There is an immense amount of information (and some misinformation, surely) online about Graphics, Lomo-Instax, large format, etc. Here’s one view entirely from an old-timer’s limited but well-focused experience.

The Super was the last gasp of the long-dominant line of U.S. press and general-purpose cameras, 1920s-70s. The famous Speed Graphic was the top model, with a 1/1000 sec rear curtain shutter in addition to the 1/400 front leaf shutter. Graphics were still widely used in 1969 despite surging dominance of 6x6cm and 35mm for mobile work, and true view-camera gear for large format. The Crown Graphic was identical but without the focal-plane shutter, and might be a budget buy even now.

All were highly usable hand-held, even — if the user was steady — at 1/25 sec. The rangefinder and an open wire-frame sports finder, or an optical viewer, were usually matched to a 135mm f:4.5 or 4.7 lens, slightly short of “normal,” a mixed blessing. That rig allowed quick work on the go and in tight spaces, especially with flash. All press cameras could do _some_ view-camera-like work on tripod, table, or other support. Macro at 1:1, if… For rise-shift-swing-tilt work, the Super’s rotating back helped but it was not a true viewcam.

The Lomo mask for Instax apparently is about 85×102 mm instead of the 102x127mm of a 4×5″ frame, so the 150 or even 135mm lens is longish for that format, a mixed blessing. The rangefinder would work with the correct cam, but neither the optical nor sport finder would be accurate without a mask. My long unused Super got a last fling in 2017, as a tripod-view rig with a home-made 60×90 mask, to preview for a 60×90 enlarger. Hand dunking sheet film in trays again was fun. Mixed results. Retiree life intruded and I sold.

For hand-held without electricity, Graphics had a shutter release tab low on the right side. A cable release could be rigged with its push-button end affixed to the body, or not.

The 22.5v battery system was (a) for a built-in release line to a solenoid to trip the shutter. That replaced the GrafLite flashgun battery pack rig that used three D-cells for solenoid and flashbulbs. And (b) it powered two narrow flashlight light beams converging from the rangefinder for focusing in very dim light. That replaced a klunky FocoSpot gizmo added to older Graphics as-needed. Dark infrared flashbulbs and infrared film made just a bit of pop-hiss, no visible glare.

The green laser or infrared focusing assist lamps on our modern digital whiz-bangs, and the digital infrared imaging on some high-end systems, are a new version of an old concept.

Sifting another thousand digital images this week, I pine for single-shot sheet film or peel-offs, again.

Cheers

https://the.supersense.com/products/one-instant

https://supersense.com/oneinstant/blog/