What Is a Graflex Camera?
Graflex was a brand name that sold several different models of cameras. The first Graflex camera was built in 1898 by William F. Folmer and his company, The Folmer and Schwing Manufacturing Company. Graflex's were reflex cameras and the most famous was known as the Speed Graphic. The press used to use these cameras, and now, as photography has progressed, they have become popular with camera enthusiasts.
The Speed Graphic
The Speed Graphic is a photography icon and is often thought of when looking at an era of press photography through the 1930s to 60s.The Graflex Speed Graphic folding cameras were produced from 1912 to 1973.
Top Class
While at this time there were still plenty of other large format cameras, it is the famous images of Graflex, Century Graphic, Pacemaker Speed Graphic, Combat Graphic and Super Speed Graphic which told the stories and captured the public imagination.
Japanese Invasion
During the 1950's and 60's there was an influx of small format Japanese cameras imported into the U.S.A. This slowly but surely slowed down Graflex's business and by 1973 Graflex had stopped producing large format press and field cameras.
The Super D
The last model of Graflex's long history was the Super D in 1948 and was produced until 1958.
The Big Purchase
The Sakai Special Camera Manufacturing Company of Osaka japan bought all the Graflex designs and patents in 1982. The camera was put back into production with a different name, The Toyo Super Graphic. The camera was then imported to the United Kingdom by George Eilliot and Son, a photographic distributing company.
Tags: Speed Graphic, large format, Manufacturing Company, What Graflex, What Graflex Camera