Egg Cartons, Ignition Torch for cigar shops, Gas Burner for Billiard Tables,
Stereoscopes and Film Holders. He was the father of the Folmer & Swing Graflex Cameras.
Folmer & Schwing
Graflex 3A Camera
3 ¼ x 5 ½
Roll Film Reflex Camera
Reflex Camera for 3A Roll film 3¼ x5½ inch or 122 film.
W.F. Folmer 's Patent 31 Aug
1900- February 5 -1907 and April 31 1908.
From the 1906 Folmer & Schwing Catalogue
1907-1911
This camera is autographic, uses roll film
and takes postcard sized-3 1/4x 51/2 inches pictures- often
called "standard" size.
The autographic inscription- date and title or similar
information written on the film at the exposure time-
becomes a permanent part of the negative.
Such a record is invaluable for identifying the scene, long
after the exposure is made.
Amateurs everywhere favour the postcard size picture.
It is large enough to show considerable detail in the
contact print and its proportions are such that both upright
and horizontal subjects fit the image area without waste
space.
When an upright subject is to be photographed lengthwise of
the film, the camera is focused a normal position, then held
on its side when making the exposure.
Sockets are provided so that a tripod may be employed when
making either vertical or horizontal time exposures.
Kodak Film, in 6- or 10-exposure rolls is used.
Four extra rolls can be stored in the ends of the camera,
giving it a total capacity of 50 exposures, conveniently
carried.
Twenty-four instantaneous speeds, ranging from 1/ 10 to 1/
1,000 of a second, a slow automatic exposure of about 1/ 5
of a second,
and time exposures of any duration are available with the
focal plane shutter.
Bellows capacity is 10 inches and the front is rigidly built
to accommodate f. 4.5 lenses of 7-inch focal length.
This fits the 3A Graflex for all-around amateur use.
Details Dimensions, 10 x 5 x 6 3/8 inch. ; bellows capacity,
10 inch.; weight, 7 Ibs.; size of lens board, 3 1/4 x 3 1/4
inch. ;
minimum focus of lenses accommodated, 6 ½ inch.
For roll film only. Plate adapters cannot be supplied.
The fabulous 3A Graflex in perfect working condition one century after its manufacturing.
The 3A Graflex was
manufactured by Folmer & Swing, at that time a
Division of the Eastman Kodak Company.
The camera was equipped with a build in Autographic
device which was placed in the back film cover of the
camera.
A window could be opened and made the film paper back
accessible for writing date and location to identify
the scene
long after the exposure was made.
From 1907 until 1926 the Graflex 3A was one of the
first cameras equipped with a reflex mirror.
Such cameras were equipped with a ground-glass on top
of the camera housing on which the lens image via the
surface mirror is projected.
A viewing hood is placed above the ground glass for
better viewing without incoming stray light
The mirror pops up when exposure knob is pressed and
the film is being exposed at the same time.
That means that the focal plane shutter curtain moves
from top to bottom with a horizontal open slit along
the film surface.
The incoming light which enters through the lens
exposes the film during the time that the open slit
passes along the said film surface.
The 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 "standard" size film often called
"postcard" in combination with the mirror reflex
system, became very popular with the press, street
photographers and war correspondents.
If portrait mode must be used, the camera can be
focused in the normal horizontal landscape position,
and then held on its side when making the exposure.
Even in this position there is no light coming in
because of the reliable mirror "home" return.
The curtain is equipped with 4 different sized slits
which made it much more reliable than an adjustable
slit such as many German cameras used to be equipped
with.
The 4 different slits in combination with a 6
different shutter tension roller, made it possible to
choose between 24 exposure time possibilities.
The first 3 A Graflex series distinguish from the
later model only by an offset in the rear of the body
under the film track and the lack of the autographic
feature*.
As mentioned above, the 3A Graflex was equipped with a
so called Autographic
Back which enabled the photographer to write
info on each negative.
All the advantages of a reflex camera, the very
reliable shutter, the rigid construction and the
availability of the 122 film 3 1/4 x 5 1/2,
made it possible that the Graflex 3A camera had a
remarkable long life span of nearly 20 years until
1926.
The construction of this very rigid camera,
which is made from lock jointed mahogany, covered with
Persian Morocco leather
is more or less comparable with the 10 years later
launched
Compact Camera.
Main differences were a third safety curtain and the
lack of both film compartments left and right of the
camera housing.
The Graflex 3 A design created a surplus space on each
side of the camera converted into film storage
pockets, each carrying two rolls of film.
The lower spring loaded roller of the horizontal focal
plane shutter was ingeniously placed under the mirror
case thus reducing the height of the camera house.
Dimensions: 10¼ x 5 x 6 ½ inch. Lens board measures 3
¼ x 3 ¼ inch. Minimum focus of lens accommodated 6 ¼
inch.
The construction of the back does not allow the use of
film holders in any way. Just 122 Roll Film can be
used.
The overall condition of my 100 years old camera
proves that the 3A is all together a solid and very
reliable camera.
The focal plane shutter still works perfectly after
100 years without any repairing, cleaning or
lubrication what so ever.
However, I assume that many of such cameras were not
so lucky and stored away with a fully tensioned
spring, eventual in very bad conditions such as in
moistly cellars of hot attics.
How to open the
Camera.
The focusing hood
opens automatically if the top-cover of the camera
is raised.
Lock the hood using the side brackets.
On top of the hood, soft velvet shaped to fit the
contour of the face of the photographer
and thus excluding extraneous light, enabling the
operator to focus perfectly.
Now open the front door by pushing the hidden
knob on top of the right film compartment.
The door opens automatically but needs to be
pushed further down until it "clicks"
Pull the lens standard with lens out of the camera
housing until the infinity stop on the end of the
track.
Attention,
First pull lens out of the camera house against
infinity stop
before setting the controls.
