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| Here is the starting point for my focussing panel project: a Graflex 4x5 Film Pack adapter.
Film packs were last manufactured in the early 1990's, and the adapters used to hold them are now bascially worthless.
They are a common sight on eBay and many, like the one pictured here, still have some badly fogged film in them.
I actually shot the rest of the film and developed it just to see what I would get but it proved to be a pointless exercise.
The idea is fairly simple.
First, attach a ground glass screen inside the film pack at the correct registration distance.
Next, cut a hole in the back of the film pack so that you can see the screen.
Last, rig up some sort of hood to keep the light off the screen. |
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| So here we are.
On the left side is the inside of the rear of the film pack with the hole cut out and a folding hood glued in place.
The hood was a spare from a Super Graphic.
First step was to trace the size of the opening on to the inside of the back of the adapter.
By which I mean that I took out the darkslide and ran a pencil around the inside.
This made sure that the hole I was going to cut was in the right place.
I then measured up the hood and cut a matching hole.
The hood was then glued in place (using "weldbond").
On the right side is the inside of the front of the pack with the ground glass glued in place .
To get the correct registration distance I have actually glued the screen to part of the original film pack (it is the yellow painted metal).
The film would have sat hard up against this part of the pack, so this should be the correct place for the ground glass.
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| Here is the back of the focussing panel with the folding hood glued in place.
It still needs to be painted and maybe have some matching leather trim applied. |
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| And here is the front of the focussing panel showing the ground glass. |
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| The completed panel in the spring back.
I had to modify the spring back slightly so that the hood could open up.
Having done that, I think the next step will be to replace the bent wire arms with pieces of aluminium.
They will probably end up being L-shaped, a bit like the bent wire version at bottom left. |
Return to: Part 1: Converting the Camera |