Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

I just bought an RH 50 back for Speed Graphic camera--by mistake. I thought I was getting a 6x6 roll film back for 120 film (!), but bought the wrong one, no returns. The RH 50 looks excellent, like new, but I can't find out much about it. I assume it takes 50 pictures, 6x7 format, on 70mm film. Apparently Kodak sold film rolls of 15 feet--I saw some on eBay with expiration of 25 years ago (for a lot of money). I think now people buy a bigger roll (made for movies), cut it and roll it into their own cassettes? I see the cassettes sold on eBay. I sure wish I could find a video on this! (Or even the instructions with illustrations...)
Does anybody make the 15 foot rolls of film? Do they come in a cassette, or loose to be loaded in the dark or bag?
To be honest, I don't need 50-shot rolls these days, but if I ever sell the camera, it would be a nice accessory to include.
Anybody here want one?
Here is a listing for one on eBay so you can see--I will sell it cheap. (Mine fits my regular 4x5 Graflok back, but if the adapter plate is removed it would fit the Graflex XL 2x3 camera.).)
https://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/GRAFLEX-XL-RH50-6x7-70mm-ROLL-FILM-BACK-RH-50-6-x-7-70-mm-ROLL-FILM-BACK/272201750433
It is great for somebody traveling, lots of pictures without changing rolls, or for lots of pictures, period. I would trade it for a nice Graflex 6x6 back, which is what I wanted, or 645 if they even made those.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I remember shooting with a Graflex XL using the RH 50 back. It was the issued USAF medium format camera back in the early 70’s. Even more fun was loading the reels for processing. Good luck selling!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

The good news is you now own a great collectors item- the rest is rather sad news.

I doubt if any of the manufacturers are producing 70mm bulk film in the edge perforated or non-perforated types anymore. Even if they did,processing may also be a rarity on an outlab basis and the special reels and tanks needed for DIY processing may be difficult or impossible to obtain. The Nikor folks used to produce stainless steel reels and tanks to accommodate those long rolls. Loading those reels and the process was a difficult and scarry business- one mistake and days of shooting were at risk- I know- it was part of my first studio job!

In the professional portraiture field, the 70mm long roll cameras (like the Beattie Portronic, the Camerz Classic and the Nord 70) )were popular in high volume studios and school photography operations. Perhaps there is a lab that can still process long rolls of C-41 material-that requires a continuous roller transport film processing machines- pretty well a thing of the past.

I used the Graflex XL system for wedding photography back in the 1960s. The RH backs were available in 8 exposure (2 1/4 x 3 1/4), 10 exposure (2 1/4 x 2 3/4), 12 exposure 2 1/4 x 2 1/4) for 120 roll film. There was a 20 exposure (6x7 cm) model as well. Most wedding photographers avoided long rolls in that if a lab accident occurred, too many exposures were at risk. The 70mm back was a rare bird!

There is a Graflex camera site on Facebook- perhas there would be an interested party there.

Good luck!

Bipod

I see that someone on eBay has a 70mm (65 mm frame) film movie camera for sale.
Sellar refurbished. They are asking $85,000.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FRIES-MITCHELL-65mm-Motion-Picture-Camera-System-5-8-perf-Minty-L-K-70mm-/281375353168

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

There are still (or should we say, again) 70mm movies being made--Dunkirk, The Hateful Eight (the first Cinerama since 1970), Star Wars, Murder on the Orient Express. B&H sells 50 foot rolls of Ilford 70mm HP5 film. Color is available, maybe cut from big rolls. I assume I would have to load my own cassettes for the RH 50.

The only advantage to me would not be studio quantity, but the ability to use 4x5 controls on roll film--and I have 6x7 and 6x12 holders for that. If I took a big vacation I might want the RH 50, but in that case I would probably want 4x5 film for the quality. If I could pick up loaded cassettes, that would be another story.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

The 70mm thing coud be a rather cumbersome operation. Bulk loading the cassettes coud be quite the job especially of the cassettes are older and have hardened light traps which could easily scratch the film or create enough friction to bring on static marks. There is also the possibility of ligh leakes.

Without the special reels and tanks, handling fifteen feet,or more of wet film properly to achieve even development and safe undamaged drying is difficult or impossible. Even the drying of the film has to take place on the reel.The reel system I used was motorized with a very slow geared motor to facilitate loading.

Cinematography stock in 70 mm is, to my knowledge, generated and may be incompatible with eh Graflex back. There are some interesting color negative emulsions in this stock but the can not be processed in standard C-41 chemistry or in conventional processors. The cine stock has a black layer to facilitate scratch-free pull down through the gate of a cine camera, in addition to the usual anti-halation backing. This require a special chemistry and processor for its removal during development. That stuff would foul the chemistry in a conventional processor. At one time there was a lab in California selling 35mm cine stock- the ends of unfinished and unused rolls along with processing services. I have no idea if 70mm stock is available in reasonably small quantities. The film cine is balanced for 3200 or 2400 degrees Kelvin and needs to be filtered for daylight or exposure with electronic flash.

Speed Graphic press camera in the 4x5 and 2x3 models were usually equipped with a standard lens (127mm to-135mm and 80mm to 105mm respectively) for use a a press camera. If you contemplate use ofthe view camera-like movements, you may need a lens with a a wider circle of coverage to enable vertical rise, lateral shifts and maybe even font standard tilts withou vignetting.

Also- Some of the early model of the Graflex roll holders had serious film flatness issues so you want to make certain that your RH-70 back is in good working order before investing in film, supplies and possibly more lenses for your Speed Graphic.

Quite the project!

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

Yes, I can see that it is feasible only for someone who needs or wants a large number of shots per load. Or--there is nothing to prevent loading the cassettes with shorter cuts of film and using developing reels for 220 film. (But why? Just use 120 or 220 to start.)

As for lenses, I use lenses with good coverage--90mm Super Angulon, which covers 5x7, Fujinon 180mm that covers 8x10 (!), a 120mm Nikon that covers 8x10 (!), 210mm Symmar-S and 240mm Fujinon A, that both cover plenty, a Schneider 300mm and a 360mm-tele (with back extension). The Speed Graphic tilts and rise are not huge, but good for most work. Flatness of roll film is generally OK if you stop down, and my typical aperture outside on a tripod is f22 as the home setting, and at least f11.

When it comes to medium format, I would just as soon use the Graflok split back rather than roll film, to have more control of each shot--but I do have 6x7 and 6x12 roll film backs. Or the Canon digital adapter back, if I want the rise and tilts on digital. For that matter, I have a nice Mamiya twin lens for 120 film. Well, several of those.

When they first designed the RH 50 for Graflex (and later RB67 and Hassleblads), they should have engineered them to take either 120 roll film or long cassettes. The basic insert would work both ways with the right parts. The mechanism to count the exposures would be the same--it would just stop at 10 when using 120.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I had a few RH-10 and RH-20 backs I used for my Mamiya RB-67.
They weren't as precisely made as the Mamiya backs....not even close.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

645 would have been a RH 10, BTW RH = Right Hand I was told when I bought it, I think I sold it when I traded in my 4x5 but I'll look later if you want, Bob.
BTW for film stock check out Freestyle Sales in CA, they might be able to help you, used to get bulk 35mm and 16 mm from them.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

The site link below has a listing of most of the Roll Holder backs for Graflex.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a 645 back, but the RH 10 was a 10 exposure 6x7 back. I’ve had several. A 645 back should have given about 15 exposures.
https://graflex.org/speed-graphic/accessories.html

DaveC1 Loc: South East US

Dunkirk and Murder on the Orient Express were both filmed in 65mm film for 2017 release. So it would seem someone's doing the processing.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

My mistake, lot of years ago, I remember where I bought it, no longer there, Olden Camera, I did like that back, Bob.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

The early Graflex roll holders, especially the 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 models, the ones with knurled knobs rather that levers, were notoriously bad for film flatness, Photographers with 2x3 press cameras were having all kinds of adaptations made to enable the use of othere makes of backs. The one made by Optika was popular.

The later RH series made for the XL were better but problems could arise if the inserts for different roll lengths were interchanged.

On returning form the service, I purchased a complete XL system- the original 80mm (normal) Planar lens was incompatible with all the backs and there was a serious engineering flaw. Seems that the flange-focus distance on that lens was too critical for the film magazines and half of each frame was out of focus. I flew to Rochester with 2 camera bodies and 5 lenses and the good folks at Graflex replaced the 80mm lenses with 95mm Rodenstock equivalents and the issue was resolved. I use the system for 5 years and eventually went to Hasselblads for medium format work in 1970.

I still have my Mamiya RZ in the studio- it now has a digital back but the Mamiya backs were always reliable.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Interesting. At the photo lab on Clark AFB in the Philippines, we had a lot of problems with the rangefinders. Got permission to buy Mamiya C-330's at the base exchange to replace the XL's. Liked it so much I got one.

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

Thanks, Bob--yes I know Freestyle--good for anything unusual.