Graflex.org

[tintinmcgowan]

Can anyone tell me anything about a Suydam 120 Roll Film Adaptor? I bought one to allow me to use 120 roll film in my Graphic back 6x9 (I know, everything on this site recommends against buying that camera) and I don't see any obvious way to mount it. It seems to fit nicely where the spring back was after I take the spring back off, but there's no clear way to attach it.

[ImageMaker]

The problem you have is that the spring back, once removed, doesn't leave any way to lock the roll holder to the camera. That's what a Graflok would do; the slide locks that retain the focusing panel would also retain other accessories that had the correct edge thickness or a groove at the proper location (in the case of 2x3, that's roll holders only).

I've seen information on converting a spring back to mount a roll holder, though it's something of a commitment to RF focusing, since you have to reverse the conversion to use the ground glass. IMO, if you're going to use the Baby Speed as a roll film camera, your only advantages over carrying a roll film folder like a Moskva-5 are the ability to use different lenses and the fast focal plane shutter -- weighed against a bulky, heavy camera for its film size, if you aren't taking advantage of individual development.

The *simplest* way to use the roll holder and retain ground glass focusing is to replace the back with a Graflok back, in which you pull back the slide locks, lift out the focusing panel, drop in the roll holder, and slide the locks in, then expose as you would with cut film. When you want to use the ground glass again to focus or compose, ensure the dark slide is in the roll holder, unlock the slides, lift the roll holder clear, and drop the focusing panel back into place; slide the locks in and you're ready to compose.

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Is thirty-five years too long to wait for your first Speed?

[glennfromwy]

If your rangefinder is correctly adjusted to the particular lens on the camera, you can pretty much do without the focus panel. I have several cameras with the Sudam holder permanently mounted, using nothing more than the screws that held the springs and a couple of bent washers. Home made clips, if you will. Graflex made special springs for this, but they are very rare and hard to find. They didn't work all that well, either.

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Glenn

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