I want to try a vintage Polaroid camera

[silverscape]

<p>I've read here for a while that there are some early Polaroid Land cameras that use film that Fuji still makes. I<strong> REALLY</strong> want to try one! I'm curious now. </p>

<p>Since Polaroid 600 film is getting really expensive and hard to find now, I want to try a different kind of instant film. Besides, I've heard that peel-apart or pack films were much better quality anyway.</p>

<p>But I don't know anything at all about those kind of cameras. I literally have never seen peel-apart or pack films in my life. The only kind of instant film I'm familiar with is integral instant film like Polaroid 600 (and somewhat less so, Polaroid Spectra). So I'm definitely going to need help. This would be a totally new experience for me. What kind of camera would you guys recommend? I'm looking for something that uses an easy to find film, where I don't have to modify the camera...or modify it as little as possible. I also need something cheap, but reliable. (It doesn't have to be the best quality...just very reliable and easy to use). If it has manual exposure control, that would defiitely be a big plus too though. I kind of prefer manual exposure.</p>

<p>I guess what I'm saying is that I need something like the Argus C3 equivalent of Polaroid Land cameras ;)</p>

<p>Something very sturdy and reliable, but cheap and uses film that's not too hard to find.<br>

<br>

</p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Hi Chris. The funny thing is that the original Polaroid film is STILL available although it's only what's on the shelf, when it runs out, that's it. This is unfortunate because some of the Polaroid films are simply amazing. Type 669 for instance is capable of doing exposure based white-balance. At speeds over 1/30th it shifts towards orange to cancel out the predominant blue color of outdoors, and at speeds under 1/30th it shifts towards blue to cancel out the predominant orange color of indoor lighting. Simply amazing. That means the ability to have "automatic white balance" on a 1960's era camera! </p>

<p>As far as cameras go, there's three basic things you need to know.</p>

<p>1. Avoid plastic. Polaroid cameras came in a basic spectrum. Early on, all of the cameras had glass lenses and metal bodies. Later, they switched to plastic lenses and plastic bodies for the cheap models, and retained the glass and metal combo for the "premium" models. It's a strange business model where they constantly degraded the quality of the basic model and offered an upgrade of the original basic model as an ever-more-expensive premium. Don't worry about viewfinders. The most common nice viewfinder uses a separate rangefinder window and viewfinder. Not a big deal. Don't believe the hype, you don't need the Ziess-made viewfinder unless you plan on shooting this "from the hip" like a Leica, which I doubt anyone does anymore because of the cost of the film. These are tripod cameras and ZI viewfinders don't make them any less tripod cameras. Go ahead, I dare you to carry around one of these bad boys with the front open and lens extended, aiming it at everything you see as if it was a point and shoot. You will have cramps in your arms the next day.</p>

<p>2. F'n batteries. 90% of the Polaroid pack-film cameras are battery-dependent, and 100% of the affordable, non-POS Polaroid pack-film cameras are battery dependent. On one end of the spectrum you have very nice high-end models that have mechanical leaf shutters that every LF hacker on the planet is trying to buy, and on the other end you have the plastic-craptastic models with a 1/60th only plastic shutter that no-one in their right mind wants to buy. Polaroid cameras came in 3V versions for the basic models and 4.5V versions for the models with flash. That means any of them can be converted to use either two or three AAA batteries... I would use rechargeables. The factory replacement batteries will cost you an order of magnitude more than AAA's and a new battery box.</p>

<p>3. Alas... films. Not every Polaroid pack-film camera will shoot every speed of film. And to make matters worse, Polaroid changed the speeds of their films over the years. Polaroid also offered many cameras which would ONLY shoot certain speeds of films as a way of generating more variety of models (and headaches) The original 100 cameras came with ratings for 75, 150, 300 and 3000 speed films, which doesn't quite match up with the last batches of Polaroid film which were rated at 80, 100, 400 and 3000. Fuji currently offers 100 and 3000 speed films so be sure to get a camera that will meter and shoot these speeds, and SOME of the old Polaroid 672, 400 speed B&W may still be available (it's stunning film). </p>

<p>Read this entire website:<br>

http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/landhome.htm<br>

;)</p>

[silverscape]

<p>hey Patrick. Yikes...that website is a lot of information to go through though! I just feel confused now! :(</p>

<p>I mean, isn't there a particular model camera that you've used and you could recommend?</p>

<p>And about the film...I think the kind I'm interested in is the "peel apart" kind. Isn't that what it's called? Where there is a negative that you peel off the print after a few minutes? I thought that was the kind of film that Fuji still made. But I really have no idea how it works. Like I said, I've never actually seen it before.</p>

<p>I would probably want to shoot a low ISO film. Wouldn't 3000 ISO just be horribly grainy...even in an instant film? </p>

[silverscape]

<p>Ok, what about the Polaroid 100. Would it be compatible with Fuji films?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/pics/campics/100.jpg">http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/pics/campics/100.jpg</a></p>

<p>I'm finding a bunch of them for really cheap on eBay.</p>

 

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>Chris, is this what your looking for? Last year I received a big box of misc free cameras. Inside were three of these. I haven't tested this one but it looks clean and seems to work OK. A long time ago I used a similar one to make image transfers onto watercolor paper....fun! There are better models out there but if this one fits youir needs you are welcome to it. Just shoot me an email with your address.</p><div></div>

[marc_rochkind]

Interesting question. But these cameras and practically new!

 

I just bought on eBay a 1948 Polaroid 95 that came with an unopened box of film. Unfortunately, the film expired in 1963. I think Polaroid stopped making this film about 16 years ago.

 

Good thing I didn't buy the camera to use...

 

--Marc

[john carter]

<p>Hi Chris, I have the Polaroid Automatic 100, I did the battery conversion (which you will want to do, besides it will be easy for you, aren't you the one that does high voltage electricity?). Also, the Fuji color is great stuff except it has .00000000000000000000001% latitude. So learning what to shoot and what not to shoot is important (you can email me). I also found that my particular model the meter (well not the meter but the adjust ring for lighten and darken) had to be moved almost all the way to max lighten. I made a one stop filter for over the meter. This really helped. Right now I'm working on a Electronic Flash adapter (mostly for fill flash). I paid $20.00 for mine on Ebay (to replace my Color Pack II), and I am very happy with it.</p>

[robert_landrigan]

<p>Just a few notes on the Fuji film - the Color 100 is great stuff, but as another poster pointed out, it's got a very narrow range of exposure latitude. I'm a really huge fan of the 3000 speed, and if you can find a camera that has a setting for 3000, it's great stuff - develops QUICK, good latitude, and has a great look to it. <br>

I shoot the smaller pack film on a Linhoff Tech 70, and am thinking about getting some of the 4x5 to shoot, but it's so pricey it's hard to justify.</p>

[silverscape]

<p>Louis, I sent you an email! :)</p>

<p>hey John, how does the exposure control work on the Automatic 100? From what I was reading it has an ISO adjustment (I guess it's fully automatic or maybe aperture priority) up to 3000. What does the "lighten" and "darken" do? I've seen that on more modern Polaroid 600 cameras too, but I never used that and I didn't understand what it did.</p>

<p>Here's what I found about the Automatic 100, from that website Patrick told me about.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/landdcam-pack.htm#100">http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/landdcam-pack.htm#100</a></p>

<p>And yeah, I experiment with high voltage. If you've never seen a flaming arc from 15,000 volts then you're missing out! Here's a set on Flickr, just to give you a little bit of an idea about what I like to do ;)</p>

<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/silverscape/sets/72157619067380230/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/silverscape/sets/72157619067380230/</a></p>

<p>Robert, I <em>think </em>the Automatic 100 can work with the 3000 film (well, apparently it has an ISO adjustment that goes up that high anyway).</p>

<p>From what I understand, Polaroid Land cameras can use either Polaroid 669 film, or they can work with Fuji pack films. I want to try both, and probably 100 and 3000 speed in the Fuji films. Is there any particular size that I need to get to work with the Automatic 100? And do you know of any links where I could order it? I thought I saw it on Freestyle one time, but I wasn't sure if it was the right kind of film. </p>

[jack_welsh]

<p>If you take a picture and the image is either too light or dark. Then you use the "lighten" and "darken" controls to change the next photo.</p>

[Rob_the_waste]

<p>Hey Chris, here's another take on it. There was/is a poster here whose name is Minh Nguyen. He is a master of converting cameras that were designed for obsolete film to using mainly 120 films. He also converted old Polaroid 800's to use 4x5 sheet films. He posted basic directions on how to make the film holder mount. I got started, but I kept getting distracted. I'm almost finished the job. I didn't do it his way as I don't have the tooling for proper sheet metal bending. I did receive four Graflex sheet film holders today for this project. Now I can dismantle one for ground glass purposes, and have four users. :-D</p>

[Rob_the_waste]

<p>The ultimate Polaroid conversion is with a Polaroid 110A or B with a Prontor shutter and a Rodenstock Ysarex 127mm lens.</p>

[patrick_mont]

<p>Hi Chris- Any of the Polaroid models that take type 100 film will work (that is 90% of them on ebay). I have quite a few ranging from more expensive to cheap models and I like them all equally and they all preform very very well. They put up with ware and tear extremly well. I reccomend using a model like the 250, because it has an actual rangfinder (the rangfinder is made by Zeiss). Don't be scared away from the ones that have plastic lenses because the glass and plastic act in the same way. There is so much info to know about Polaroid it is nuts..It's so much fun though. You seem like you now have the model 100. Have fun. The Fuji films to go out and buy Fuji FP-100C (C for Color. It is ISO 100), FP-100B (B for Black and White, ISO 100), and FP-3000B, (B for Black and White, ISO 3000). I reccomend trying all of them. The FP-3000B is nice for shots indoors when you don't have flash. MAKE SURE that you buy the 3.25X4.25 films NOT 4X5. Let me know is you have any other questions..I'm sure you will :)---Patrick</p>

[patrick_mont]

<p>PS: The 3000 is not very grainy at all. The lighten and darken control adjusts the exposure making the picture lighter(overexposed) or darker (underexposed)</p>

[patrick_mont]

<p>PS2: You can still buy 600 film and other fun Polaroid films from www.Polapremium.com</p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Yes you want Peel Apart Pack Film. Just don't accidentally order the 4x5 stuff! The 3000 speed B&W film is amazing stuff... it's easily the same quality as the 100 speed stuff. I do recommend buying some of the last Polaroid stock before it's all gone. Once it's gone, it's gone. I make the mistake of buying some over the winter and forgetting about it and by the time I got around to shooting it this month it was expired badly. </p>

[bwbob]

<p> Chris, You might want to consider the Polaroid 180. It was their pro model ,totally manual, with Zeiss rangefinder viewfinder and an excellent lens. Now that film is less readily available, it might be possible to pick one up at a reasonable price. Good luck</p>

[gt1]

<p>I love the 3000, particularly in 4x5. FP-3000B45, pitch black with a cell phone and my small bicycle headlight illuminating my friend:<br>

<a href=" title="Goody two, Goody two, Goody Goody two shoes by G.E.T., on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2482/3562597544_8029bd4ab0.jpg" width="400" height="500" alt="Goody two, Goody two, Goody Goody two shoes" /></a></p>

[john carter]

<p>Chris, the Automatic 100 has a dial to adjust the 'shade' of your pictures. Turn the dial and your pictures get lighter or darker. The one stop filter gel that I put on my camera ( I'll send you a piece if you get an Auto 100) makes most images do well when the dial is on the neutral position. No. 2, this camera is really shutter priority. It does have two apertures, but really the shutter takes care of the exposure. The two apertures are Bright sun and inside or dull days (or something like that). It works so don't worry, for $20.00 you can't go wrong, and then I you want to go for one of the Pack Film big boys you can.</p>

[silverscape]

<p>Ok, thanks a lot, guys! I have a camera in mind now...the Automatic 100. Either I'll buy one on eBay or maybe Louis can hook me up ;)</p>

<p>And now I know what kind of film I need to get. When I'm ready, I'll get some pictures and post them here!</p>

<p>I might also try the 180 or 250 model later on. Right now, I'm just looking for something cheap to get started.</p>

<p> </p>

[patrick_mont]

<p>Have fun!</p>

[a._t._burke]

<p>Mr. Tobar... </p>

<p>If you want to try something different, try one of the older rollfilm Polaroids. You can "unfold" the film path and put large-format film in where the roll's negative would have sat. Do it in a darkbox/darkbag/darkroom! Get it developed and you'll have a 3"+x4"+ negative or positive and can do color and/or B&W. Stick to high F:Stops in case the rangefinder or distance scale is a little off. </p>

<p>If you should get one of the upper line 110, 110a, 110b or 120 (the rollfilm one, not the later pakfilm numbered 120 camera) models you will have a good enough lens to make a 36"x48" print. Even if you get one of the first issues like the 95 (made 1948-1953) they had decent three element glass lenses with which you can make a 20"x24" print that will blow away all but the very best 35mm results. </p>

<p>See here: <a href="http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/landdcam-roll.htm">http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/landdcam-roll.htm</a></p>

<p>for a list of old rollfilm cameras now dirt cheap on auction sites. </p>

<p>Tom Burke</p>

[jack_welsh]

<p>About the 110. Did buy one with a 127 Wollensak lens. It was a very good low price.</p>

[silverscape]

<p>That's an interesting idea about the roll camera, and I'll have to give it a try sometime!</p>

<p>But first things first. I'm still new to these old Polaroid cameras!</p>

[rick_allen5]

<p>If anybody is interested, I have a model 210 Automatic that I've already done the battery conversion on. it takes all the 600 series film plus the 3000 B&W also the Fuji. It is in the original kit with case. I'll let it go for $35 including shipping any where in the continental USA. </p>