As one might expect, I spent most of my shooting time on the weekend playing with my new Canon 7D but I should also mention that I've had a new large format camera for the past couple weeks and now that I have a digital camera again I was able to shoot a gear shot. *

The Graflex Graphic View I is a beautiful piece of art deco machinery, a 4x5 large format camera that was the hobbyists' dream of its day. According to Graflex.org (the go-to website for Graflex info online), it was produced in 1941 to 1949. I'm not sure when mine was produced but this one appears to be in very good condition.

I acquired this from the Large Format Photography forum for not much money (especially when compared to the 7D *groan*) and even considered as a piece of industrial art, it is well worth it. I've taken it out to the park a handful of times now and each time have drawn comments and conversation. The nice chrome, the red bellows (which are in good excellent condition), and the art deco detailing all are very attractive. I can't pretend that this isn't part of my reason for owning it.

So far I've taken only test shots with it to determine if there are any problems with the purchase and it seems fine:

It is, after all, a light tight box with bellows.

This is my first try at a view camera, that is a camera with bellows that has multi-axis movements. My previous 4x5, the Pacemaker Speed Graphic -- also made by Graflex -- is relatively stolid with its movements. The Graphic View, is bristling with knobs that enable you to raise and lower the lens, tilt it, twist it, and even do the same with the back plane too.

No Polaroids yet

My only regret so far in my two weeks of handling it is that the rear spring back does not lever wide enough to slip in my Polaroid 550 back -- so I can't take any instants with it unless I take the whole back off. I was advised later that I should look for yet another attachment for it that replaces the spring back -- a Graflok back, that enables one to raise the focusing glass out of the way so that you can slip in your film backs, including a Polaroid back.

*It was raining on Saturday so I didn't get much chance to put my 7D to other use. However, Sunday it cleared up and I have something nice to show coming up.