Documentant la guerra / Documenting war
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
Aquí teniu una càmera realment creada per al militars, una màquina fruit directe del combat al Pacific durant la Segona Guerra Mundial.
A veure, de fet es tracta d'una modificació (força extensa) d'un model probat i fiable en aquell moment, la Graflex Aniversary Speed Graphic de format 4x5 polzades. La Speed Graphic era la càmera iconica per excel·lencia dels reporters grafics, sobretot nord-americans, als anys 30 i 40. Milers d'elles foren incorporades als exercits al·liats, amb poques o cap modificació. De fet tinc una d'aquestes Speed Graphic emprades per la USAAF com a càmera C-3. Però apart d'estar pintades en negre i algun detall infim, es tracta dels mateixos models que empraven els periodistes civils.
La Combat Graphic fou fabricada per encarrec de la US Navy i els Marines (USMC) expressament per a aguantar les dures condicions de calor i humitat del front del Pacific. Per això es substituí la relativament fragil manxa per una caixa de fusta (amb tapadora i tot, MOLT bén pensada). En resulta una camera molt més ferma i resistent, però amb certes limitacions. Es limitaren les velocitats del obturador de pla focal, i s'elimanern el visor telescopic i sobretot el telemetre.
Però en fer-la servir he de dir que amb tot plegat en surt una càmera molt més ferma i alhora lliure de molts extres que fan més nosa que servei.
Amb tot, la Combat Graphic només es produí en nombre limitat i pel que sembla totalment al 1944. Totes les càmeres porten el mateix objectiu, el Kodak Anastigmat Special f4.7 / 127mm, montat en un obturador Kodak Supermatic. Sembla que el seu ús en combat es limità bàsicament a les batalles de Iwo Jima i Okinawa, al 1945. En principi les de la marina estaven pintades de verd o gris clar, i les dels Marines, de verd. Acabada la guerra, unes poques continuaren en servei fins als anys 60, però la majoria o es destruiren o es varen vendre. Algunes les va vendre la propia Graflex com a model civil "Graphic 45", i altres sobrants del exèrcit, majoritariament pintades de negre.
El meu exemplar, que funciona a la perfecció, compta amb un darrera tipus Graphic i manca de qualsevol identificació, civil o militar, tot i que està pintada de color verd. Pertant, tant pot ser que hagués "servit" amb la US Navy o els Marines, o que no hagués sortit del magatzem del fabricant abans la guerra acabés. Qui sap!
www.cameraquest.com/graphcombat.htm
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Combat_Graphic
collections.eastman.org/objects/50191/combat-graphic-45?c...
www.photrio.com/forum/threads/fs-graflex-45-aka-4x5-comba...
graflex.coffsbiz.com/military.html
=========================================
Here’s a camera really created for the military, a machine which was the direct result of combat experience in the Pacific during World War II.
In fact it is a modification (quite extensive) of a thrully tested and reliable model at the time: the Graflex Aniversary Speed Graphic in 4x5 format. The Speed Graphic was the quintessential iconic camera for graphic reporters, especially American ones, in the 1930s and 1940s. Thousands of them were incorporated into Allied armies, with little or no modification. In fact I have one of these Speed Graphic used by the USAAF as a C-3 camera. But apart from being painted black and some tiny detail, these are the same models used by civilian journalists.
The Combat Graphic was commissioned by the US Navy and Marine Corps (USMC) specifically to withstand the harsh heat and humidity of the Pacific front. That's why the relatively fragile bellows was replaced by a wooden box (with closing lid & hand gripper, VERY well thought out). The result is a much firmer and more resistant camera, but with certain limitations. The speeds of the focal plane shutter were limited, and the telescopic viewfinder and especially the rangefinder were removed.
But when using it I must say that with all this comes a much firmer camera and at the same time free of many extras that are more annoying than useful.
However, the Combat Graphic was only produced in limited numbers and apparently entirely in 1944. All cameras carry the same lens, the Kodak Anastigmat Special f4.7 / 127mm, mounted on a Kodak Supermatic shutter. It seems that its use in combat was basically limited to the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in 1945. In principle those of the navy were painted green or light gray, and those of the Marines, green. After the war, a few remained in service until the 1960s, but most were either scrapped or sold. Some were sold by Graflex itself as a "Graphic 45" civilian model, and others left over from the army, mostly painted black and sold by Burke & James as surplus.
My copy, which works perfectly, has a Graphic type back, and lacks any identification, civilian or military, even though it is painted green. Therefore, it may have “served” with the U.S. Navy or Marines, or that it had not left the manufacturer’s warehouse before the war ended. Who knows!
www.cameraquest.com/graphcombat.htm
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Combat_Graphic
collections.eastman.org/objects/50191/combat-graphic-45?c...
www.photrio.com/forum/threads/fs-graflex-45-aka-4x5-comba...
Documentant la guerra / Documenting war
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
Aquí teniu una càmera realment creada per al militars, una màquina fruit directe del combat al Pacific durant la Segona Guerra Mundial.
A veure, de fet es tracta d'una modificació (força extensa) d'un model probat i fiable en aquell moment, la Graflex Aniversary Speed Graphic de format 4x5 polzades. La Speed Graphic era la càmera iconica per excel·lencia dels reporters grafics, sobretot nord-americans, als anys 30 i 40. Milers d'elles foren incorporades als exercits al·liats, amb poques o cap modificació. De fet tinc una d'aquestes Speed Graphic emprades per la USAAF com a càmera C-3. Però apart d'estar pintades en negre i algun detall infim, es tracta dels mateixos models que empraven els periodistes civils.
La Combat Graphic fou fabricada per encarrec de la US Navy i els Marines (USMC) expressament per a aguantar les dures condicions de calor i humitat del front del Pacific. Per això es substituí la relativament fragil manxa per una caixa de fusta (amb tapadora i tot, MOLT bén pensada). En resulta una camera molt més ferma i resistent, però amb certes limitacions. Es limitaren les velocitats del obturador de pla focal, i s'elimanern el visor telescopic i sobretot el telemetre.
Però en fer-la servir he de dir que amb tot plegat en surt una càmera molt més ferma i alhora lliure de molts extres que fan més nosa que servei.
Amb tot, la Combat Graphic només es produí en nombre limitat i pel que sembla totalment al 1944. Totes les càmeres porten el mateix objectiu, el Kodak Anastigmat Special f4.7 / 127mm, montat en un obturador Kodak Supermatic. Sembla que el seu ús en combat es limità bàsicament a les batalles de Iwo Jima i Okinawa, al 1945. En principi les de la marina estaven pintades de verd o gris clar, i les dels Marines, de verd. Acabada la guerra, unes poques continuaren en servei fins als anys 60, però la majoria o es destruiren o es varen vendre. Algunes les va vendre la propia Graflex com a model civil "Graphic 45", i altres sobrants del exèrcit, majoritariament pintades de negre.
El meu exemplar, que funciona a la perfecció, compta amb un darrera tipus Graphic i manca de qualsevol identificació, civil o militar, tot i que està pintada de color verd. Pertant, tant pot ser que hagués "servit" amb la US Navy o els Marines, o que no hagués sortit del magatzem del fabricant abans la guerra acabés. Qui sap!
www.cameraquest.com/graphcombat.htm
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Combat_Graphic
collections.eastman.org/objects/50191/combat-graphic-45?c...
www.photrio.com/forum/threads/fs-graflex-45-aka-4x5-comba...
graflex.coffsbiz.com/military.html
=========================================
Here’s a camera really created for the military, a machine which was the direct result of combat experience in the Pacific during World War II.
In fact it is a modification (quite extensive) of a thrully tested and reliable model at the time: the Graflex Aniversary Speed Graphic in 4x5 format. The Speed Graphic was the quintessential iconic camera for graphic reporters, especially American ones, in the 1930s and 1940s. Thousands of them were incorporated into Allied armies, with little or no modification. In fact I have one of these Speed Graphic used by the USAAF as a C-3 camera. But apart from being painted black and some tiny detail, these are the same models used by civilian journalists.
The Combat Graphic was commissioned by the US Navy and Marine Corps (USMC) specifically to withstand the harsh heat and humidity of the Pacific front. That's why the relatively fragile bellows was replaced by a wooden box (with closing lid & hand gripper, VERY well thought out). The result is a much firmer and more resistant camera, but with certain limitations. The speeds of the focal plane shutter were limited, and the telescopic viewfinder and especially the rangefinder were removed.
But when using it I must say that with all this comes a much firmer camera and at the same time free of many extras that are more annoying than useful.
However, the Combat Graphic was only produced in limited numbers and apparently entirely in 1944. All cameras carry the same lens, the Kodak Anastigmat Special f4.7 / 127mm, mounted on a Kodak Supermatic shutter. It seems that its use in combat was basically limited to the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, in 1945. In principle those of the navy were painted green or light gray, and those of the Marines, green. After the war, a few remained in service until the 1960s, but most were either scrapped or sold. Some were sold by Graflex itself as a "Graphic 45" civilian model, and others left over from the army, mostly painted black and sold by Burke & James as surplus.
My copy, which works perfectly, has a Graphic type back, and lacks any identification, civilian or military, even though it is painted green. Therefore, it may have “served” with the U.S. Navy or Marines, or that it had not left the manufacturer’s warehouse before the war ended. Who knows!
www.cameraquest.com/graphcombat.htm
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Combat_Graphic
collections.eastman.org/objects/50191/combat-graphic-45?c...
www.photrio.com/forum/threads/fs-graflex-45-aka-4x5-comba...