Polaroid RF conversions to sheet film & roll film...

[bmattock]

I've known of several companies that do such conversions - Four Designs, Razzledog, and Littman, but this was a new one on me:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Deacon-says-CON...oryZ4204QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The fella has an interesting blog as well:

http://consignedtome.blogspot.com/

I find myself interested - I have a Polaroid 110a that I bought for the lens (but perhaps I could put it back on).

Anyone done this? Gordon? Grayhoundman?

Anyway, kind of an FYI - and the Polaroid 110a and b are rangefinders, so it is even on topic (for a change).

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[remrf]

I can't say the examples of photos on the listing did anyting for me but the idea has intrigued me for some time. Certainly a compact 4x5" rangefinder if done correctly. Small and light is good.

Then you could buy a Polaroid 545i back and........wait a second. 😀

 

[bmattock]

Sure, but Polaroid quit making film for the 110a and 110b decades ago - so a conversion is about the only way to put these excellent rangefinders and very sharp lenses back into service. Even a 4x5 back with a 545i and thence back to Polaroid is not as crazy as it might seem at first...

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[DougK]

Thanks for the link Bill.

A compact 4x5 rangefinder would be a heck of a lot of fun to shoot with and a conversion would be a lot easier to carry around than a Graphic... and almost as stylin'.

 

[bmattock]

Glad you liked it. Just to give equal time:

Littman - the most 'top-end' system conversion, very expensive, but very nice:

http://www.littman45single.com/

Eastcamtech:

http://eastcamtech.com/POLAROID.htm

Four Designs:

http://www.fourdesigns.com/

Australian Wild Man, Razzledog (reminds me of our own g-man):

http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~razzle/

And of course, the fellow that I mentioned in the first post.

By the way - the photos on that person's blog may not be that hot technically - but paper negs? Come on, when film is all gone bye-bye, this guy WILL still be shooting! I'm sure the quality level can be brought up - might be worth a look - just in case...

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[StuartR]

The problem with shooting 4x5 on location is not so much the size, but the fact that you need either a bunch of film holders, or you need a changing bag to load sheets in the dark (this is a total pain). I really wish roll film came in 4x5. I wonder why it doesn't? It seems like there are still a lot of studios and landscape photographers using 4x5, and 10 or 12 shot rolls would be really convenient. I suppose this is the niche that quickload fills...

 

[StuartR]

And while I am at it, can I say that Polaroid Type 55 p/n film is just fantastic. It scans really beautifully.

 

[bmattock]

The problem with shooting 4x5 on location is not so much the size, but the fact that you need either a bunch of film holders, or you need a changing bag to load sheets in the dark (this is a total pain). I really wish roll film came in 4x5. I wonder why it doesn't? It seems like there are still a lot of studios and landscape photographers using 4x5, and 10 or 12 shot rolls would be really convenient. I suppose this is the niche that quickload fills...

70mm was the closest that I'm aware of, but it has come and gone, sadly. Never used it myself, but I surely would have if given the opportunity.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[bmattock]

And while I am at it, can I say that Polaroid Type 55 p/n film is just fantastic. It scans really beautifully.

Another thing I want to try someday - if it lasts long enough...sigh!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

The problem with shooting 4x5 on location is not so much the size, but the fact that you need either a bunch of film holders, or you need a changing bag to load sheets in the dark (this is a total pain). I really wish roll film came in 4x5. I wonder why it doesn't? It seems like there are still a lot of studios and landscape photographers using 4x5, and 10 or 12 shot rolls would be really convenient. I suppose this is the niche that quickload fills...

A few graphmatics will suffice, normally 4x5 shooting is not machine gun like in nature like 35mm motordrive or digital.

http://www.graflex.org/speed-graphic/grafmatic/

Wayne

 

[StuartR]

What I really need is a trained spider-monkey to load the film for me...

 

[vodid]

The ultimate polaroid, if anyone is interested, is the Konica Instant Press. The camera that Polaroid shoulda built.

 

[jonasv]

the RFF'ers that came to the Antwerp meet saw Wimpler using a Polaroid that takes 120 rollfilm.. he said it was a five minute job, and it seemed to work well (although it was a bit hard to load or so it seemed).

 

[MikeyGaGa]

My 2 Cents

My 2 Cents

Four Designs used take Polaroid 110s and convert them to POLAROID COLORPACK film. Many fashion and location photogs used them,because the Polaroid 180s were terribly expensive. In the pro shops in NYC,I have seen old colorpack camera with speed graphic lenses mouted on them.

A mechanist could probably take lets say a polaroid back for a MF camera and graft it on to a color pack body.

BTW,I remember(you guys know what an old photo-fart I am)using a polaroid film holder for 4x5 cameras which took COLORPACK film-the obvious advantage of which is economy).

If anyone is interested,I have a few colorpack camera lying around,as well as two 4x5 Grafmatics. These are push-pull operated 4x5 film holders which have 6 septume to hold 6 sheets of film,and are not much bigger than a standard holder(but heavier for sure)

Polaroid55PN was a fabulous film(Is it still available?). If you have the old Ansel Adams books you can read how he used and liked it. I recall,however that it was extremely delicate;prone to scratching,and it curled like mad-I think I had to use an Anti-Newton ring glass carrier for enlargements.


MIKEY GAGA

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

There was Polaroid type 665 film (120) which could be used on 5/4's and various 120 RF's including most of the Polaroids (185/190's 250, 350, 400 series), Mamiya Press, Linhof and Horseman - if you had the 600 Polaroid Back. Also you could get for Hassy and Rollei and some 35mm's including Nikon f3 however had to have specially made Polaroid adaptors often very expensive. Unfortunately i read that it is now being discontnued. I wonder how long Type 55 will last.................

 

[StuartR]

Simon -- it is a real shame about 665. I was thinking about getting a polaroid back for my hasselblad, but when I heard that they are stopping 665 this year (they may have already...), I decided against it. For what it's worth, polaroid's website specifically says that while 665 is being discontinued, type 55 is NOT going to be discontinued. I guess it was some machinery that was phased out and too expensive to replace. In any case, I have a feeling that Type 55 will last as long as the company itself, as it is a fairly unique offering and something that I think is still popular.

 

[Gordon Coale]

Bill -- You are a very bad man. But I think you alread knew that. 🙂

You got me looking at my wife's Polaroid Automatic 250. My wife wanted to know what I was doing with her Polaroid. I told here this is neat thing where you can convert old Polaroids to use 4x5 sheet film. I won't repeat what she said other than I will remain much healthier if I leave her Polaroid alone. So I started googling for Polaroid conversions. The one to convert is definitely the 110b. I found this lovely one mentioned in this thread: My first Conversion, Polaroid 110b to 4x5. Do check out the link to the pictures of the conversion. Beautiful. I definitely want a Graflok back on a 110b body. Not only can you use sheet film holders (I have 15), but also a Grafmatic back (I don't have one yet) and a Polaroid back (I have one of these) so you could use some of the fine 4x5 Polaroid. And a Graflex roll film back will attach easily (I already have one of these) although I think putting a roll film back on a Polaroid is perhaps time not well spent given the fine multitude of existing 120 roll film holders.

Anyway, I did purchase and download the files Bill mentioned at the top of this thread. They were only $6.95 so I figured I could afford to loose that much. I did. I don't think it's worth the $6.95. He shows how to JB weld a Graflex roll film back onto the Polaroid. It's pretty crude and his concept of how to use a 4x5 film holder is even cruder. Not real usefull.

Now I think Razzledog has something worthwhile. He has a CD that he describes: 'My bi-polaroid disorder' cd, a wealth of ideas, more than a hundred and fifty images, several conversions, techniques and advice regarding polaroid cameras spanning over 5 years." I plan on getting it when an extra $45 presents itself. I can use a Graflok back 110b. Oh, yes! He also claims to have converted a Polaroid to 6x17. I want one of those too! And he also has done 6x12. Those two formats would be worthwhile for a conversion to roll film.

Damn you Bill. Here I thought I had all the cameras I needed. Little did I suspect!

 

[Goodyear]

Tne tircks Eastcamtech are upt to with a 250 look... tempting.

I have a 103 here I've been planning to hack. I like some of these ideas.

 

[Kevin]

I have been thinking of getting a larger format camera and this looks very hot indeed. That littman is beautiful. What to do?

 

[Kragmeister]

At one time I used Kodak 4x5 Tri-X "film packs". These had 16 4x5 shots, each one on a paper backing and the film base was like roll film. I still have one in my freezer with a 1989 expiration date, don't know why I didn't shoot it. When Kodak discontinued these I got a couple of Graphmatic film holders, each would hold 8 shots of standard 4x5 sheet film. Regular sheet film is easier to deal with in the darkroom because the base is thicker than that of the film packs. Still, it was really convenient to use them.

Oh yeah, RFF content, I used to use this stuff with a 4x5 Speed Graphic with Graflok back and side mounted Kalart RF.

Later,
Greg