Polaroid Thread

Godfrey, you should indeed! There is magic waiting to be released from that camera 😀 And the conversion is dead simple. The hardest part (that I've seen) is finding a place for the batteries in the old battery compartment depending on the model.
 
I wouldn't bother with The Reporter, it's not much different from the Colorpack. Save your nickles and dimes and get a Polaroid Automatic 100 or a 250, 350 or 450. These can do everything the colorpack does, have better image quality, have an aperture setting, and you can get close-up attachments.

Incidentally, you don't need to convert the batteries on the folding land cameras (like your 350, Godfrey). The correct 4v and 3.5v batteries are available from batterymart.com. If the battery terminals are corroded, just clean them with baking soda and water.
 
Thanks for the info vdonovan! Is there any one of those in particular that is the best choice? I don't mind spending a few on a proper good camera. Honestly, this Colorpack IV is excellent for a cheap low end camera. (And was free, ftw.) I just like the idea of having choices and a proper aperture setting would be nice. I want to add a folding Polaroid to my collection of shooting cameras as well, so that's also there in my head begging me to buy something new. 😀
 
At my shop, we prefer the metal body folding Polaroids. The 100 and 240 are essentially the same camera, both rangefinder pack film Polaroids with a metal body, tripod mount, glass lens, and a choice of two aperture settings. The rangefinder and viewfinder are viewed through separate ports.

The 250/350/450 series are the same as the 100s EXCEPT that finder was made by Zeiss and the rangefinder and viewfinder are combined into one nicely bright viewing port.

I would avoid other models. They either have plastic bodies, or lack the aperture selector, or rangefinder, or all three.
 
All of the metal body cameras have glass lenses and a few plastic body cameras like the 340 also have glass. My preference is for the 250 as it has the Zeiss rangefinder but does not have the timer on the back that sometimes needs to be removed for the Fuji film packs.
Pete
 
Nothing wrong with making mention of your store. This forum is all about community and networking. 😀

I will have a look. I have a feeling your offerings are going to be outside of my range for what I am willing to spend, but I'll look just the same. Thanks. 😀

I've been eyeballing a few different models on eBay to see what they go for. You suggestions help me whittle that down a bit.

Changing subject slightly, how are you guys storing your fresh (and expired) film? Do you just keep it in the fridge? Or out and handy? I am just now starting to acquire more film to a point that I'm going to need to store it safely. Until now, I've just purchased a pack here and a pack there and shot it within a week to a month of purchase.

Now, I have some Impossible film as well as some new Fuji films that I'd like to keep in working order. I have no idea how long it will take me to go through it. I tend to get on a roll and go through a pack or two quickly within a short time during a photo session sometimes. And other times I may not tough the instant for months. I never know.

I think as winter approaches I'm going to do more studio type stuff and will do more Polaroid shots. I like that, if nothing else, I can grab a few quickies to get my brain working, then shoot on 35mm or 120 from there.


Shoot Setup by alienmeatsack, on Flickr
 
vdonovan said:
I wouldn't bother with The Reporter, it's not much different from the Colorpack. Save your nickles and dimes and get a Polaroid Automatic 100 or a 250, 350 or 450. These can do everything the colorpack does, have better image quality, have an aperture setting, and you can get close-up attachments.

Incidentally, you don't need to convert the batteries on the folding land cameras (like your 350, Godfrey). The correct 4v and 3.5v batteries are available from batterymart.com. If the battery terminals are corroded, just clean them with baking soda and water.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reference! Just ordered a pair of batteries ... 🙂

G
 
This thread has me wishing I had my Land Camera with me today. I want to go out and shoot some more! We are expecting rain for the next few days so I need to get my outdoors shots in while the sun is out.

I also really want to do some more experimenting with doubles and longer exposures. One thing I need to work out is a better method for holding my close up lenses (Holga and some old Vivitar diopters) to the lens safely and securely so I can hand-hold the camera and point it at things.

I've also been considering adding a poor mans tripod socket to mine. I saw a guy elsewhere who had JB Welded a tripod screw sized nut to a large washer, then JB Welded that to the left side of the body of his Land Camera. Since it doesn't sit level anyway, I don't see why you couldn't just attach it to the bottom of the camera so landscape mode shots do not require the camera to be wobbly sticking out of the side of a tripod. I have a few thick large rubber bands that I use to hold my box cameras onto the flat base of my tripod. I was thinking they might do the trick for this one instead. Less "permanent" solution that gets the job done.

Having the tripod mounted camera will allow me to do longer exposures without my annoying camera twist issue, even during regular day shots, the delay on color can be just enough that the camera moves. Like the 'studio' shot above, it had lots of light and still I managed to move the camera as the shutter was open.

I've got a Polaroid PIC-300 and a One Step 600 but this peel apart film is easily my fave thus far. The resulting photos feel more like a photo print done at a lab. Not a huge fan of the chemicals and such left over, but the results are worth it.
 
Yeah loving the double exposures. I'll try that tomorrow I think! So I guess you meter for each shot and divide it by two?
 
Have to remember what I already posted.
This one is from my Converted Pathfinder with a Wollensak 127 lens:
img017-L.jpg


This is from the 'Brownieroid' conversion:
Polaroid%20Scan%20127-L.jpg
 
Ped - It's more a matter of balancing darks and lights. I shoot a notch or two under because the camera tends to overexpose on bright days, but beyond that, just shoot normally.

Remember with doubles, whatever is dark in the first shot is going to be where your second shot shows through. And whatever is light or white is going to not show the second exposure through.



Look for harsh shadows, darkened spots paired with bright spots, back lit objects be they people or trees or buildings, etc. Contrast makes all the difference with doubles and having that means trying to find at least one shot of the two (or three or more) in the photo that has some good defining areas that have distinct shadow and light areas.

Since doing these is very easy and you get quick results with the peel apart cameras, you can try some things to see what works and then adjust from there.

This shot for example:

Me and Doorway by alienmeatsack, on Flickr

I shot a close up of my face so the sun was hitting my cheek on the one side but not too strongly, then I shot the dark doorway with the brighter glass panes for the counter shot. Because my face was not strongly lit, the doorway itself dominated the shot (the intention) so you could almost see me standing there in the reflection taking the shot itself. My other shots, I went for much brighter light and stronger shadows on my face so the face was more dominant and the second shot became textural to some degree.
 
Nice photos and interesting infos here. I must take away the dust from my (father's) 340 and work a little bit. Unfortunately the Fuji FP3000B film is very difficult to find in Italy, last time I had to by them from B&H (!) but I like how they work. And I widh there could be a similar film in the 100/400 iso range !
robert
polaroid-42.jpg

My wife with the 340 ! Shot with a 600
 
Batteries for the Polaroid Land 350 arrived yesterday.
Shutter and exposure meter seem in perfect working order.

Loaded my test pack of Fuji FP-3000b. Pack jams. Bit of tweaking around, lost a frame or two, and was able to make four test exposures. RF works fine, seems to be in fine calibration. Exposure control seems to be in good working order too.

Looks like I have to remove the spring from the camera back, and maybe the electronic timer. First doesn't bother me at all, but it would be nice to keep the second for cosmetic reasons.

How sensitive to developing time are the Fuji FP-3000b and FP-100c pack films? Can you see real differences in the image if you let them 'cook' too long?

G
 
Godfrey, from what I understand, the color pack terminates at 120 seconds regardless, and the b/w at 30 seconds.

I didn't realized the B/W development time was so much shorter at first so I did a few shots at 120 seconds and they looked no different then the ones I did at 30. The info says 15-30 but I just go to 30 and have not had a bad shot yet that wasn't due to my own exposure issues, not the developer.

So basically what ZF1 said but longer 😀
 
ZF1 said:
The fuji pack films are self terminating. Ive left them hours and never had overdeveloped results.*
Click to expand...

I would suggest adding an asterix on that statement

*It depends on the temp/humidity. I took some and left them for hours with no problems. I took others and tossed them in the car for a couple hours -- when I peeled them the negs pulled up some of the surface.

Just to be safe, I try not to wait longer than 30 minutes or so before pulling them. And I definitely don't leave them to cook in hot cars anymore!
 
My only real concerns are for the colder temps coming. Has anyone here used peel apart or standard Polaroid cameras and the film in winter temps and if so do you have any suggestions?
 
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