Graflex.org

[DGeraths]

I am working trying to finalize some research regarding combat photographers during WWII. I was recently told by a vet that the photographers used a type of film cartridge. I do not know if they are talking about the now completely obsolete film pack adapter... or the Grafmatic.

When did the Grafmatic 6 film holder come out? Can you use one with a spring back SG?

Any help would be appreciated.

Dana

_________________
Professional Photographer
www.YaquinaPhotography.com
www.ModelMayhem.com ~ MM #319869
~
Sgt. D. Geraths - US Army Photographer
165th Sig. Photo Co.
Attached - Dog Co., 2nd Ranger Bn.
NWHA - (Northwest Historical Association)

[t.r.sanford]

I think the "Grafmatic" was a postwar development. I have a facsimile service manual dated March 1964. I know they were available before that, since I used one in college, four years earlier, but the thing's design has a profound 1950s air about it.

You'll recall that there were earlier magazine backs, some of which held more film (and some, plates!), but they required you to reach into a sort of leather sleeve to manipulate the exposed and unexposed material.

I don't think any kind of magazine back would be well-suited to combat photography. The older ones called for a good deal of screwing around; the "Grafmatics," if they had been available, would have been susceptible to jamming after you'd fallen on top of one in the mud. Fine for the Soldier of the Month photos or the visit by the Congressional delegation, in a rear area; very awkward if someone was shooting at you!

In my limited experience, the "Grafmatic" magazine will fit under some spring backs, and not under others...

My guess for the WWII combat photography is filmpack: it gave you 12 (later 16) exposures, was used an adapter that had no moving parts other than the darkslide and was little bigger than a cutfilm holder, and came preloaded in sealed packets. The only objection to them was the cost and, if Sam were paying, that would not be an objection!

[t.r.sanford]

...BTW, it seems likely that somebody in the Army Historical Section (or whatever it may be called now) would know where to find an archive containing WWII negatives. If you could look at a large number of them (not very closely), you could tell whether any had been made with filmpack -- the base stock is much thinner than sheetfilm (it is, in fact, the same stuff rollfilm is made of), and there is no code notch).

The "Grafmatic" holder is fitted with a little "numbering wheel" that burns a number, from 1 to 6, onto the edge of each sheetfilm negative loaded into it, when the exposure is made. If the "Grafmatic" existed during WWII (and I don't think it did), you'd expect to find some negatives with those telltale numbers on them.

[DGeraths]

Well, if I remember, the film packs are not entirely obsolete? Can you even get packs for them anymore?

Looks like I will stick to my standard two shot cartridges...

Dana

_________________
Professional Photographer
www.YaquinaPhotography.com
www.ModelMayhem.com ~ MM #319869
~
Sgt. D. Geraths - US Army Photographer
165th Sig. Photo Co.
Attached - Dog Co., 2nd Ranger Bn.
NWHA - (Northwest Historical Association)

[Rangemaster]

I don't know of any companies commercially producing pack film any longer, but there is an individual who quite often is advertising pack film on Ebay, and I have heard that it is just fine.

Dave

_________________
Focus on the Picture, Not on the Glass.
Satin Snow(TM) Ground Glass

[Les]

I just interviewed a Combat Photographer that did his two years in the on the China Burma Road (or the making of it)

He used film packs near exclusively. Used a Graflex back too! I say near because he used sheet film until he ran out of boxes to keep the exposed film in, then pitched the holders and the unused film. Did the same with the flash after the batteries went dead.

He also told me they were using expired film most of the time. "Hey we didn't know where we were going and we had to pack everything up six months in advance."

To counter that, Joe Rosenthal has said he used sheet film for the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima.


BTW the first prototype of the Grafmatic was shown to Graflex in '47. The 2x3 production version came out with the Century Graphic in 1950, the 4x5 shortly after.


Bag Mags, or Sheet Film Magazines were occasionally used in aerial photography. Yeah I know the majority of the aerial stuff was roll film (BIG roll film) but there seems to be a lot of Bag Mags made for Fairchild by Graflex. Fairchild made aerial equipment.

Plate Film Magazines were used in Aerial photograph back before WWI. I'm not sure I'd want to hold an A-2 with a 5 pound plate bag mag outside of a Jenny to take photos, but they did.


Film Packs have not been made since the last two "ladies" making them retired from Kodak in '93. The ebay stuff expired in '84. And contrary to what he says age fog is not the same as flashing your film to gain density in the shadows.


[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2004-07-23 19:55 ]

[DGeraths]

The cameramen in the ETO seemed to have used both the film packs as well as regular holders. Since packs are singly not available I will just stick to my holders.

Dana

_________________
Professional Photographer
www.YaquinaPhotography.com
www.ModelMayhem.com ~ MM #319869
~
Sgt. D. Geraths - US Army Photographer
165th Sig. Photo Co.
Attached - Dog Co., 2nd Ranger Bn.
NWHA - (Northwest Historical Association)

[glennfromwy]

Les, your info on this would tend to explain the Fairchild 5X7 bag mags that I saw on eBay a while back. Although they had Fairchild's name on them, they were identical in every way to all other (Graflex) bag mags. That answers the question I had asked in another post. Thanks --

_________________
Glenn

"Wyoming - Where everybody is somebody else's weirdo"