I have been looking for a nice one of these for quite some time and on Sunday night, there it was on eBay just wanting to be bought. So after a bit of wreckless bidding it was mine. Arrived today and, just before I left work, I thought I'd take a few snaps of it to share. Decided on a slightly antique PP to suit!

Showing the camera with the lens board unfolded



RH side view showing the range finder, view finder and shutter release.



The speed graphic has essentially 3 view finder 'modes'. The optical finder on the top right, a 'sports finder' frame that rises from the lens board and is used with a fold up viewing circle on the back and the ground glass screen.

LH side view



Top viewfinder and rangefinder



Lens



This camera is fitted with a 135 mm f 1:4.7 Graflex Optar made by Wollensak. It has a minimum aperture of f 1:32 and shutter speeds of 1 -1/400 s + B and T. Other lenses can be fitted (eg an Aero Ektar - which I have waiting in the wings as it were).

There is also a focal plane shutter for use with lenses that don't have a shutter built in. This one needs servicing unless it improves with shooting as it is very slow but, in theory, can shoot at 1/1000s!

Shutter release



Back

The back accepts standard 5x4 film holders (double dark slides)

And there is the flip-open shades for the screen which protect it when not in use / the camera is being transported.



Viewing hood

Here is the hood unfolded.



Folded away

And when not in use you can fold it up into a package only marginally larger than an iPhone 4s (well, on a relative scale anyway!! ).




I'm hoping to find time in the next week or so to pop some film into it.


All images taken on a Ricoh GR Digital III (fine JPEG 'cos I didn't notice that a friend who had been playing with it the other day had changed it from raw - Grrr!), PP in LR, PS and Nik ColorFX 4.