Graflex.org

[weave2d2]

Hi folks, I recently bought an RB 3x4 because....I forget why, it was an impulse. It showed up here, and with the help of this forum I pulled it apart and cla'd it over the last week, and I'm not sure what I've done to deserve it but it now works pretty well. I've been scrubbing the web, user manuals, the forums etc, trying to figure out the model. I'm good and confused by now. I shot some photos and posted them to a gallery, hoping someone would recognize the model. It seems a weird combination of format, serial number (177...) body/rails/hood. The lens is a B&L Tessar 4x5 1c, in a recessed board. The name plate on the bottom says only "R.B. Graflex" w/ the accompanying patents, ending 06/13... Almost seems it should be an older RB Tele, but the serial number suggests a later model. Someone probably knows this one straight up so I won't prattle on w/ the details unless somebody is interested. Here is the link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/weave2d2/Graflex#
And thanks collectively for all the resources and links, otherwise I might've thrown in the towel on this camera when it didn't fire out of the box.

[Les]

Graflex called this one an RB series D, which is interesting considering the metal is in oxidized silver.

It also looks identical to and RB tele on ebay right now, which whose metal hardware is in grey paint.

Are there 4 small holes in front of the the wind key that might suggest the shutter speed plate was mounted on the body?

It seems Tele models had the plate on the chimney, Series D models were on the body, and I don't see any plate on yours.
_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[weave2d2]

Hi Les,
there is no evidence of a shutter speed plate having been mounted. Perhaps if it was originally on the hood, and this hood is not original? Thanks- Adam

[Les]

yes it's probable. Which makes it an interesting conundrum....

It has the oxidized sliver hardware, smallish lens cover,and lack of fabric 'wings' on the lens cover, like that of an RB tele which ended production in 1923..

Yet the serial number dates it 8 years later, and as a Series D. It has the Series D hood, but should have a body mounted plate, which it doesn't...


Welcome to the world of Graflex.
_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[C. Henry]

Have you considered the possibility that someone may have assembled one good camera from pieces and parts of two or more "junkers"? That could explain some of the anomalies found.

C. Henry

[bruiser]

Hi weave2d2 and Les,

The camera looks more like an RB Tele rather than a Series D as the front edge of the door has the Tele locking mechanism (the folded lip with the slot in the middle, like all the Series B cameras too) which the Series D doesn't have. The hood too looks like that of a Tele, with no fur trim as the Series D hood does.

It could be another 'puzzling' version such as the RB Tele Graflex on p43 of Paine's Graflex book, a camera made well after the official production run.

Why is there no shutter speed plate? As Les so aptly put it 'Welcome to the world of Graflex'

Cheers,
Bruce
http://graflex.coffsbiz.com

[Les]

Is any of the hardware on the lid painted grey? like the braces that hold the chimney?
_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[bruiser]

Could the hood be from a later 3x4 RB Series B? The hood on mine looks just like the one on the camera in question. That would maybe explain the lack of shutter speed plate.

'Not the serial number list but...' has Number 173655, an RB Tele Graflex logged as a Series D too! And that was a 1930 camera, seven years after production officially ended. That could explain the late serial number.

Cheers,
Bruce
http://graflex.coffsbiz.com