After years of careful study and planning, we are proud to introduce the world to a very special project. Not only are these cameras colorful, but the shutter curtains in the 4x5 units are an entirely new innovation for the Graflex community. Now the namesake of these cameras, the 'Retro-Graphic' Focal Plane Shutter is an entire reworking of the shutter curtain design offering a reliable 1/1500s top speed and an additional shooting aperture.

An example of the ‘Lartigue’ Effect:

So what's up with the shutter, why is it such a big deal? 'Retro' isn't just an aesthetic, it's meant to signal that the curtain operates directly opposite to that of a traditional Speed Graphic shutter. Instead of starting with the largest (slowest) aperture and winding to the smallest (fastest) as on normal Graflex, these new shutters start with an incredibly small aperture then wind up to the largest aperture. This offers a few odd benefits, largely allowing the fastest aperture to shoot at 1/1000s-1/1500s between tensions 1 and 6. Additionally it creates a wonderful Lartigue Effect/Rolling shutter effect when used on low tension on the fastest two apertures. This means objects in motion will lean in the direction they are moving, although this effect disappears at high tension.

The inclusion of this effect is both an artistic choice and a slight homage to what Jacques Lartigue had been seeking. Earlier in his career, he had modified a Graflex SLR to have a smaller aperture slit while simultaneously slowing the shutters movement in order to capture dramatic movement in his work. His photography from that era (circa 1913) is known for featuring passing race-cars with oval shaped wheels leaning in the direction of the movement. Using an SLR, he was able to accurately pan the camera which causes the background to lean in the opposite direction.