So let me just state up front that this test happened a good long while ago, and im just simply filling in gaps with my history with this camera.
I borrowed a Rodenstock Sirona N lens that was at uni, which the shutter it was in coincidently fitted the speed graphic board.
I didn’t have any film, but what was lying around uni (weird) was a polaroid 545i back and some type 54 film.
I took it all out into the uni grounds, complete with a home made dark cloth and took my first 4×5 lensed image.
So its quite obvious that the polaroid emulsion was pretty shot – I mean it had been sitting in a drawer for ‘years’ apparently, but what I was actually more excited about was the fact that the image seemed to not be affected by the pinhole, well, mouseholes in the bellows. I guess that unless they our out at full extension, like I guess you would use for macro(?) then the material maybe seals itself enough that its not an issue? We’ll go with that, it sounds like I know what im talking about…!
So conclusion. Camera works (why wouldn’t it its just a box) the polaroid back works (not mine) lens and shutter works (not mine) and the polaroid film was f’ed (again, not mine.)
More to come.