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.
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Review: Graflex “Graphic 35” 135 (35mm) Film Camera
Here we go again… Another camera I’d never heard of that I see listed somewhere. I go do my homework and learn a little something about it. I become smitten. I buy one (or in this case four). But this time was a little different, since all the examples I bought were non-functional, and I hadn’t a clue who might be able to repair them, or at what cost. I was, as they say, headed down a rabbit hole. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending, but it did take some effort to get there.
Continue reading…Review: Graflex Pacemaker 45 Crown Graphic Large Format Camera
There are a great many cameras that could arguably be considered “iconic.” Ones that come to my mind right off are the Hasselblad 500 series (also known as the V-System) across its many models. The Rolleiflex TLRs. Certain Leicas. And then there’s the Graflex Graphic cameras, which have appeared often enough in movies from the 1940s and 1950s (and more modern movies and TV shows set in those decades) that it’s practically an amusing stereotype at this point.
Continue reading…The 4×5 Journey Begins
It had been my intention to explore large format photography in 2020, but it all started happening faster than I expected. First, the perfect Graflex Pacemaker 45 Crown Graphic materialized out of nowhere. Then I started meeting people on Instagram who encouraged me to just jump-in. Next thing you know, I’m getting what I needed to do just that. Now I understand why people the people who shoot it are so passionate about it.
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