrival, I was surprised to find a camera that was in terrific cosmetic condition, with its Graphex leaf shutter in fully operational condition with accurate speeds, and its focal plane shutter also in good and working condition.
I was, however, right that the camera needed a good detailing, and adjustment throughout. For that, I would need to track down a ground glass for it.
Thankfully, I found a listing on eBay — just one listing — for a ground glass and hood assembly for this camera. It was in almost unused condition with not a single scratch, chip or rub in its paint, and not a single sign of corrosion. Even better, it was in its original box, and while it added a chunk of cash to the total spend for this camera, it would be essential in order to perform the necessary adjustments on the camera.
Jumping ahead a bit here, I also decided to get an additional roll film back for the camera, after seeing a “22” Graflex back listed on eBay. The “22” (meaning 2×2 nominal inches) provides twelve 6×6 (nominal cm) square images (a la Rolleiflex), while the “23” (meaning 2×3 nominal inches) Graflex back supplied with the camera provides eight 6×9 (nominal cm) images per roll. This did mean I’d need an additional viewfinder focusing mask, but I’ll get that subject a bit later.
The Camera
The Graflex Graphic cameras are the quintessential example of a press camera. While there are myriad other examples of press cameras, from similar designs like the Busch Pressman to unusual takes on the concept like the Mamiya Press series (such as my Super 23), when most people envision a press camera, they’re thinking of a Graflex Graphic. And while their heyday was for the most part during the first half of the 20th century, they were manufactured between 1912, and 1973. The Pacemaker series, launched in 1947 after the conclusion of World War II, introduced several improvements that established the foundation for the cameras for the following quarter century until their final discontinuance.
Les Newcomer wrote about the Pacemaker’s history back in late 2006 and early 2007 in Graflex Historic Quarterly in a two-part series. Newcomer says that the Pacemaker was Graflex’s answer to the post-war boom years. A redesign of the previous Graflex Anniversary cameras, the Pacemakers incorporated numerous innovations, but was more evolutionary than revolutionary in scope.
One personally interesting insight in Newcomer’s piece; apparently the Pacemakers initially used real leather body coverings as Graflex had used from the start, but they were dropped in favor of synthetic materials in 1950. I had wondered why my little early 1950 Pacemaker 23 did appear to have real leather coverings, while my later mid-1953 Pacemaker 45 most certainly does not.
Newcomer goes on to state that the very first Pacemakers, introduced at a Cleveland trade show in January 1947, were the 2×3 models like mine, and were used to test the market for the new line. Despite a 34% increase in price over the Anniversary models, the reception to the Pacemaker was strong, he wrote.
The Graflex Pacemaker Graphics were produced in three sizes or versions: the 23 like mine, the 34 and the 45. These are references to the nominal sheet film sizes each can expose: 2×3 (actually 2¼ x 3¼), 3×4 (actually 3¼ x 4¼) and 4×5. Each camera model is essentially scaled in its entirety around the respective sheet film size, but are otherwise virtually identical. The 23 model gets small enough that it does have a few more differences, such as a screw to adjust the focusing tension on the drop bed, vs. a lever as on the 34 and 45 models. But for all intents and purposes, they simply scale proportionally.
While the reception for the Pacemakers was strong, it didn’t extend to the full line. The 3×4 middle sibling didn’t arrive until late 1948 due to the demand for the other two versions, and was never a particular success; the 3×4 model was discontinued in 1959.
A Brief Tour
It seems appropriate to give a brief tour of the Graflex Pacemaker 23 Speed Graphic. The Graphics are all pretty similar, but they are modular systems, and additionally, they have evolved over time. Some have rangefinders; some don’t. Some have tubular viewfinders; some don’t. Some are Speed Graphics with a focal plane shutter and the gubbins that go with it; some are Crown Graphics that have no focal plane shutter, and instead, only the front between-the-lens leaf shutter. Up front, there’s a bed with rails that folds up and away to close the camera, but that when dropped, is what the front standard moves along to achieve focus. That front standard? There’s a removable lens board that lets you swap lenses. And behind that’s a bellows.
The pretty well covers the front, and the features common between the Speed Graphic and the Crown Graphic. For the Speed Graphic like the one I’m writing about there, there are additional features and controls available.
One of the key aspects of any press camera (or view camera for that matter) is a way to secure the film sheet holders behind the body in a light-tight manner. While today it seems that the so-called Graflok system was the only one we ever had — supported by virtually every large format camera you’re likely to encounter — it wasn’t really always that way. Graflex Graphics also used at points during their history the Graphic (or spring) back, and the Graflex back. Graflex wouldn’t introduce the now-ubiquitous Graflok until 1950, and thankfully, my 2×3 includes this then-brand-new innovation. It allowed the ground glass and hood assembly to be removed quickly and easily from the body, while allowing much thicker film holders (like the Grafmatic, which was also new at the time) while the ground glass remained in-place. The quick and simple process enabled easy use of roll film holder backs and (at the time) Polaroid backs as well. And as Newcomer wrote in his article, while initially covered by patents, once those expired, the Graflok was adopted by numerous other manufacturers.
The Experience
The experience of using my Pacemaker 23 Speed Graphic stands-out in my mind for three reasons:
- It’s a highly technical shooting experience
- It provides extraordinary flexibility
- It provides surprisingly good results
As for the results, I’ll show some of those at the end. As for flexibility, I already provided the reasons for that in the back story, above; being able to shoot sheet film, or roll film in multiple image sizes, is part of what I’m referring to. Being able to compose and focus in multiple ways. Being equipped with bellows, which provides a wide range of focus, including very close-up. In short, the Pacemaker 23 Speed Graphic is a versatile, flexible camera.
What the Pacemaker 23 Speed Graphic is not is a particularly fast-moving camera, meaning if you want to very quickly catch a shot at any moment, it’s not really the right choice for that. Part of the reason for that is also one of the three reasons I like it so much: the very highly technical shooting experience. You have to think. You have to plan. You have to be deliberate. If you want to push a button and capture an image, forget it; it’s not the camera for you. Indeed, a Graphic will happily allow you to shoot double (or triple, or quadruple) exposures. It will let you shoot blanks. It’ll even cheerfully let you ruin a roll of film by simply detaching a roll film adapter from the back with its dark slide removed. There are no interlocks, no couplings; it’s up to you do the right things, the right ways.
I think the best method to show what I’m talking about is to outline what’s required to take a shot. My intent here isn’t to replicate the manual, but to convey the full scope of what’s needed. To cover all possible bases, and to keep things as generic as possible, taking a shot involves, roughly:
- Choosing and configuring the shutter
- Focusing the camera
- Composing the shot
- Setting the aperture
- Readying the film
- Releasing the shutter
- Resolving the film
So, let’s look at each step.
Choosing and setting the shutter
A Speed Graphic allows the use of either its rear focal plane shutter, or its front leaf shutter. As the owner’s manual says, there’s no real advantage of one over the other. The focal plane shutter is capable of operating faster (up to 1/1000th of a second), and the leaf shutter is capable of going slower (down to 1 second), but if you’re not operating at the extremes, the choice doesn’t matter.
The focal plane shutter operates on a continuum from slowest to fastest, and both winds and unwinds in a specific order of speeds. It’s probably easiest to directly quote the owner’s manual here:
The focal plane shutter of the Pacemaker Speed Graphic Cameras, consists essentially of a durable, light-tight curtain having four rectangular openings or slits of different widths. The ends of the curtain are wound on rollers at the top and bottom of the camera and in making the exposure, the selected opening passes in front of the film as it moves downward from the top to the spring-loaded bottom roller. The exposure time is governed by the width of the opening selected and the speed with which it passes across the film.
There’s also a governor lever, which basically selects one of two ranges within which the shutter will operate. No matter the setting of the governor, you either wind-up to a faster speed one step at a time, or release the shutter repeatedly to unwind to a slower one. It’s logical enough, but if you’ve never encountered it before, it feels a little weird at first.
To use the leaf shutter, the focal plane shutter has to be unwound to its point of least spring tension, which is the “O” position (for “open”). (There’s a window on the side of the camera body which shows the set speed.) After this, of course, set the leaf shutter as desired, and use it normally. You also need to move the shutter selector on the side of the body to the FRONT position so the body release triggers the correct shutter when pressed.
If the focal plane shutter is to be used, then the leaf shutter has to be opened (and left open), which could be done with the press focus lever, but the manual suggests using the “T” (time) position. In that case, after selecting the “T” position, cock the leaf shutter and fire it once to open the shutter. It will remain open until the front shutter release is fired a second time. The focal plane shutter is then wound or unwound — before every shot — to set it to the desired speed. Moving the governor lever between its two positions may be needed in order to be able to choose the speed you want. Make sure that the shutter selector on the side of the body is in the REAR position so the body release triggers the focal plane shutter.
With practice, it gets intuitive, but it involves a certain cognitive load to make sure it’s all set-up properly.
Focusing the camera
Given the myriad ways you can focus the camera, how you choose to do it depends on how much time you have to get the job done.
The fastest way is simply to use zone or scale focusing. I won’t dive deeply into either method here, but:
- Scale focusing involves estimating the distance between you and your subject, and using the camera’s focus scale to dial-in that estimated distance. On a Graphic, the scales are on the bed, and depend on having a scale set that’s matched to your lens, and properly aligned. This was something that would have to have been done at the factory or retailer who sold the camera decades ago. If you buy another lens for your camera today, the likelihood of finding a matching scale set is slim, which would make scale focusing impossible in that case.
- Zone focusing involves setting the scale to a midrange point and using a small aperture and its corresponding wide depth-of-field to deliver a range of acceptable focus. With many cameras, setting the focus to around 10 feet (about 3m) will provide good results for subjects near you, while setting it to around 20 feet (about 6m) will work for more distant ones. In truth, it depends on the focal length of the lens, and the aperture selected, and you’ll want to consult depth-of-field tables for the lens (if available) to know what works best for your situation.
Scale and zone focusing can actually work well, but it’s not the optimal method if you want the sharpest possible images.
The next fastest method is to use the rangefinder if your Graphic has one. Cameras like mine have a side-mounted Kalart finder that can be aligned to just one lens, and is why I don’t intend to use any more than one with my Pacemaker 23. Rangefinders provide accurate results quickly when properly aligned, and I use the rangefinder the majority of the time. Later Graphics have a cam-driven, top-mounted rangefinder, which can adapt to more than one lens.
Finally, if you have time on your hands, the ground glass can be used. It’s the slowest, but most accurate method of focusing the camera, because you can see exactly what you’re going to get, and you can also preview the depth-of-field results simultaneously. If you’ve not used one before, you open the shutter with the press focus lever, open the aperture as wide as possible, and either focus and look at the ground glass screen, or use a loupe to see the ground glass more easily. You can then set the aperture to preview depth-of-field. A focusing cloth to block ambient light can be critical, and this method also requires you to have no sheet film holder inserted. If you’re using a roll film back, that must be removed, and the ground glass installed, as well.
Composing the shot
Composing and focusing are generally done hand-in-hand, but it depends on what method you’re using. If you’re focusing with the ground glass, then composition takes place with it.
Rangefinder focusing provides only that — focusing. That’s also true of zone and scale focusing. To compose and frame your image then, you can use one of two methods:
- Tubular viewfinder
The tubular viewfinder — with a viewfinder mask that matches the format being shot and the lens in use — is perhaps the easiest as well as the most accurate. The tubular viewfinder has a wheel on the eyepiece which provides parallax correction based on distance to the subject (rotate it to set), while the viewfinder mask limits the view to the format and lens you’re shooting, so it’s merely a matter of looking through the viewfinder and making sure you’re capturing what you want. It’s good practice to allow a margin for error just to be sure you capture critical areas of the desired field. - Open frame finder
The open frame finder and peep sight can be used for coarse level composition. Raise the peep sight, then lift the front open frame. I don’t personally find the open frame finder to be very useful since it’s not especially accurate. Your mileage may vary, and I suggest referring to the owner’s manual (which is in the Reference Library) for the specifics on how to use it optimally, as there are provisions for parallax adjustment, and more.
Setting the aperture
Regardless of which shutter you choose to use, the aperture built into the front leaf shutter remains the sole aperture to set. Simply move the lever on the front shutter where you want it.
Readying the film
Once you’re prepared to take your shot, it’s time to get your film ready to be exposed. In truth, this step might occur here, or earlier on — it depends on whether you’re using the ground glass to focus or compose, and/or whether you’re shooting sheet film or roll film. But readying the film means:
- For conventional sheet film holders, insert the film holder under the ground glass with the correct side pointing forward, and ensure it’s in the proper position. Remove the dark slide.
- For Grafmatic sheet film holders, insert the Grafmatic under the ground glass, with the open side pointing forward, and ensure it’s in the proper position. Pull the dark slide out, and reinsert to bring the next septum and film sheet to the front.
- For roll film backs, remove the ground glass and hood assembly (if applicable), and lock the roll film back in-place using the Graflok connectors. Make sure the back is wound to the next frame. Remove the dark slide.
Releasing the shutter
On the Pacemaker 23, press the release button on the front of the body. Because you already chose the shutter earlier on, the correct shutter will be released.
Both the focal plane and leaf shutters can be released manually; consult the manual if you need to do this for some reason.
Resolving the film
I chose this term because what it means depends on the type of film you’re using:
- For conventional sheet film holders, reinsert the dark slide, and remove the holder from the camera body.
- For Grafmatic sheet film holders, press the chrome latch against the handle, pull the entire film compartment outward with the handle, release the latch, and push it all the way back in. Remove it from the camera body if you intend to use the ground glass for your next shot.
- For roll film backs, reinsert the dark slide. Press the advance lever to unlock the advance, and wind the film to the next shot. Remove the roll film back if you plan to use the ground glass on your next shot.
Summary
If that didn’t drive-home the technical nature of using a Pacemaker 23 Speed Graphic (or really any Pacemaker Speed Graphic), I’m not sure what would. And it likely either intrigues you, or scares you. For me, there’s no question it’s involved, and rather laborious honestly. Sure, it’s easier to pick-up some sort of auto-focus, auto-exposure SLR, point it in a direction, and press a button. But there’s something about the inauthenticity of a camera that does everything for you, and at least in my experience with auto-this and auto-that cameras, they go too far in separating the photographer from the experience of creating an image.
I’d much prefer to get to know my subject, and invest myself in the moment. To meter a scene with accuracy and intelligence and knowledge and forethought. And I’d much prefer to focus the image how I envision the photograph, not how a piece of technology dispassionately senses it.
Any number of manual SLRs or TLRs or whatever else would offer that in a package much easier to use than a Graphic, there’s no question about that. But there is something about using a camera like this that makes me feel like a real photographer. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly is mine.
The Accessories
I covered accessories in my review of the Pacemaker 45 Crown Graphic, and the accessory selection — such as it is — is the same for the Pacemaker 23.
I’d note that with the much smaller lens board and smaller form factor overall, lens options for the Pacemaker 23 are considerably more limited than for the 45 model. The main reason is that there’s simply very little room to accommodate many options. More modern lenses and shutters are either too wide to fit on the lens board, or the inner portion is too large to allow the camera to collapse fully and close, leaving classic lenses as the only truly viable option. Finding any for sale, however, is difficult.
Referring back to Graflex price lists from the mid-1950s, the camera was only ever offered with lenses in the 101mm to 105mm range as standard. Accessory lenses included the 65mm Schneider Super Angulon, 202mm Graflex Tele Optar and 25cm (250mm) Graflex Tele Optar — the Tele Optars offered both with shutterless barrel mount (for the Speed Graphics only) or the Graphex “X” shutter. So far, anyway, I’ve been unable to find any of these lenses offered for sale, but surely they’re out there — somewhere. As I said above, however, my intention with this camera is to use solely its stock 101mm Optar lens, given the alignment with the rangefinder, not to mention its superb performance, so lens availability isn’t really a consideration for me.
One thing that I will also mention briefly is the need for matching viewfinder masks if you have the tubular viewfinder, and shoot different frame sizes. As mentioned above, there’s a table in the owner’s manual that shows which mask goes with which combination of lens focal length and image size.
And finally, one thing I didn’t delve into with the Pacemaker 45 review is the Grafmatic. Having recently acquired one for the Pacemaker 23, I feel inclined to spend a little time on it here.
The Grafmatic was introduced in 1950 by Graflex, and it’s a multi-sheet magazine for shooting sheet film. Using a rather clever mechanism that reminds me of magic box toys that can make something (like a coin) “disappear” under a false floor, the Grafmatic uses six so-called septums to hold six individual sheets of film. The septums are inserted into the Grafmatic, and using a fixed dark slide and drawer mechanism, are exposed one by one in sequence. After each exposure, the exposed septum drops to the bottom of the drawer by working the mechanism.
After loading film sheets in a darkroom or changing bag, the mechanism is operated first by pulling the dark slide outward by its handle (it doesn’t come all the way out from the Grafmatic), and pushing it back in. Because the septums are under spring tension, the process places the dark slide underneath the front-most septum. The film is now open for exposure. (A red warning dot on the Grafmatic is visible from the back fo the camera when the Grafmatic is in this state, so you know not to remove it from the camera body.) After shooting, a lever is pressed and held, and the dark slide handle pulled outward again. Because of the lever being held, however, instead of just the dark slide the entire drawer of septums comes outward, which moves the exposed septum to the back of the Grafmatic case — also by spring tension. The drawer is then pressed back in, with the next septum in sequence now in the frontmost position, under the dark slide. At this point, the Grafmatic is light-tight (the red warning dot hidden), and can be removed from behind the ground glass if needed. Or, the next sheet can be exposed by repeating the process I just outlined.
It’s brilliantly clever, and elegant in its simplicity; a truly impressive bit of mechanical engineering honestly. The only issue is that the Grafmatic magazines are now decades old, many have seen a lot of use, and it’s rare to find one in particularly good condition. There are four arc-shaped springs in each one, and one or more is often broken. Many you find on eBay or other sources are missing septums for some reason or another, and they do not work properly without all six of them. Many I’ve seen are missing one or more screws, which makes me wonder if they’ll even stay together, let alone remain light-tight. And because the septums are thin sheet metal, if they’ve been abused, they can be bent, and if they’re bent, they won’t work properly. Worst still, especially in the 4×5 size, Grafmatics are getting expensive on the used market because they’re actually quite useful — when they’re complete, and work properly, anyway.
I’d add that finding a Grafmatic in the 2×3 size at a decent price can be a little challenging. Honestly, I lucked out with a fellow avid film photographer in New York who decided he didn’t need his any longer, and I scored it at a price that was very attractive, especially given its very good condition. If you want to shoot sheet film, and can get as lucky as I was, I highly recommend them. I only hope that mine continues to operate as well as it currently does.
The Results
The images I’ve captured with the Pacemaker 23 have so far exceeded my expectations. As I mentioned earlier, sharpness, bokeh and overall performance have been impressive for such an old camera, with such a dated lens design. Graflex produced the Graphics for professionals, and quite frankly, it shows.
Below is a range of images. As I post this review, I have not yet had the chance to shoot sheet film with the camera, so no such images are (yet) included here. All the shots below have been made with either the 6×6 or 6×9 roll film backs described earlier, using 120 film. (I will update and add to this section over time.)
I hope these examples demonstrate why I love this camera so much. Extreme flexibility, a very technical shooting experience, and excellent results combine to make this 70+ year old gem as appealing as ever, and my Graflex Pacemaker 23 Graphic is going to hold a special place in my camera collection for the foreseeable future.
