Taking the rangefinder off of a Polaroid 900?

[400bpm]

I just got a Polaroid 900 in the mail from a seller on Ebay. The lens

is clean and the shutter functions well, but all the glass in the

rangefinder is foggy and appears to be infected with fungus.

Unfortunately, since I know that a byproduct of fungus metabolism is

formulaic acid which etches glass, it may be a lost cause.

Nonetheless, I was hoping that some of the experienced Land Camera

hackers here would be able to tell me how to go about taking this

rangefinder apart so I can get at the interior surfaces of these

cloudy elements. Thanks in advance!<p>

 

ps. <a

href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Dp2q">This

conversion with Legos</a> is so awesome it's worth another mention.

[franklin_polk]

Well, it should be pretty similar to my Polaroid 800, as they are the same body. All I did was just search around for screws near the top of the camera. There are three screws that hold on the rangefinder housing. Open the front of the camera, but don't extend the bellows. Place the camera with the rangefinder housung on the table, with the tripod mount facing you and the lens facing you. About an inch above the slider mechanism, under the housing, there is one screw. It is almost directly under the rangfinder window with the square(as opposed to the rangefinder window with the trapazoid) Open the back of the camera, i.e completely unfold the back. On the silver colored spool holders, the film supply reel, there is a screw right under the range finder. There is even a cutout for the screwdrive to fit. On the opposite side, the film take up spool side, there is a small hole literally right under where the top of the spool would fit under the rangefinder housing. My screwdriver can't reach it, but with some work, that is the last screw holding on the rangefinder. In order to get the top off, you will need to bend the handstrap attacher straight.

[franklin_polk]

Oops, I forgot to mention, you will also have to remove the screw in the hot shoe.

[400bpm]

I've identified the locations of each of those fasteners. Thanks Franklin!

[david_m]

Since the film for this camera is not available and has not been in a long, long time, why bother?

[400bpm]

David, check out the Lego conversion link in my original post for an idea.

[minhnguyen9113]

You can convert to 120 roll film, more information in Alternative cameras.

Good luck

[razzledog]

Brian, not only does 'My Bi-Polaroid Disorder CD, (currently available on Ebay) tell you how to get the finder into tip top condition, it also tells how to fit it to a 110A, 800, 150 and 120. Gives all the tips on minor adjustments and much more. Under $50 is all, 5 years of research is revealed! Cheers.<div></div>

[400bpm]

Hi Dean, thanks for your response. We've actually corresponded via email before. I really admire your talent and intend to support your work and efforts by purchasing your Disorder product as soon as I have the funds available for disposal (difficult to do when trying to save up for a summer honeymoon to Italy! As an aside, how nice would it be to shoot 4x5s in Tuscany and Rome!?). Cheers!

[murrayatuptowngallery]

More 900 questions:

I just got one, pried the rotten PX-13 battery out, & attempted to operate the shutter on 'manual' with the back open. I couldn't see any light passing at EV10 (1/12 second f/8.8?).

 

Someone else told me "yes it will operate manually with no battery". (not a strictly electromagnetic-only shutter)...I hope.

 

If not, maybe a bad shutter spring? Brian, do let me know if you find your glass unsalvageable as it might make my 900 shutter live again.

 

I note the iris behavior is very different than the 800/150 family which had a disk with round holes. The 900 seems to sequence from a round hole fully open to an ugly jagged shape mid-aperture-range to a squarish hole stopped fully down. I suppose this would contribute to the bokeh being different than the 800. Of course, that's a moot point until it has film in it and exposes it...

 

Oh, the filter mount on the 900 is oddly different (some kind of bayonet?) than the other old rollfilm Polaroids.

 

Speaking of 3x4 vs uh, larger :O), I have something I tore apart, maybe a J66, and by the time I got down to just the metal shell and bellows, the opening in the back is considerably larger than 3x4 and smaller than 5x7, so I guess one could fit, uh, the metric size in between, or convert to Imperial if desired :O) (wink, wink).

 

 

Oh, one more thing. Long ago, a battery company told me what to clean corrosion from various battery types with. A more recent inquiry confirmed those brain cells at the battery company had died.

 

Carbon-zinc leakage : Alkaline solvent (baking soda paste in water).

 

Alkaline cell leakage: 5% acetic acid (white table vinegar)

 

lithium cell leakage (coin cell era: alcohol

 

Anyone want to guess for mercury battery? I suppose since they're all readily available, try them all until it cleans up.

 

I can vouch for vinegar with alkaline cells in numerous forgotten products I found batteries in.

 

Unfortunately the carbon-zinc ones do more damage...ruined a Pentax analog spotmeter movement :O(

 

 

Murray

[razzledog]

Brian, if you`re going to Tuscany for your honeymoon, and wish to shoot some 4x5, it`s only fitting I send you a free copy of 'My Bi-Polaroid Disorder CD as a wedding present! Let me know your details by email, and I`ll ship you one. Cheers, Dean.

[gary_williams5]

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=397256">Dean Jones</a> , Jan 20, 2006; 05:15 a.m.</p>

 

<p>Brian, not only does 'My Bi-Polaroid Disorder CD, (currently available on Ebay) tell you how to get the finder into tip top condition, it also tells how to fit it to a 110A, 800, 150 and 120. Gives all the tips on minor adjustments and much more. Under $50 is all, 5 years of research is revealed! Cheers.</p>

<p>old thread but I have a question:<br>

If one already has a model 900 camera with the working stock 1/600 shutter and AE/manual capability, why hack it up, to put the rangefinder onto an inferior model 800 or 150 ??<br>

The only swap that makes any sense to sacrifice the model 900, would be the 110a or 120- and even in that case, moving the bellows/lens/door assembly from the 110a or 120 to the 900 would give you a better camera, than a 150 or 800.<br>

yes, or no ? please explain. I'm confused by this statement, because the 150 and 800 models have a very slow 1/100 shutter, compared to the 1/600 shutter of the model 900. With the ability to go from electric eye to manual EV settings, the model 900 as issued is not a bad camera to begin with. It was the last in a long line of Polaroid roll film cameras, and had many improvements over previous models.</p>