--> Skip to main content

Graflex 23 on an RB67?

The RB67 and Graflex 23 Back

Back to Back the RB67 120 Film Back (left) and the Graphic 23 Film Back (right)

Recently my dad gave me his Mamiya RB67. Since then I’ve been doing lots of research about what parts fit which system. It’s not as straight forward as you might expect. In the decades since the first Mamiya RB67 there have been lots of variations and a few more modern models. Some parts are interchangeable. Some are not.

When looking for a budget film back, I came upon a forum hinting that the old American Singer/Graflex backs also fit the RB system. And while I was at Looking Glass in Berkeley, I saw one of those backs for just $20. And it so happened I had the RB in the car. 

So I tried it on. And indeed it fit. However, while in the shop I couldn’t figure how to get it off. The sliders that release the back wouldn’t budge. Guess I’ll be buying it I told the gal at the register. 

So the back appears to work fine. But there are some quirks. First off, I found how to release the back: there are two little metal tabs opposite the lock that holds the back in place. Press the tab and simultaneously push the slider and it will unlock.

In testing the back I’ve found a few other quirks:

  • It is possible to click the shutter even with the darkslide in place
  • There is no multi-exposure prevention, so if you don’t move the film forward, it will multi-expose
  • It is possible to wind the film backwards!
  • The back is meant to make a 6x8cm negative, but the camera will likely obscure part of the image as it’s designed to only work for 6x7cm at the largest size.

So for $20 I think I did OK.

The Mamiya RB67 Pro with Mamiya back (left) and Graphic 23 back (right)

Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 25, 2020 at 1:16 PM

    Hi,

    I have two Mamiya RB67. One with the 6x8 mask foam and one which is a regular 6x7.

    Basically I can mount a 6x8 back onto one of them, but finding one for sale in India is difficult. Buying one online is expensive because of customs and all that.

    However, I found a Graflex 23 for sale and I'm really keen on trying it out. You did mention it works as a 6x7 back but since I have the 6x8 mask at the back, would it work as a 6x8 back? Found one of these for $35 here in India so I am tempted to pick one up.

    Please do email me at monty2395@gmail.com as I cannot choose the "Notify Me" option with the comment.

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Linhof Serial Year List - Salomon Says

Recently I've acquired a few Linhof cameras. I got a 5x7 view camera from Oakland Museum's White Elephant Sale. Later I stumbled upon a Color Kardan 90 Jahre Jubalaeum edition on Craigslist. And more recently, I found a "baby Technika" 2x3 (6x9) at Oakland's East Bay Depot for Creative Re-use. Not knowing much about Linhof large format cameras, I tried getting more info online, and came across a strange thread on the Large Format Photography Forum . Basically on this thread various Linhof owners ask a guy named Bob Salomon what year their Linhof was made. And the thread is over 100 pages long! Sifting through that thread is mindnumbing. Why Bob doesn't just publish the list of serial numbers is beyond me. Maybe it's just nice to feel needed. So I started compiling a spreadsheet of the serial numbers and the answer Bob gives. If you don't feel like spending a couple days reading this thread to get a hint as to the age of your Lin
2 comments
Read more

Should I ditch my Sony a6500 for a A7r IV?

Recently, I bought a Sony a7r IV. The main reason was for stock photography. The high resolution along with improved focusing and biggish buffer would allow me to make better people (and other) stock photos for my various stock endeavors.  The Sony system has treated me well. I own two A7r II's for stock and other work, and two a6500's for event photography. The A7r II's aren't ideal for events for a couple reasons. The focus tracking is pretty good, but maybe not enough for fast paced people on stage. Another reason is that silent shooting is only available on single shot mode. And (admittedly a first world problem,) the files are much bigger than needed. Well, the last problem, too big files isn't an issue with the A7rIV if you use it in APS-c mode. The files are effectively the same size as the a6500: 24 mp. Focus with the IV is even faster and more effective than the very capable a6500. And with those smaller files, the IV has no problem with buffer overflow. So
Post a Comment
Read more

Long Daylight Exposure Chart: Kentmere 100

Ultrafine/Kentmere 100 Reciprocity Test-Camera: Fuji G617, Film Ultrafine (E)Xtreme 100, ND-9+red @ f22 140 seconds If you are interested in long daylight exposures, you may have run in to the same problem I have. Say you have your camera all set up, the clouds are whisping by, and you want to get that long daylight blur thing going. You figure a 30 second exposure (approx.) would be ideal. Well how do I get there? I've got a bunch of filters: a 4 stop ND, a 9 stop ND, as well as a red, yellow, and orange filter. It's mid day and my meter reading says 1/125th @ f16. I start counting with my fingers: -1 stop = 1/60th, -2 stop = 1/30th, and so on. So then I get down to 4 seconds with my darkest ND filter. If I stack both my ND filters, I get down to 30 seconds where I wanted to be. But wait! That's without reciprocity corrections. Great if I had Acros for film. But I don't and it's being retired soon, so I wont have access to it at all. What I ended up makin
2 comments
Read more