Page under construction.

I found this photo on the internet.
Unfortunately Publisher nor Photographer unknown.
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The above camera is a Graflex Compact camera from the early decades of the last century.
The Compact Camera is a reflex camera designed to take postcard format film and was reduced in weight and size compared to the 4x5 or 5x7 inch Graflex cameras.
The postcard size film was introduced in 1903 by Kodak for the 3A Folding Pocket Camera. Unlike the construction of the mirror house in these bigger cameras, the Compact was equipped with a slant position of the bellows frame on the back allowing the mirror to move freely in the mirror house thus saving about 2 inches of space comparing to a regular straight up position.

 

Fig 1
1 indicates the camera body, the detachable back has been removed.
2 The exposure chamber
3 The bed
4 The extension bed.
5 The adjustable front.
6 The bellows
7 The tilting bellows frame pivoted to 8
8 pivoted frame which when tilted back to an erect position, makes room within the body for housing the front.
At the top of the exposing chamber (2) there is a focusing opening 9 surrounded by a focusing hood and fitted.
 

US Patent 932,457 Photos showing clearly the slant position of the back of the stretched bellows.

Restoring the Compact Graflex 3x5 camera.

 


Unfolded bellows...


and finding out of the imperfections .

The slant ending on the bellows will make it not easy to make new ones.
The first try to make a paper replacement.


Camera Photos © Jo Lommen

Graflex Cameras
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