eleskin
Well-known
Hi everyone,
This is my first thread on Rangefinder Forum, and I am proud and excited to participate. For some time , I have considered using 4x5 again, but being a Leica street shooter, what was available in this format was not good for portability or speed of use. My Graflex is rather bulky, and all of the Polaroid 110b's out there are getting too expensive due to demand and people that like to convert them, rip people off for $2000, and then complain about patents!!!! (there is a RECESSION!!, people should shut up and let others be inventive and save $$$$).
At any rate, My dad had an old Polaroid 350 he gave me years ago, and I became recently excited about the Zeiss rangefinder on this camera. I have to tell all of you that it comes very close to Leica quality, and is better than my Fuji GSW 690 in terms of brightness and how well the framelines are defined (like a Leica M3!!!).
Hacking the camera is VERY easy. The back comes off with a slight pry from my screwdriver. The front where the lens is comes off easy with 3 screws. The only hard part is drilling out the lens hole, but if you have a grinding bit from Dremel, it goes by quickly.
I held up an old Graflock back to what I have so far, and the total weight if this is similar to my Leica M8 (I love FILM AND DIGITAL). I have a Rodenstock Ysarex 127mm on it now, and it focuses just fine when you space the back correctly.
Now here is the really sweet part, and the idea came to me just this afternoon, so pay attention! If you mount a wide angle lens, lets say a 90mm Wollensack, all you have to do is bring out the bellows out a little bit, and use a small c-clamp to hold the front of the camera in place. You then focus on the ground glass by loostening or tightening the c-clamp!!!! Because the bellows is spring loaded, it moves back and forth automatically!!! WOW!! COOL AINT IT!!
I have to thank Greyhoundman for his wonderful picks of his project that inspired me greatly on my project.
Hope this helps everyone!!
This is my first thread on Rangefinder Forum, and I am proud and excited to participate. For some time , I have considered using 4x5 again, but being a Leica street shooter, what was available in this format was not good for portability or speed of use. My Graflex is rather bulky, and all of the Polaroid 110b's out there are getting too expensive due to demand and people that like to convert them, rip people off for $2000, and then complain about patents!!!! (there is a RECESSION!!, people should shut up and let others be inventive and save $$$$).
At any rate, My dad had an old Polaroid 350 he gave me years ago, and I became recently excited about the Zeiss rangefinder on this camera. I have to tell all of you that it comes very close to Leica quality, and is better than my Fuji GSW 690 in terms of brightness and how well the framelines are defined (like a Leica M3!!!).
Hacking the camera is VERY easy. The back comes off with a slight pry from my screwdriver. The front where the lens is comes off easy with 3 screws. The only hard part is drilling out the lens hole, but if you have a grinding bit from Dremel, it goes by quickly.
I held up an old Graflock back to what I have so far, and the total weight if this is similar to my Leica M8 (I love FILM AND DIGITAL). I have a Rodenstock Ysarex 127mm on it now, and it focuses just fine when you space the back correctly.
Now here is the really sweet part, and the idea came to me just this afternoon, so pay attention! If you mount a wide angle lens, lets say a 90mm Wollensack, all you have to do is bring out the bellows out a little bit, and use a small c-clamp to hold the front of the camera in place. You then focus on the ground glass by loostening or tightening the c-clamp!!!! Because the bellows is spring loaded, it moves back and forth automatically!!! WOW!! COOL AINT IT!!
I have to thank Greyhoundman for his wonderful picks of his project that inspired me greatly on my project.
Hope this helps everyone!!
Eric T
Well-known
eleskin,
Can you show us some photos of your handywork? With Polaroid stopping film production, I want to find something to do with my Polaroid 220.
Eric
Can you show us some photos of your handywork? With Polaroid stopping film production, I want to find something to do with my Polaroid 220.
Eric
eric
[was]: emaquiling
G'man is the bomb.
Yah, show some pics of both the camera and what you took with it. I have a 'roid 250 but I"m not sure if it is capable of hacking. I might as well get some Fuji instant film with it.
Yah, show some pics of both the camera and what you took with it. I have a 'roid 250 but I"m not sure if it is capable of hacking. I might as well get some Fuji instant film with it.
T
Todd.Hanz
Guest
...or get a 110A, wreck the back and install a packfilm holder, works well!
Fuji packfilm rules too!
Todd
Fuji packfilm rules too!
Todd
eleskin
Well-known
I Should Have Some Pics Of My Camera Soon. Film Shots Will Come Later.
I Have A Grip Attached And Am Milling Down An Old Graflock Back To Fit This Beast. My Aim Is Precision And Creating A Camera That Is Beautiful To Behold! So Much So That You Cannot Tell It Is A Hack!!!
I Have A Grip Attached And Am Milling Down An Old Graflock Back To Fit This Beast. My Aim Is Precision And Creating A Camera That Is Beautiful To Behold! So Much So That You Cannot Tell It Is A Hack!!!
eleskin
Well-known
Eric T
It Is Wonderful You Are Thinking About Using Your Polaroid Too. I Hope What I Post Soon Will Help You As Well As Other Members Of This Forum. I Love Sharing Information. I Hord Nothing!!! My Wife Says I Am Obsessed With Playing With This Thing. That Is A Condition I Admit To And Am Proud Of Indeed. All Of This Started With Rediscovering My Roots In Silver Processing. I Shoot Digital (my M8) And Film (fuji Gsw690/rolleiflex/mamiya Press/pentax 645n/graflex/leica M6). Digital Is Conveinient, But The Issue Of Dynamic Range And Output Are Crucial, And The Silver Process Still Has My Hart (i Am Interested In Digital Enlarger Heads For Film And Digital Cameras).
I Am A Hand Held Street Shooter That Always Loved What 4x5 Could Offer, But Hated The Weight Of The Equipment, And Needed Something That Acted Like A Leica Through The Viewfinder. This Seems The Solution For Me, And I Had To Make A Camera Because Of Cost Savings And An Unwillingness By The Camera Makers To Produce What Is Needed.
It Is Wonderful You Are Thinking About Using Your Polaroid Too. I Hope What I Post Soon Will Help You As Well As Other Members Of This Forum. I Love Sharing Information. I Hord Nothing!!! My Wife Says I Am Obsessed With Playing With This Thing. That Is A Condition I Admit To And Am Proud Of Indeed. All Of This Started With Rediscovering My Roots In Silver Processing. I Shoot Digital (my M8) And Film (fuji Gsw690/rolleiflex/mamiya Press/pentax 645n/graflex/leica M6). Digital Is Conveinient, But The Issue Of Dynamic Range And Output Are Crucial, And The Silver Process Still Has My Hart (i Am Interested In Digital Enlarger Heads For Film And Digital Cameras).
I Am A Hand Held Street Shooter That Always Loved What 4x5 Could Offer, But Hated The Weight Of The Equipment, And Needed Something That Acted Like A Leica Through The Viewfinder. This Seems The Solution For Me, And I Had To Make A Camera Because Of Cost Savings And An Unwillingness By The Camera Makers To Produce What Is Needed.
mrwestphal
Member
This is great to see the renewed interest in the whole poloroid set of cameras especially with the recent bad news in there film decisions.
I myself am in the middle of a 110a/110b conversion to 4X5 and converting one of my 250's to a fully manual user, just waiting on a new lens for it and I still use another 250 in current condition.
I got bit by the Poloroid bug last year and have been slowely hording them for differant conversion projects.
As others have mentioned I am also eager to see your creation Eleskin!
I myself am in the middle of a 110a/110b conversion to 4X5 and converting one of my 250's to a fully manual user, just waiting on a new lens for it and I still use another 250 in current condition.
I got bit by the Poloroid bug last year and have been slowely hording them for differant conversion projects.
As others have mentioned I am also eager to see your creation Eleskin!
eric
[was]: emaquiling
mrwestphal said:
I have a 250 as well I was just using it this weekend. How do you convert it to manual? Do you mean no battery? What lens will fit it?
I just realized that I can put an ordinary sync cord into it and fire a flash!
drhfuhruhurr
Newbie
This guy has some information on converting a 250 to a manual camera using a 127mm lens/shutter.
I'm seriously thinking about converting, and whether I have the skills to convert, one of my 250s to 5x4" after seening Greyhoundman's, Diwan's and this fella's so i'm watching this thread with interest. Can't wait to see what eleskin comes up with!
Tom.
I'm seriously thinking about converting, and whether I have the skills to convert, one of my 250s to 5x4" after seening Greyhoundman's, Diwan's and this fella's so i'm watching this thread with interest. Can't wait to see what eleskin comes up with!
Tom.
eleskin
Well-known
Photo of my Polaroid 4x5
Photo of my Polaroid 4x5
Photo of my Polaroid 4x5
T
Todd.Hanz
Guest
the link is missing something, please try again brah.
Todd
Todd
JoeV
Thin Air, Bright Sun
eleskin
Well-known
eleskin
Well-known
Wow!! I Posted My First Photo Here!!! Yeh!!!!!
cosmonot
uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝʞ
eleskin said:
Very nice! I have a 110a that I picked up off of eBay for ~$20 a while ago. I'm debating between grafting on a 4x5 back (and worrying about obscuring the VF/RF windows) and just converting it to 6x12cm on 120 rollfilm. At the moment I'm leaning towards 6x12, just because it is easier to handle rolls right now.
eleskin
Well-known
eleskin
Well-known
View from the back of the camera.
View from the back of the camera.
Here you can see that the grip is screwed into place (grip from old stroboframe I never used). These screws will also hold a peice of hardwood in place to attach the Graflock back. So far, I have used little if any glue. I am trying to assemble it as much as I can without gluing for strength. I have not taken photos of it yet, but the rangefinder is painted flat black to reduce glare when looking through the eyepeice. I had to grind open my eyepeice hole to give better eye releif. When I mount the rangefinder, I intend to mount it just above the original position. I am going to engineer a screw adjustment to fine tune the rangefinder for focus.
View from the back of the camera.
Here you can see that the grip is screwed into place (grip from old stroboframe I never used). These screws will also hold a peice of hardwood in place to attach the Graflock back. So far, I have used little if any glue. I am trying to assemble it as much as I can without gluing for strength. I have not taken photos of it yet, but the rangefinder is painted flat black to reduce glare when looking through the eyepeice. I had to grind open my eyepeice hole to give better eye releif. When I mount the rangefinder, I intend to mount it just above the original position. I am going to engineer a screw adjustment to fine tune the rangefinder for focus.
Attachments
eleskin
Well-known
Lens Hood
Lens Hood
The lens hood is made from a focusing ring from a broken Holga 120. I used electrical tape to fasten it to the Rodenstock lens which has no thread to screw on a hood.
Lens Hood
The lens hood is made from a focusing ring from a broken Holga 120. I used electrical tape to fasten it to the Rodenstock lens which has no thread to screw on a hood.
mrwestphal
Member
Damn you eleskin!!!
why did you have to post those pics!!!:bang:
now you are giving me MORE BAD THOUGHTS!!!
AARRGG!!!:angel:
Eric, to answer you question see drhfuhruhurr's first link and that is exactly what I am doing.
why did you have to post those pics!!!:bang:
now you are giving me MORE BAD THOUGHTS!!!
AARRGG!!!:angel:
Eric, to answer you question see drhfuhruhurr's first link and that is exactly what I am doing.
eleskin
Well-known
Cosmonot:
By using the 250, you can move the viewfinder to any position you want. With the 110a, you cannot. The thing that is great about this viewfinder is that it is made by Zeiss. I shoot with Leica M,s, the Mamiya Press, and the Fuji GSW 690, and I can tell you this is one of the best viewfinders I have seen on any camera, especially medium format! I got into using the 350 because the 110b's are getting way too expensive (thanks L--man, you photography terrorist -Legal and Financial) on ebay. One thing- this camera is one of the lightest I have held. For the street shooter, that is key. The 110a's and 110b's are much heavier, and that is without a back attached!!!
I would think about using a Poloroid 250 or 350 (the 250 has a wider eye hole for the viewfinder, the 350, you will have to grind it open a bit to get the same effect.
By using the 250, you can move the viewfinder to any position you want. With the 110a, you cannot. The thing that is great about this viewfinder is that it is made by Zeiss. I shoot with Leica M,s, the Mamiya Press, and the Fuji GSW 690, and I can tell you this is one of the best viewfinders I have seen on any camera, especially medium format! I got into using the 350 because the 110b's are getting way too expensive (thanks L--man, you photography terrorist -Legal and Financial) on ebay. One thing- this camera is one of the lightest I have held. For the street shooter, that is key. The 110a's and 110b's are much heavier, and that is without a back attached!!!
I would think about using a Poloroid 250 or 350 (the 250 has a wider eye hole for the viewfinder, the 350, you will have to grind it open a bit to get the same effect.