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I finally found something to improve. See XL Hybrid WA adapter.
by Bob Hutchinson
I've
been using and enjoying the fine Graflex XL cameras and lenses for a while
and have never modified anything on them. There is little to improve. I'm
not saying that the camera design has no flaws. Just look at the focusing
system - 100% crap. Worst design ever on a professional camera.
After I discussed the fact that I have never modified the XL with Ken Swanson in Virginia I prepared an attack plan.
Bob Standard Handle
& accessory shoe.
Like most photographers I car shoot. On holiday I take my big hard camera
case and a Bogen tripod. I set-up in the rear of a rented mini-van with several
cameras and one Bogen tripod. During the course of many days of traveling and shooting pictures
I snap the cameras on and off the tripod
head many times. I like a handle
on the camera to facilitate this repetitive action. Not a grip but a handle.
My basic is - handle on the right side of the camera - additional tripod adapter on the left side for quick 90 degree reset for vertical shots. The above XLS with fine 58mm f5.6 Grandagon and Mamiya viewfinder has one of the first wooden handles I put on an XL.
Tripod adapters for
quick verticals
This nice modification provides for quick vertical shots and use of the
fine Mamiya Press grip too. I cut two pieces of 1/8" aluminum flat to
1 5/8" x 4" on then miter saw and marked
for
the first hacksaw cuts. The plan is to fit a shaped adapter plate to utilize
the two 6-32 screw holes already in the camera. The lower of these two
threaded holes is used to hold the normal XL grip to the camera.
I carefully laid out and marked for the mounting holes two adapters. Filing and fitting is the order here to have a close fit with cutout for the camera top cover.
After removing the
hardware from the Bogen adapters I marked for four pilot holes (8-32
tap
drill) with the tick (automatic center punch) and drilled in the drill
press. Using a 1" "can't twist" clamp I positioned the adapter at
the proper place on the adapter plate, tightened good, placed in the soft
jaws of the vice and dimpled the plate with tap drill four places for 8-32 flat head
machine screws. Repeated for second adapter.
Tapped #8-32 four places each adapter. I then countersunk back side of the plate for the flat head screws.
Time-Out for Home
Depot
My
plan is for the tripod adapters to be mounted to the aluminum adapter
plate with #8 x 1/2" aluminum tube stand-offs and the 8-32 flat head
machine screws. This for clearance on and off the tripod and to provide
just enough room to reach under the tripod adapter to release the Graflok
Back adapter if necessary. So off to Home Depot to get the aluminum
spacers.
As usual I could not find the proper length 8-32 flat head screws so I bought 1" and cut and ground them to about 3/4" and mounted all.
Surprise
Lotsa try fitting and filling til it's right. Plate edge preparation is
done on my 4" belt/disc sander. As I continued fitting to an unused
XLS body I noticed that the plate may interfere with any focusing lever
that may be installed so I grabbed more cameras and - - sure enough -
won't clear the focusing lever ring.
I
marked the plate and impressed a nice radius on the underside of the plate
where the interference occurs with the belt sander end roller to allow for focusing ring clearance. More
try fitting, it all fits and works. I then marked to remove excessive
aluminum from the adapter, clamped in the vice and hack sawed the material
away. File work and disc sander work to make things pretty.
I placed the plates
flat in the vice with just a few thousants above the soft jaws and put
nice pattern finish to the plates with the orbital sander with 100 grit
paper.
Done - ready for
compound Mamiya grip
Backing out the two 6-32 pan head screws allows the adapter plates to be
removed. The Mamiya grip I made for the Cambo Wide just snaps right on the
left side tripod adapter. Really nice grip with the perfect, in my opinion,
compound angle of 30 degrees reward and 25 degrees wrist tight. The same
as your fist when you put thumbs to temples. I outfitted my Grandagon XLS
and my XLRF with 100mm lens.
Little item, Big
improvement
When Graflex brought
out the XL cameras the XLS obviously was intended to be used in a static
situation or with ground glass focusing. I don't believe they ever thought
you might attach a finder and a roll film back. Of course, to my
knowledge, they never made a finder
for
this camera. When shooting a horizontal format with finder and roll film
back attached it is impossible to get the eye to the finder. The back just
blocks access. Turn the camera for a vertical and you can get eye to
finder OK. Simpler solution is to move the finder 1 inch rearward. Oh, so
much more comfortable.
I dissembled the
top cover from my two XLS bodies and using a #2-56 tight clearance drill I
drilled out the three rivets holding each shoe to the cover and discarded
the shoe and
springy
thing underneath. I have found the later accessory shoes found on the
Mamiya press cameras and on all of their grips to be superior for this
purpose.
In a manner
similar to other accessory shoe improvements I have made on other cameras
I cut and squared two 1/8" x 3/4 x 1 3/4" pieces from
hardware
grade aluminum bar stock. Using new #2-56 flat head stainless machine
screws I mount the shoe to the little bar as accurately as possible so the
sides of the shoe are parallel to the bar. See the shoe
portion of the Stubby article.
It is difficult to explain how wonderful this arrangement is. This finder for the 65mm Mamiya Press lens is big, bright and real life like. Moving it back one inch provides real comfort in viewing. This finder has marks for 6x7 and 6x9 and internal cleaning is very easy. This finder, like the Koni and Rapid Omega finder (6x7) for the 58mm and 60mm lenses is perfect or the 58mm f5.6 Grandagon lens. This Grandagon XLS and 6x9 back provide an angle of view equivalent to 24mm lens in 35mm format.
In all the years I have been doing this stuff I believe this is the finest wide angle 6x9 outfit that can be assembled for small bucks. And the bucks are small compared to a new Horseman or other new outfit. This complete camera can be assemble for less than $1,000.