C41
Kodak Portra 160
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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The Crown Graphic (1947) is the Speed Graphic with the body's focal-plane shutter removed — saving weight (~500 g) and complexity. Same wood-and-leather body, same Graflex lensboard, same coupled rangefinder, same ground-glass back. The only shutter is in the lens (leaf shutter, like every other LF lens), so flash sync is at all speeds and the maximum shutter speed is whatever the lens shutter offers (typically 1/400s or 1/500s with Compur or Copal). Most newsroom photographers preferred the Crown for its lighter weight; the Speed's focal-plane shutter was rarely used in practice.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 4x5 format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The Speed Graphic without the focal-plane shutter. Lighter, simpler, and what most "Speed Graphic" buyers actually want.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 4×5 |
| Mount | Graflex lensboard |
| Years | 1947–1973 |
| Shutter | Lens leaf only (typically 1s – 1/400s or 1/500s) |
| Flash sync | All speeds (leaf shutter) |
| Meter | None |
| Focus | Ground-glass + coupled rangefinder + sports finder |
| Weight | 2,200 g (vs Speed Graphic 2,700 g) |
| Battery | None |
Released 1947 alongside the Pacemaker Speed Graphic. Both bodies were produced through 1973. The Crown's lighter weight made it more popular for hand-held press work; the Speed's focal-plane shutter was useful only in specific scenarios (older lenses without leaf shutters, ultra-fast 1/1000s) that newsroom photographers rarely needed. Production volumes are similar between the two; many surviving "Speed Graphic" listings on the used market are actually Crown Graphics.
For 2026 buyers entering 4×5 photography, the Crown Graphic is a better choice than the Speed Graphic in most cases. Lighter, simpler (no body shutter to maintain), same image quality, $50–100 cheaper used. The trade-off is no high-speed shutter option — but with modern lenses, every leaf shutter goes to 1/400s, which is plenty for daylight handheld work.
Same as Speed Graphic. Graflex lensboards. Common: Schneider Xenar 135/4.7, Kodak Ektar 127/4.7, Wollensak Optar 135/4.7. Roll-film backs (Graflex 22, 23). Polaroid 545i back.
BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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