A Classic Polaroid Rides Again

A couple months ago, Murray Leshner was kind enough to send me,

gratis, a Polaroid Model 350 and the corresponding Close-Up Kit.

 

Yesterday, I finally got a battery holder and got the corroded

original wires reconnected to a pair of nice new AAA Duracells, and

installed a pack of Type 667 I've had sitting here for a month waiting

for this day.

 

I'm actually impressed -- I've shot a couple packs of Type 669 through

a 210 I have, finally determining that (on that cheaper model) the

focus is badly out and there's no apparent way to adjust it. That

camera established a relatively low expectation for me with these old

Polaroids, despite images I've seen uploaded from 250 and 350 models

that were pretty good.

 

Now, I'm a believer. After a couple prints to find the correct

Lighten/Darken setting (as with many/most old Polaroids, this one

underexposes a bit, something I might have to correct sometime) and a

couple more to realize that the electronic timer (working) had somehow

gotten reset to 15 seconds with 30-second film loaded, I got a couple

good, clean images, and I've still got four frames left. :)

 

I'm also impressed with the Close-Up Kit -- this comprises a diopter

for the lens, correcting unit for the rangefinder/viewfinder to match

both focus and parallax, and a diffuser for the matching bulb flash.

I already had a flash, so I'm set up. The most recent image was shot

with the close-up, focused with the RF, composed with the viewfinder's

automatic parallax correction frame, and hand held, lit with the flash

(without diffuser) in ceiling bounce mode, exposure managed by the 36

year old automatic circuit. Now I understand why these cameras sold

for as much as a cheap used car, and people would spend $10 on a pack

of film (then 8 exposures) when first class stamps were six cents.

 

There's a lot of good photographic technology here for 1969...

 

Anyone know where I could rob a 7-11 to pay for film? ;)<div></div>

Nice cat. Recently a bud cleaned out his attic as he is getting ready to move away, and in the process, he called me over. He gave me a Polaroid J66 which is about the size of a toaster-oven. Now I know I'll never get film for this baby. It has a plastic lens, and it is more a conversation piece than anything else.

YAAAAAyyyyyyyy Donald. Now I need to get finished with the Polaroid 100 pinhole. Alot of things will be finished soon. I got the past money my company owed me and my job back. And for once in my life I am not the one walking on egg shells at work. LOL

Larry<div></div>

Donald, Very nice example!

 

I am still not sure what I should do with my 350. I am unwilling to spend money on Polaroid film and do not contemplate stealing to fund it either.

Rob, there are a number of pages around on how to hack that type Polaroid to use pack film, though perhaps less applicable to the J66 than to the glass-lens big brothers. The Type 47 was the same speed as modern Type 667, and Type 48 was similar to modern Type 669 or 690, so you could (in theory) still use the original automatic exposure system that was the historic feature of the J66. However, it'd almost certainly be easier and cheaper to simply watch eBay and the local junk stores for a repairable 100, 250, 350, or 450 and have a camera that was originally made for film you can still get.

 

Vivek, the film isn't actually that expensive, at least here, I'm just that broke. I've found Type 667 at $18 for 20 exposures (two packs in a single box), with free shipping for orders over $50 (within the US -- I don't recall where you are), which isn't far from the film-only price for 6x9 cm on Kodak or Ilford 120. The pos/neg Type 665 is about $15 for 10, which puts it below the price of Kodak or Fuji Quick/Readyloads, not even counting processing time and costs. If you want a large format negative (well, 3x4), auto exposure, RF focusing, and a hand holdable package that folds compactly, the only cheaper way to do it is to buy a plate camera that comes with holders and film sheaths, use Foma film, and process it yourself (I'm doing that too). The Polaroid is easier to focus, offers more film choices (in this country) than 9x12 cm, and is a lot less likely to have a leaky bellows, though the lens probably isn't quite as good as the better plate cameras.

Donald --

 

I like to haunt the closest full-service camera store to see if they have any close-dated or expired packfilm. Sometimes I get lucky and find Polaroid or Fuji for pretty cheap. Keeps my 360 Electronic Flash model going!

Bad news is, Donnie, the only "local full service camera store" I'm aware of here in north-central North Carolina has cut their film inventory so far they typically only have 3-4 boxes each of 667, 669, and 690, no 665, plus some 55, 57, and 59; they try not to carry enough that it expires (sensibly, given that all their pro processing customers went digital over about a year -- I don't know how they keep the rent paid, much less a staff of two or three beyond the owner). And what they have is closer to $28 than $18 for the two-pack box of 667...

 

There's always Ritz, of course, but I don't recall seeing non-integral Polaroid there at all last time I was in.