Polaroid Land 250 Not Sharp?

[VTHokiEE]

I'm having some trouble with my Land Camera, the pictures don't really seem sharp. I've posted two samples, but maybe I'm expecting too much? I was hoping for something like this: https://flic.kr/p/d9JGQe

The first image I was focusing on the car and in the second image I was focusing on the red flowers. There may have been some breeze in the second image, but I assumed the DOF would cover a focusing inaccuracy. My camera sat around my grandmother-in-law's house for ages but I'm not certain why that would effect the focusing (if that is the issue)?

This was accidentally damaged, but I've fixed that issue (I hope).

 

[Larry H-L]

Difficult to tell in web-size images, but it looks more like camera shake than a focus issue to me.

Have you tried a tripod?

And I never thought that color Polaroid was all that sharp to begin with, not nearly as sharp as Type 52 & 55 b&w in my opinion.

 

[Dante_Stella]

Understand that the 250 is always running close to 1/30 with 100 speed film when you use the "bright day" setting. Change to dull and try it. That should give you a much shorter shutter speed. Also check the RF. A good bang can knock it off calibration.

Dante

 

[Dwig]

Understand that the 250 is always running close to 1/30 with 100 speed film when you use the "bright day" setting. Change to dull and try it. That should give you a much shorter shutter speed. Also check the RF. A good bang can knock it off calibration.

Dante

+1

The "Bright Sun" setting is f/17.5 and the "Dull ..." setting is f/8.8. With 75 speed film, the standard for Polacolor, the Bright Sun setting yields aroudn a 1/60th in full sun and 1/8-1/30 in shade or overcast situations. Motion blur, both subject and camera, are always problems.

Also, the dye diffusion process lends a bit of edge softness to most images, particularly with color. A good bit of carefully applied sharpening when scanning/copying to digital is generally called for, especially when enlarging the image as with the OP's images on my 24" monitor.

Here's a modestly sharpened copy of the OP's second image. There is subject motion blur in the center of the image, but the trees on the right have been "improved".

 

[VTHokiEE]

Understand that the 250 is always running close to 1/30 with 100 speed film when you use the "bright day" setting. Change to dull and try it. That should give you a much shorter shutter speed. Also check the RF. A good bang can knock it off calibration.

Dante

Thanks, it would appear that what I consider "plenty of light" is not what the camera considers plenty of light. Morning and early afternoon don't appear to always be bright enough. I set the camera to "sunny or dull" and took a test shot on a tripod and one off. everything seems much better (aside from shadows going black, but there's not a lot you can do about that without flash).

It would also appear that the picture of the flowers in the tree is more detail than can really be grabbed, but I now have a much improved shot compared to the one I posted previously. I'll try to post both of these but there once they have dried more.

On another note, how would I check the rangefinder just in case?

Thanks a lot!

 

[lawnpotter]

Try using fuji fp 3000b film. I found the results using the 100c film disapointing a lot of times. But the 3000b film is always sharp

 

[VTHokiEE]

Try using fuji fp 3000b film. I found the results using the 100c film disapointing a lot of times. But the 3000b film is always sharp

I'd love too, but I'm currently having a little trouble swallowing the cost of 3000b. I should at least try a pack or two before it is gone for good though.

 

[lawnpotter]

I'd love too, but I'm currently having a little trouble swallowing the cost of 3000b. I should at least try a pack or two before it is gone for good though.

BH photo has it for sale right now at $17.49

 

[VTHokiEE]

BH photo has it for sale right now at $17.49

Yeah, I've seen that (and I will probably pick up a pack or two), it's just getting expensive per shot.

Here and are my two new takes with plenty of light (and the dull setting):

and on a tripod:

Thanks for the help. It seems weird that in bright sun under the bright sun setting you'll get 1/30 shutter speed.