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

[Fedzilla_Bob]

This is definitely a fun thread to watch. 🙂

 

[2maneekameras]

modified polaroid 250

modified polaroid 250

Here is some information about a modified polaroid 250 I got about 12 years ago. I bought it for the 90mm lens someone had installed.This lens was originally a wide angle lens for a 4X5. I took the lens off to use with my view cameras and replaced it with an old kodak anastigmat mounted in a compur shutter. There are two ways to focus this camera. The lens has a rim focusing front element. I prefer to move the lensboard rather than move lens elements to focus. I installed a temporary groundglass, made and calibrated a focus scale. I have attached a picture noting the modifications on this camera. I also have two shots of this camera next to a polaroid 110A nad a J66 for comparison.

 

[2maneekameras]

I got so excited seeing Gordy's dismantled polaroid that I just had to make one myself. I have had a modified polaroid for over 10 years and never reaaly thought much about its uniqueness. When I wanted polaroids I used my polaroid 545 filmholer with one of my 4X5 viewcameras or a speed graphic. I was in the middle of a project making a new mouthpipe for a sousaphone, when this urge hit hard. I didn't have the patience to drill out all the rivets, so I just taped and wired averything together. Here are the results: a polaroid 250 attaced to a crown graphic 4X5 body with a 260mm ƒ10 process nikkor lens. Two bellows gives lots of bellows draw, two ways to focus as well. Attached are: camera picture, groundglass image and the actual photo seen on the groundglass. Notice the graphmatic and polaroid 545 filmholder in the picture( both can be used with this camera).

 

[Gordon Coale]

I've obviously had too much time on my hands this weekend. Some more progress on the Polaroid project. I dropped in on 2maneekameras yesterday and we got the front element loose on my 127 Ektar 4.7. The slow speed range isn't working. The shutter hangs open. One option is to send the shutter out for a CLA and that needed the lens cells to come out. That was easy but the wooden lens board seems to have swollen from being in a damp storage. I will keep it in a warm dry place and see if it shrinks and I can get the board off.

I thought I would pull off the front cover to see if there is anything obvious to account for the slow speeds not working. I looked and fiddled and then quickly put it all back together. I will be sending it off to Carol Miller. It will be $50 for a CLA and it will come back with a list of actual shutter speeds. I takes 3 to 4 weeks so it will be another month or two before I can mount the lens on the Polaroid.

In the meantime I will be filing away on the Polaroid lens board to provide clearence for the Ektar. The Kodak 127/4.7 Ektars are pretty good lenses and can be had for a reasonable amount. A 4 element Tessar that was popular on press cameras. They can be had, with some patience, for under $50 on eBay. This one was on my 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 Speed Graphic that I've had for a long time. The 4x5 Polaroid will be more useful than the Speed Graphic. Not as pretty, though.

 

[Gordon Coale]

greyhoundman -- Good work!

My lens is still stuck on it's old wooden lens board. I can't get the retaining ring off and I don't want to destroy the lensboard -- yet. I'm hoping that keeping it in a dryer area than it was will help. I posted about this project at APUG and received a post letting me know that the lens on the 250, and related cameras, was a 114mm lens and that the rangefinder might not work with the 127. After a night of despair I received an email from someone who mounted a 127 on a 350 (a plastic version of the 250) and got it to work: Pink Panther Special 4x5 Rangefinder Coupled. My despair has turned to elation. Now to get back to removing metal on the Polaroid lensboard and trying to get the lens of the old lensboard.

 

[2maneekameras]

I stripped one of my colorpack cameras yesterday. I took more parts off than Gordy. I have devised a rising front and a sideshift mount for the front standard, also a filmholder groundglass. I will probably remove the randgefinder and install an accessory shoe and use an auxillary self-contained rf that I have. the first pict shows parts removed and tools used to do so.

 

[DougK]

I love this thread... camera hacking at its finest. 🙂

 

[Gordon Coale]

I thought it was camera abuse.

 

[bmattock]

RF unit mounted on new film back. Made adjustable with slots in mounting plate.

RF arm on camera extended to reach new position of units lever.

Interesting that you decided to move it 'back' and not 'over' to one side. I think your solution is more elegant, since there should be no play in the coupling. How's it working?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[2maneekameras]

I made the rising front hardware tonight. I used the originial fastener(3-48 screws)

 

[2maneekameras]

Here is the rising front in action

 

[2maneekameras]

The next step, fabricate the side shift mechanism. Then modify the lensboard to fit the 135mm ƒ4.5 tessar in a compur shutter. Then back construction and finally make the teak hand grip. The film may be instant the the camera making isn't.

 

[Gordon Coale]

greyhoundman,

Bill's description is right on -- elegant. Simple is always better. Now to see how the rangefinder tracks with the ground glass but you have great adjustability with that slotted top plate. I got to thinking about it and that back design would take a Grafmatic. It just may need a little more spacing for the thicker Grafmatic. Great solution.

 

[2maneekameras]

I have finished carving the teak handgrips. I won't do the final installation until the back is finished. i decided to do the back wooden transition pieces out of teak also.

 

[remrf]

I couldn't stand it any longer. :bang:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7623140782

This is just too cool not to try.

I'm going about it a little differently but will end up at the same point. I'm using the "grafloc" style film back and ground glass from my Omega E model view camera. It uses a Grafloc style sliding mount to attach to the view camera body so I will replicate the sliding mount on the adapter plate to mate to the 250 body.

I haven't decided if I will use the lens from my Crown Graphic or if I will cruise the lf lens section of ebay for a 127mm as others are doing. The lens I have is a 150mm Optar which will need some rangefinder adjustment (and possibly some additional spacing of the film back) if I go that way. If I understand the process correctly this setup while trickey is not impossible to do and I have a pretty complete machine shop at my disposal (a basic one at home and a complete cnc setup at work).

Sigh....

A hacking Gas attack......

Possibly the worst kind. 🙄

 

[bmattock]

Welcome to the dark slide, er side! I am way behind, my work waits for me. But I must sell all my other cameras first. Slow slogging. Anybody want to buy a Petri Racer?

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[2maneekameras]

modification for lens of different focal length

modification for lens of different focal length

This seems like a good time to display a way to modify the focusing linkage for those who want to use a replacement lens of a different focal length than the original one. The camera on the left has the bellows extension linkage in the original configuration. The camera on the right has been modified for use with a lens of a shorter focal length. Both cameras are set to infinity. Modifications to the camera on the right: The lensboard was removed from the struts and material was removed from the top to allow mounting of a better lens and shutter. A pc flash connector was also added to the lensboard at this time and later electrically connected the the flash contacts of the shutter. The new lens had a focal length of 90mm as opposed to 114mm. With the orginal set up, the bellows would not retract enough to focus at infinity with the new lens. The struts were shortened by removing material at the outboard end. The pivot point was also changed on the lens board. I temporarily installed a groundglass at the film plane and the lens was focused at infinity with the struts diconnected from the lensboard. New holes were drilled in the lensboard and modified strut ends, to retain the assembly at this position. The focus scale was then recalibrated for this modified linkage. A viewfinder off a Polaroid J66 was installed and oriented to match the groundglass image.

 

[bmattock]

That is some really intricate and detailed work! I'm in awe, I doubt my attempt will much more than a hatchet-job - I'll be lucky if it doesn't leak light. But I'm inspired by watching it.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[remrf]

Durn!!!!!!!!

One of the machine shop programs running right now where I work is producing "scrap" aluminum plates that are 1/4"x6.25"x7.25". When I saw them it occurred to me that they were about right for the outside dimensions of the adapter plate I would need to make to mount the Omega film back/groundglass assembly to the camera body. And it would be free. They have a 3/4" hole near the center of the plate but that section would be milled away anyway.

But it ain't gonna' work. I just measured the Omega back and although I could make a plate that would just slip inside the back for a light seal there would not be enough material to make the sliding lock mounting system I want to use on the project. I want to leave the Omega back free to use with both cameras so the mount system has to be non permanent.

Durn!!!!!

I don't have the 250 yet so I don't know if the surfaces that are left after cutting away the back are sturdy enough to mount a locking system on them instead. Or if that is even possible.

Come on U.S.P.S.

 

[pixelatedscraps]

Is anyone still working on their Polaroid 4x5 conversions? I've only just recently dipped my curious toes into the LF world and went from looking up a Toyo 45CF (shudder) to playing with a Crown Graphic and then to finding out about a certain Mr. Littman and his circus, to now coming back here and finding there are users making their own Polaroid 4x5 conversions.

Needless to say, I'm looking to buy one. I am a street / portrait shooter with not much need for architectural / landscape tilt/shift/swing movements so one of these would be perfect for me. Any options other than Razzle or Eastcamtechs?