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 Graflex Speed Graphic is a 4×5 press camera with a **focal-plane shutter in the body** (the "Speed" in Speed Graphic) plus a leaf shutter in each lens. Folding wood body with leather covering, aluminum hardware. The lens system is interchangeable via Graflex lensboards. Coupled rangefinder for hand-held focus, plus ground-glass focusing for tripod work, plus an optical sports finder on top. Multiple finder options, multiple shutter mechanisms — designed for whatever shooting condition a press photographer encountered.
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 American press camera. The 4×5 body that every newsroom photographer carried from the 1930s through the 1960s. Weegee's camera.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 4×5 |
| Mount | Graflex lensboard |
| Years | 1912–1973 (multiple generations); Pacemaker 1947–1973 |
| Shutter | 1/8s – 1/1000s focal-plane (body) + leaf shutter (lens) |
| Flash sync | Via M-class flash bulb sync |
| Meter | None |
| Focus | Ground-glass + coupled rangefinder + sports finder |
| Weight | 2,700 g |
| Battery | None |
Graflex (Folmer & Schwing / Folmer Graflex) made the original Speed Graphic from 1912. Sub-versions:
The line ended 1973 as 35mm SLRs replaced press cameras for newsroom use.
The Speed Graphic is the press camera. Every iconic press photo from 1930–1955 — Weegee, Joe Rosenthal's Iwo Jima (Anniversary Speed Graphic), thousands of news bureau photos — was shot on a Speed Graphic or its sibling Crown Graphic. The body's reputation is its versatility: leaf shutter for flash-sync work, focal-plane shutter for higher speeds, sports finder for moving subjects, rangefinder for fast composition, ground glass for precision. Hand-held 4×5 in a single body.
For 2026 buyers, a Pacemaker Speed Graphic is one of the cheapest entries into 4×5. Used at $400–700, the body, lens, and a few film holders run under $700 total. Trade-off: weight (2.7 kg with lens), the rangefinder cam needs matching to the specific lens (Schneider Xenar 135/4.7 was the most common kit), and the focal-plane shutter on Speed Graphics often needs CLA after 70+ years.
Graflex lensboards. Common lenses: Schneider Xenar 135/4.7 (kit), Kodak Ektar 127/4.7, Wollensak Optar 135/4.7, Zeiss Tessar 150/4.5. Roll-film backs (Graflex 22 for 6×6 on 120, 23 for 6×9 on 120) — many press photographers shot 6×9 on the body for cost savings. Polaroid 545i back (rare). Ground-glass focusing back, sports finder, Kalart rangefinder.
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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