polaroid rangfinders and the new fuji pack film

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chachi

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i am having major problems with the new fuji FP film jamming in my polaroid 450. anyone experienced this problem?
 
I have a 450 and haven't had any problems with the Fuji film. Where is the jam occurring?

A buddy of mine has a different Polaroid and has to constantly clean the rollers when he shoots w/ Fuji (no problem w/ the Polaroid packs).
 
the polaroid film still on the shelves seems to be stiff, but doable. the new fuji (and let me add i swap the rollers vigorously every pack), i go to pull out the "priming" tab and it is so stiff it rips. the film then doesn't thred the rollers, on and on etc.

i borrowed a friend's 440 and it seems to be okay. i would guess now the alignment on my 450 is just so off.
 
I have a Polaroid Automatic 100, and I clean the rollers after every pack. I don't know if this makes any difference but there is gunk on the rollers, something that didn't happen with Polaroid film. And, when I take my first shot with Fuji Pack film, I do find that it is very tight when removing the first white strip that leads the end of the film out of the camera body. Sometimes this happens with the second shot too. Is this what you mean? Well, anyway I am very careful with the first removal of the white strip. Grab it, slowly remove, and don't rip it out.
 
The models that have the timer seem to cause this problem (or so it seems). I have the same issue with a 350.

A few ways that might solve it...

Remove the timer. Cover holes with gaffer tape.

Remove the long tension spring on the inside of the door or push them down real flat.

For the first few exposures open the door ever so slightly before you pull the tab. I've used this method and it works fine (doesn't hurt the film as long as you only open the door a tiny bit.

Get a couple of Polaroid brand pack films and, after using them, save them. You can swap the metal back with the plastic one on the Fuji film. It helps. However, be very careful, do it a darkroom or in a very dimly lit room, and don't push on the flim itself. I've used this method too and it definitely helps.
 
DRabbit said:
Get a couple of Polaroid brand pack films and, after using them, save them. You can swap the metal back with the plastic one on the Fuji film. It helps. However, be very careful, do it a darkroom or in a very dimly lit room, and don't push on the flim itself. I've used this method too and it definitely helps.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much. I have just examined this method and it really works!!
 
S,ame here with my pola 450, broke the springs, no results:still jammed, open a little bit the door, but my photos got some strange stains..
Still looking a solution apart take of the timer..
 
I chose the 250 specifically to avoid the timer contributing to film jamming. I haven't had to remove the springs either. Just push them back every time I load a new pack. Works for me.
 
bobkatz said:
S,ame here with my pola 450, broke the springs, no results:still jammed, open a little bit the door, but my photos got some strange stains..
Still looking a solution apart take of the timer..
Click to expand...

You can get one of the cheap cameras with the plastic lens and no timer and use the back door as a replacement for the one on your 450 (replacing a back door is really simple).

Anyways, I've never had much of a problem with the Fuji packfilms and the timer door as long as I pull out the black paper tab a bit before I close the door. Then when it's closed you can pull out the whole thing without it ripping.
 
I put some 2" masking tape to reenforce and lengthen the tab, that seems to work well. I'd removed the leaf-spring when I got the first fuji film pack as the spring was so strong in my camera it jammed the film by distorting the plastic back of the pack
 
Jamie123 said:
You can get one of the cheap cameras with the plastic lens and no timer and use the back door as a replacement for the one on your 450 (replacing a back door is really simple).

Anyways, I've never had much of a problem with the Fuji packfilms and the timer door as long as I pull out the black paper tab a bit before I close the door. Then when it's closed you can pull out the whole thing without it ripping.
Click to expand...

Thx..i will try the second option Before the door replacement ...
 
My 360 jams terribly with Fuji packs. I removed the springs but it didn't help one bit. I'm saving some metal polaroid packs to use for swapping now as the Polaroid film releases flawlessly from the all metal carriage.
 
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