I don't know what the Graphic had out of the factory, as it was a second-hand purchase and could have been changed before my grandfather ever bought it. The Schneider isn't exactly typical of what was
used on the Graphics, since I read that pressmen liked to use wider lenses, but a 150mm is a normal lens for this format. It doesn't hold especially well, though. The weight isn't the problem so much as it's supporting the weight with an off-center,
flexible handle. The strap wants to let the camera sag to the right and I constantly have to fight it, which puts strain on my wrist. To be a handheld, the Graphic really wants a rigid handle in place of the strap, and probably another one on the flash mount over the rangefinder housing. That isn't a terribly complex task, though. And in the unlikely event you find yourself in Maine, you should certainly call on me to go shooting.
The Konica is heavy because it's a big camera with a lot of mechanical bits. The back is the size of two 35mm SLR bodies but half again as thick, and then there's the focusing block/lens mount and the lens. The film advance is big - the rack arm runs the width of the camera, and then the connection with the shutter has to run all the way out into the focusing block/lens mount. There are interlocks between the dark slide and the lens, back, and shutter to prevent inadvertent exposure of the film. The rangefinder is full-width, and the assembly is 1/3 of the body's size. It's just a beast of a camera, as far as handhelds go.
The Autographic lacks the stylus, sadly, and the cable release as well. Plus, with the bellows in the shape they are, it's not usable even if I wanted to shell out to get some 116 film custom-cut. Repair or conversion aren't worthwhile because the overall quality of almost all Kodaks is 'good' at best (they
were mass-market cameras, after all), and since I only want usable cameras I'll try to unload this to a collector at a modest price. I did see a Number 2a in pristine condition - new bellows and all the doodads - in an antique store once, but the totally obsolete format is still a deal-breaker. I bought the Zeiss and the Jiffy instead.
I looked up your Zenit and it turns out that the E types didn't have any kind of focusing screen - you'd use sharpness or scale focusing, and that's it. I don't know if there'd be a place to fit a replacement focusing screen if you took off the top plate and prism. It's too bad that it's difficult to use, though - if it's newer than 1968, it's got the M42 screwmount and you could avail yourself of the really awesome Super-Taks and a lot of other good-but-old lenses.
).
I'd love to get my hands on one of those. Talk about iconic... How is it to hold? Do you happen to know what shutter it came with out of the factory?
