Graflex.org

office888 · Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 41 Location: Southwest Michigan

I have a Vivitar series flash that attaches to my Minolta X-700 via hotshoe. Now the question:

Would it be possible to buy a bipost-to-hotshoe from paramountcords, set my Graphex 135mm to "X" sync, and still have the flash synchronize to the shutter?

Flashbulbs are becoming a little bit of a problem for me. They're great, but the price jumped up on ebay about ten dollar. I prefer using edison-base medium screw flashbulbs such as the Press 40.

Thanks,
Richard

t.r.sanford · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 2:07 pm Post subject:

A Paramount cord with female bipost connector at one and and hot shoe at the other should work fine, if your shutter has working X synchronization. Attaching the hot shoe and flash to the camera may be the more interesting question. I think the Paramount hot shoe tip option has a 1/4x20 threaded socket, which ought to simplify making some sort of bracket for it.

Henry · Posted: Tue May 11, 2004 3:15 pm Post subject:

If your hot-shoe Vivitar also has an output socket, like my 2800 does, then you can get Paramount to make you a Vivitar-plug-to-female-bipost cable. I use this set-up with all my Graphex shutters on X-synch and it works great! (Of course, this cable won't work with any other brand of flash, as Vivitar has a proprietary plug/socket design.)

office888 · Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 41 Location: Southwest Michigan

Thanks for the help guys.

Well okay, mounting:
Do you suggest having the mount installed on the top of the Graphic, to the left slightly or as a power-grip?

_________________
"Graflex cameras are like peanuts...you get one and you just can't stop." - Me

RichS · Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 1:16 pm Post subject:

Henry · Posted: Wed May 12, 2004 5:37 pm Post subject:

RichS's idea is a real good one. Also, you might check around any camera show/sale meets in your area, and you may luck into a bracket-type grip that will fit your 4x5. I picked up such a no-name grip for $5, and it works great with my Century. It screws into the 1/4"-20 socket on the bottom of the case, and has an accessory shoe (though not a hot shoe) on the top of the grip. Very handy!

t.r.sanford · Posted: Thu May 13, 2004 7:11 pm Post subject:

Well said. Note also that there was a purpose-built plastic tube, sized to fit the Graflex/"Graflite" clamps, with a nice heavy-duty metal accessory shoe assembly on top.

And Graflex made a rubber cap for its 2- and 3-cell flashguns, with a 1/4x20 machine screw in the middle. This was designed for attaching "Stroboflash" heads, but can accommodate anything (within reason) with the appropriate socket.

I'm not sure that mounting a shoe on the body is a terrible idea. However it would be much, much better to have the flash attached in such a way that it's easy to detach and hold up or out or back, as the situation seems to require.

Also, if you mount your hot shoe adapter to the top of a 3-cell flashgun, you can use that gun to trip the solenoid with your right hand, while waving the flashgun around. This commonly was done with flashbulbs, four decades agone...

Henry · Posted: Fri May 14, 2004 6:02 pm Post subject:

This is perhaps getting a little far afield from office888's original query, but mention of a body-mounted flash shoe prompts me to share this. When I bought my Century, which otherwise was in near-mint condition, the previous owner had modified it top and bottom on the right side (looking from behind the camera) by drilling four holes in the case (two above, two below). Whatever those holes were intended to accommodate was now missing, except that there was a 1/16"-thick aluminum piece about 1/4" x 1" attached by two screws in those holes on top of the case. (This is on the Kalart side of the camera.) Thinking about a way to mount a flash shoe on this camera, I hit upon a plan, went to the model RR hobby shop, got some brass shapes (flat plate, u-channel, and rod), and soldered up a shoe. Using the tapped holes already in the aforementioned aluminum piece, I fastened the shoe to the piece with two screws from my assorted parts box. This home-made shoe just clears the top of the rangefinder. To finish the appearance I spray painted the shoe flat black. Now I have a couple of options when I want to use flash: the shoe, or the bracket-type grip. What I like about the shoe I fabricated is that it is mounted on the same side of the camera as is standard for the Graflex flash, whereas the grip puts the flash on the left side.

[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2004-05-14 11:07 ]