Polaroid 600SE Lens Issue and back question

[unixrevolution]

I think this goes here, rather than in the Polaroid section.

I recently acquired a Mamiya-built Polaroid 600SE, with the 127 and 150mm lenses. Unfortunately, I'm a doofus and dropped the 150, and now one of the shutter leaves stays put when you trip the shutter. Does anybody know of a simple way to fix this? If not, who's the best person to send it to? (My local repair shop options are extremely limited so I'm looking for ideas.)

Other than my being a clumsy oaf, the 600se is wonderful so far. Really love it with the Fuji 3000-speed packfilm.

While I'm at it, does anybody know how to adapt a 600se to take the Mamiya film backs, without that pesky and expensive Polaroid 600 M adapter?

 

[planetjoe]

Sorry to hear about your lens! I can't help with the repair advice, unfortunately.

I believe I do know something about the back issue, though; if I'm incorrect, I'm sure that someone else here will know for certain. The trick with Mamiya/600se back swaps is that the modification cannot be done in the Polaroid body.

MAMIYA "S" backs (which I assume you're talking about) require the M-Adapter in order to mount on Mamiya Press/Universal system bodies. It's natural that the M-adapter should also mount to the Polaroid 600se, but the back locking lugs - which have variously been called "ears" or "claws" are different (by design) between the two systems. On the Mamiya, they're "solid", while on the Polaroid they're "split". This difference is due to the design of the two different body types.

See this website, for instance.

The modification process involves swapping out the "ears"/lugs on the Mamiya M-Adapter with those that are compatible with the Polaroid locking mechanism. The difference is subtle; if you're skilled with fabrication, you could probably modify the Mamiya lugs directly (by "notching" them), but it would be a shame to irreversibly mod them. The most direct means has always been to acquire the Polaroid 600se back for peel-apart film and remove the lugs from it.

Hope that helps. Again, if I'm off the mark somewhere here, I'm sure someone will put it straight.


Cheers,
--joe.

 

[unixrevolution]

Sorry to hear about your lens! I can't help with the repair advice, unfortunately.

I believe I do know something about the back issue, though; if I'm incorrect, I'm sure that someone else here will know for certain. The trick with Mamiya/600se back swaps is that the modification cannot be done in the Polaroid body.

MAMIYA "S" backs (which I assume you're talking about) require the M-Adapter in order to mount on Mamiya Press/Universal system bodies. It's natural that the M-adapter should also mount to the Polaroid 600se, but the back locking lugs - which have variously been called "ears" or "claws" are different (by design) between the two systems. On the Mamiya, they're "solid", while on the Polaroid they're "split". This difference is due to the design of the two different body types.

See this website, for instance.

The modification process involves swapping out the "ears"/lugs on the Mamiya M-Adapter with those that are compatible with the Polaroid locking mechanism. The difference is subtle; if you're skilled with fabrication, you could probably modify the Mamiya lugs directly (by "notching" them), but it would be a shame to irreversibly mod them. The most direct means has always been to acquire the Polaroid 600se back for peel-apart film and remove the lugs from it.

Hope that helps. Again, if I'm off the mark somewhere here, I'm sure someone will put it straight.

Cheers,
--joe.

You're probably mostly right. However, one thing I do know is that it's not just the notch in the Polaroid lugs that make them different. The mamiya lugs are longer, as well...so Polaroid notch-lug backs won't mount up on Super-23s either, and Mamiya-lugged backs mounted on the Polaroid after being notched wouldn't fit even nearly tightly enough. I tried taking the "Posts" out of the polaroid and mounting up a Super 23 Polaroid back that I use on an adapter with my RB-67.

Thanks for the info and the link, though, I'll check that out. Now the trick is how to get the Mamiya-spec version of that back adapter, and where to get extra Polaroid 600se claws from, at least for the back issue.

Still leaves me with a lens issue, and I'm still open to suggestions on where to send it.

 

[planetjoe]

Hmm; yeah, I was googling around to see if I'd forgotten any details about the purported compatibility of the swap, but I couldn't find anything. There was something bothering me about it, though.

It sounds like the slight issue with flange registry might be it. I've not read of enough swaps that the issue has shown up, though. 'luck!


--joe.

 

[kuzano]

Plus me on the back lugs...

Plus me on the back lugs...

The Mamiya lugs (claws, feet) are not only split on the polaroid, but the lengths are different.

No workarounds on this. You have to have the M adaptor, which then gives the opening from the Mamiya Universal, which is the same size as the Polaroid film packets for when using the Mamiya Universal Polaroid back.

The differences between the breechlocks and the back accessories was purposeful by the contract between Polaroid and Mamiya to prevent lost sales on lenses and accessories for both systems. Very well thought out.

The best buy I know of for the lens/shutter rebuild is most likely Anthony (Tony ) Sansone in Florida. You can get a contact # for Tony on the home page of his Virgin Oil web site...www.kretareserv.com

Tony has been working on Mamiya Press and Polaroid SE systems since I first saw his ad in Shutterbug in the 70's.

He still does work on and sell them.

 

[unixrevolution]

The Mamiya lugs (claws, feet) are not only split on the polaroid, but the lengths are different.

No workarounds on this. You have to have the M adaptor, which then gives the opening from the Mamiya Universal, which is the same size as the Polaroid film packets for when using the Mamiya Universal Polaroid back.

The differences between the breechlocks and the back accessories was purposeful by the contract between Polaroid and Mamiya to prevent lost sales on lenses and accessories for both systems. Very well thought out.

The best buy I know of for the lens/shutter rebuild is most likely Anthony (Tony ) Sansone in Florida. You can get a contact # for Tony on the home page of his Virgin Oil web site...www.kretareserv.com

Tony has been working on Mamiya Press and Polaroid SE systems since I first saw his ad in Shutterbug in the 70's.

He still does work on and sell them.

Seems like you're saying to use the Mamiya Universal polaroid back I have, you have to mount it to the M-adaptor? Once I'm out of film in both my film backs, I'll swap the claws around and see what's what.

Thanks for the advice, I'll give Tony a call.

 

[unixrevolution]

I have a mamiya universal back and a polaroid 600 back. Swapping the lugs from the 600se to the Mamiya allowed the Mamiya back to be fitted to my Polaroid. The lugs are indeed different lengths, as the notch is for a screw-in post in the Polaroid's back, and removing the post and fitting the Mamiya back left it with about a sixteenth-of-an-inch of slop. Not a good thing for a film plane.

I'll see if I can get the Mamiya adapter and fit it with Polaroid lugs, or perhaps just get the polaroid adapter in the first place.

Still no luck on the repair. I contacted the man mentioned above but have gotten no reply. Oh well, the 127 works for now, and the 150 works enough.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Tony is not full-time: he does other things too, which sometimes keep him away for months at a time. Keep trying to contact him. He's a very nice guy and very knowledgeable.

Cheers,

R.