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5070trapdoor

A few yaers back I purchased two Graflex series D cameras. They were marked as L.A. County Sheriffs Dept. Each has a sturdy carrying case obviously made for this model, with places for the flash equip. and 12 film holders and one wider spot for a film pack holder or something (they had film pack holders in the slots. My Question is on both cameras the tag that has the original Graflex speed and tension chart, has been covered by a nice little glue on chart that reads "the real speeds" at the bottom it reads
M. Pierce Camera- Hollywood. I have four D's and love using them. I checked the speeds using a Calumet shutter tester and the aftermarket plaque is right on for all four .Has anyone seen these for the super "d's ?
I have quite a few R.B. Super D 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 cameras and the chart is not accurate for them and the shutter speeds on all of them a pretty consistent but the original chart is optomistic overstating speeds. I know I could make my own chart with the shutter tester but these Pierce ones look really nice and don't permanently alter the camera. If anyone has seen any of these or if they are still available let me know.
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More powerful than the tread of mighty armies....

5070trapdoor · Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:52 am Post subject: Yaers?

Okay so I can't spell but I can still press a shutter release!
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More powerful than the tread of mighty armies....

camz · Joined: 15 Apr 2004 Posts: 138 Location: Southern CA

I also use a Calumet shutter tester, and have found that the original plaque speeds are very optimistic. This is especially true of the faster speeds. Most of my 4x5 reflexes have very similar speed settings, and only my Anniversary Speed has a measured 1/1000 s speed.

Mel Pierce was an old-school camera shop in Hollywood.

bertsaunders · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:01 am Post subject: curtain shutter speeds

Camz and Trapdoor,
A 40 to 50 year old camera is not likely to be "right on" speed on these old curtains....these are spring driven from lower roll...several things happen over the years.....curtain stretches from use....camera left cocked.....and
curtain stretches! Unless checked often, the tensions can vary a lot from year to year!
I have a very large collection of all sizes of Graflex SLR's and Graphics...69 total, about half of which need parts or repairs! I repaired these cameras for over 26 years as a means to afford more Graflex and Graphic cameras.....until health problems forced me to quit in Jan of this year!
Have a nice day.......Bert