Press Cameras in _The Aviator_

jjs wrote:
 > "Charles Hohenstein" <chohenste.TakeThisOut@skyenet.net> wrote in message
 > news:chohenste-FFB4E4.21363416012005@individual.net...
  > > Wasn't it nice to see photojournalists using real cameras for a
change?
 >
 > Speaking of... has anyone ever seen the 1/1000th of a second _front
 > shutter_ (not focal plane) for the Super Speed Graphic? I wonder how
well it
 > worked, and for how long.

Visit <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.graflex.org" target="_blank">www.graflex.org</a> for reports on it.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

In article <10umdiecdgr616f.DeleteThis@news.supernews.com>, "jjs" <jjs.DeleteThis@nospam.net>
wrote:

 > "Charles Hohenstein" <chohenste.DeleteThis@skyenet.net> wrote in message
 > news:chohenste-FFB4E4.21363416012005@individual.net...
  > > Wasn't it nice to see photojournalists using real cameras for a change?
 >
 > Speaking of... has anyone ever seen the 1/1000th of a second _front
 > shutter_ (not focal plane) for the Super Speed Graphic? I wonder how well it
 > worked, and for how long.

I don't have one, but I've heard that the 1/1000 speed can be
problematic and that this shutter is prone to breakdown. Strictly
hearsay, though.

Charles Hohenstein<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

In article <chohenste-FFB4E4.21363416012005.RemoveThis@individual.net>, Charles
Hohenstein <chohenste.RemoveThis@skyenet.net> wrote:

 > Wasn't it nice to see photojournalists using real cameras for a change?
 >
 >
 > I was trying to keep track of whether they showed the right models of
 > Speed Graphic for the year that was being depicted, but that was a
 > little hard to do.

I wasn't able to look that close at the cameras.

The "red carpet" photo series really got me thinking, though. It must
have been quite shocking to have all that light blasting in the face.
I think most of those photogs used f22 or f32 so they didn't need to
focus and had that big ol' bulb to make the light. Even if they used
ASA 100 film, there would be more than enough light. with one of those
bulbs.

I would gather that more than a few of the bulbs exploded, too. I
started photography right at the end of the flashbulb era (late 60s)
and I remember 'safety coating' was a big sales point. My Mother had a
Kodak Reflex that used M3 bulbs and I remember the melted look of the
safety coating on the used bulbs.

Also, I imagine the 'red carpet' was a real mess with all of the spent
bulbs under foot.

Press photography sure was different in those days.

raoul<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

In article <10umdiecdgr616f.TakeThisOut@news.supernews.com>, jjs <jjs.TakeThisOut@nospam.net> wrote:
 >"Charles Hohenstein" <chohenste.TakeThisOut@skyenet.net> wrote in message
 >news:chohenste-FFB4E4.21363416012005@individual.net...
  >> Wasn't it nice to see photojournalists using real cameras for a change?
 >
 >Speaking of... has anyone ever seen the 1/1000th of a second _front
 >shutter_ (not focal plane) for the Super Speed Graphic? I wonder how well it
 >worked, and for how long.

I have a Super Speed Graphic with the 1/1000th shutter. It works
fine, though I've never used anything faster than 1/250th or so
with actual film in the camera. Nice camera.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

"Scott Norwood" <snorwood RemoveThis @redballoon.net> wrote in message
news:csjfj4$8mg$1@reader2.panix.com...

 > I have a Super Speed Graphic with the 1/1000th shutter. It works
 > fine, though I've never used anything faster than 1/250th or so
 > with actual film in the camera.

Have you ever timed the 1/1000 for actual speed?<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

In article <10ur9nb1akfv4a1 RemoveThis @news.supernews.com>, jjs <jjs RemoveThis @nospam.net> wrote:
 >"Scott Norwood" <snorwood RemoveThis @redballoon.net> wrote in message
 >news:csjfj4$8mg$1@reader2.panix.com...
 >
  >> I have a Super Speed Graphic with the 1/1000th shutter. It works
  >> fine, though I've never used anything faster than 1/250th or so
  >> with actual film in the camera.
 >
 >Have you ever timed the 1/1000 for actual speed?

I've fired it at that speed, but I don't have anything to test it
with; I've been told that it's really more like 1/750th. I'll have
to shoot a couple of Polaroids to try it sometime.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

"Charles Hohenstein" <chohenste.RemoveThis@skyenet.net> wrote in
message
news:chohenste-81CBD0.13584617012005@individual.net...
 > In article <10umdiecdgr616f.RemoveThis@news.supernews.com>, "jjs"
 > <jjs.RemoveThis@nospam.net>
 > wrote:
 >
  >> "Charles Hohenstein" <chohenste.RemoveThis@skyenet.net> wrote in
  >> message
  >> news:chohenste-FFB4E4.21363416012005@individual.net...
   >> > Wasn't it nice to see photojournalists using real
   >> > cameras for a change?
  >>
  >> Speaking of... has anyone ever seen the 1/1000th of a
  >> second _front
  >> shutter_ (not focal plane) for the Super Speed Graphic? I
  >> wonder how well it
  >> worked, and for how long.
 >
 > I don't have one, but I've heard that the 1/1000 speed can
 > be
 > problematic and that this shutter is prone to breakdown.
 > Strictly
 > hearsay, though.
 >
 > Charles Hohenstein

The Graphic 1000 shutter had serious reliability
problems. Apparently most of the failurs are from broken
blade drive pins. The shutter has eccentric slots in the
blades. The blades are driven by small gear wheels with pins
in them to engage the slots in the blades. The arrantement
is such as to allow the blade driving ring and the gears to
accelerate before encountering the blades. The stress on the
pins is pretty large so they tend to break and sometimes the
gears break. Fred Lustig, who specializes in Graflex made
cameras (I understand he is back in business) claims he can
fix Graphic 1000 shutters.
The top speed is about 1/500th second if measured for
total open time. This is the time you will get with a
shutter tester with a small sensor, like the Calumet shutter
tester. The 1/1000th time is the _effective_ exposure time
for the full clear aperture of the shutter. The assumption
being that the lens will be wide open when the top speed is
used. The 1/1000th speed of the focal plane Graphic shutter
is also _effective_ speed. The Graphic FP shutter is not
particularly efficient since the spacing between the shutter
and the film is a little too much. FP shutter efficiency
varies with this spacing and with the angle of the cone of
light from the lens. So, as far as motion stopping neither
shutter gives as full motion stopping as a true 1/1000th
would.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk.RemoveThis@ix.netcom.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

"raoul" <gr8raoul RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:170120051500481549%gr8raoul@yahoo.com...
 > In article
 > <chohenste-FFB4E4.21363416012005 RemoveThis @individual.net>, Charles
 > Hohenstein <chohenste RemoveThis @skyenet.net> wrote:
 >
  >> Wasn't it nice to see photojournalists using real cameras
  >> for a change?
  >>
  >>
  >> I was trying to keep track of whether they showed the
  >> right models of
  >> Speed Graphic for the year that was being depicted, but
  >> that was a
  >> little hard to do.
 >
 > I wasn't able to look that close at the cameras.
 >
 > The "red carpet" photo series really got me thinking,
 > though. It must
 > have been quite shocking to have all that light blasting
 > in the face.
 > I think most of those photogs used f22 or f32 so they
 > didn't need to
 > focus and had that big ol' bulb to make the light. Even if
 > they used
 > ASA 100 film, there would be more than enough light. with
 > one of those
 > bulbs.
 >
 > I would gather that more than a few of the bulbs exploded,
 > too. I
 > started photography right at the end of the flashbulb era
 > (late 60s)
 > and I remember 'safety coating' was a big sales point. My
 > Mother had a
 > Kodak Reflex that used M3 bulbs and I remember the melted
 > look of the
 > safety coating on the used bulbs.
 >
 > Also, I imagine the 'red carpet' was a real mess with all
 > of the spent
 > bulbs under foot.
 >
 > Press photography sure was different in those days.
 >
 > raoul

I grew up with flash bulbs, they were wonderful. The
plastic coating made a sizzling noise when the fired and in
a crowd of photogs one could hear crunching of the spent
bulbs under foot.
Light output from bulbs is terriffic. Because the
duration of the flash was fairly long the guide number
varied with shutter speed. For a GE No.22 bulb, typical of
those used for press work, and film of about ISO-100 the
guide number at 1/200th is around 300, that's f/30 at 10
feet. At slow shutter speeds the same bulb had a GN of
around 400. There were even more powerful bulbs. Try that
with your strobe unit.
One problem with early bulbs is that they could be set
off by being next to another bulb. They were sensitive to
static electricity and fields from radio tansmitters.
Standing next to a police car when it transmitted could
result in all one's bulbs going off, not too cool if they
are in you're pocket. Later bulbs were resistant to this
problem. This effect could be used to advantage by stuffing
a second bulb into the reflector touching the main one. Both
would go of when the flash was fired although the second
bulb didn't reach quite full output.


--
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk RemoveThis @ix.netcom.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

 >
 > I grew up with flash bulbs, they were wonderful. The
 > plastic coating made a sizzling noise when the fired and in
 > a crowd of photogs one could hear crunching of the spent
 > bulbs under foot.
 > Light output from bulbs is terriffic. Because the
 > duration of the flash was fairly long the guide number
 > varied with shutter speed. For a GE No.22 bulb, typical of
 > those used for press work, and film of about ISO-100 the
 > guide number at 1/200th is around 300, that's f/30 at 10
 > feet. At slow shutter speeds the same bulb had a GN of
 > around 400. There were even more powerful bulbs. Try that
 > with your strobe unit.
 > One problem with early bulbs is that they could be set
 > off by being next to another bulb. They were sensitive to
 > static electricity and fields from radio tansmitters.
 > Standing next to a police car when it transmitted could
 > result in all one's bulbs going off, not too cool if they
 > are in you're pocket. Later bulbs were resistant to this
 > problem. This effect could be used to advantage by stuffing
 > a second bulb into the reflector touching the main one. Both
 > would go of when the flash was fired although the second
 > bulb didn't reach quite full output.

So..

I've seen Graphics with a two flash unit set up. I could load each up
with two bulbs- one in the socket, one stuck in on the side- and have
about guide number 1000 using ASA 100 film and 1/200.

Try that with your strobe unit, indeed!

raoul<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

"raoul" <gr8raoul.RemoveThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:210120050306210763%gr8raoul@yahoo.com...

 > I've seen Graphics with a two flash unit set up. I could load each up
 > with two bulbs- one in the socket, one stuck in on the side- and have
 > about guide number 1000 using ASA 100 film and 1/200.
 >
 > Try that with your strobe unit, indeed!

Have you seen the old three-headed big-bulb flash? Yes, three bulbs, three
reflectors. The first time I used it I thought it might recoil. <!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

In article <10v25n8hvldo7bf RemoveThis @news.supernews.com>, jjs <jjs RemoveThis @nospam.net>
wrote:

 > "raoul" <gr8raoul RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote in message
 > news:210120050306210763%gr8raoul@yahoo.com...
 >
  > > I've seen Graphics with a two flash unit set up. I could load each up
  > > with two bulbs- one in the socket, one stuck in on the side- and have
  > > about guide number 1000 using ASA 100 film and 1/200.
  > >
  > > Try that with your strobe unit, indeed!
 >
 > Have you seen the old three-headed big-bulb flash? Yes, three bulbs, three
 > reflectors. The first time I used it I thought it might recoil.

Wow. Wild!

I saw another interesting flash unit.

On the original Simmons/Omega Rapid, ther was a 'ferris wheel' flash
that had six bulbs (#25) that were rotated into place inbetween each
shot. Not sure if it was automatic or manual but it sure was cool!
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_ 

"jjs" <jjs RemoveThis @nospam.net> wrote in message
news:10v25n8hvldo7bf@news.supernews.com...
 > "raoul" <gr8raoul RemoveThis @yahoo.com> wrote in message
 > news:210120050306210763%gr8raoul@yahoo.com...
 >
  > > I've seen Graphics with a two flash unit set up. I could
  > > load each up with two bulbs- one in the socket, one
  > > stuck in on the side- and have about guide number 1000
  > > using ASA 100 film and 1/200.
  > >
  > > Try that with your strobe unit, indeed!
 >
 > Have you seen the old three-headed big-bulb flash? Yes,
 > three bulbs, three reflectors. The first time I used it I thought
 > it might recoil.
 >
 >

Not for hand held use, but there are bulb flash units that look like
theatrical floods (broads) that each take five or six big bulbs in a row.

You can hire them, good for really big industrial shots. I've been
photographed with a pair of them once, as one of a group of about 300,
photographed at a ball, on 4x5. They certainly were bright...



Peter<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Press Cameras in _The Aviator_