Polaroid Big Shot: new project for 2011

[davidbivins]

I don't know which other forum is appropriate for this (Polaroid pack film isn't 35mm or 120), so forgive me if I've missed the Polaroid rangefinder forum somewhere.
I've started a photo-a-day project for 2011 using the Polaroid Big Shot and expired 669 film (of which I have a ton). The Big Shot was an odd sort of rangefinder: it has a fixed focus lens, so you have to move back and forth to align the rangefinder patch.
http://davidshootsfilm.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/new-year-new-project-arlo-every-day-in-polaroid/

[charjohncarter]

I like the idea. I will follow your project. I have a 1000 shots left of my stash of 667. I haven't figured out a project yet. Keep us or me posted.

[davidbivins]

I thought I was crazy and I have half of the stash you have. I also have a ton of 664 and 690. I think I got screwed on some of the 690 and it's grid film, so I'll have to come up with something creative for that.
So I guess we were both on the phone with Polaroid minutes after they announced they were giving up?

[robert blu]

Good project ! Bookmarked !
robert

[charjohncarter]

I thought I was crazy and I have half of the stash you have. I also have a ton of 664 and 690. I think I got screwed on some of the 690 and it's grid film, so I'll have to come up with something creative for that.
So I guess we were both on the phone with Polaroid minutes after they announced they were giving up?

But at least you have a project in mind.

[B-9]

Damn, Wish I had a fraction of your guys's instant film :p
Its hard payin 10$ for a pack of FP-100, or gamble on expired 667

Kool project :]

[davidbivins]

B-9, if it makes you feel better, a 10-pack of instant film has been at least $1 a shot for a very, very long time. I think Fujifilm's prices are pretty reasonable. I scan prices pretty frequently. Sometimes you'll find a smaller seller selling it a little cheaper than the next one.

[Jamie123]

Damn, Wish I had a fraction of your guys's instant film :p
Its hard payin 10$ for a pack of FP-100, or gamble on expired 667

Kool project :]

Boohooo...$10 for a pack of FP-100...cry me a river. :)

It costs' $40/pack where I live!

[davidbivins]

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5045/5324919257_d9d62e195c_z.jpg
I'm happy to say that four days into it, the project is still alive. Only 361 more days to go!
http://davidshootsfilm.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/arlo-day-4/

[Nokton48]

My first camera was a "Polaroid Big Shot". I was ten years old, and used it constantly. As I remember it required "Sylvania High-Power Cubes" as opposed to the regular ones. Had a lot of fun with that thing. Color copy negatives from the prints were contact printed in my bedroom closet.

It's appropriate here, because it has a fixed-focus rangefinder.

[davidbivins]

I have a large stack of portraits I took with this camera at an anniversary party for a (now defunct) local bar. I took two photos of everyone I could and let them keep the one they wanted; it basically guaranteed I got everyone's shot that night. I felt a little bad blinding everyone temporarily with those Magicubes, but it was worth it.

My Big Shot uses Magicubes--I know the 450 folder uses Hi-Power flashcubes.

Here's another series of shots I took at that bar with this camera:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/51871154_88bc5dd806_z.jpg
Frank enjoying the mac and cheese

[charjohncarter]

Not with a Big Shot. But with a Polaroid portrait attachment lens:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4784592493_5e71b7c7d9.jpg

[davidbivins]

Not with a Big Shot. But with a Polaroid portrait attachment lens:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4784592493_5e71b7c7d9.jpg

Do you recall which camera and lens and film? That's great color.

[Sam N]

I had a Big Shot that came with some other stuff and I ended up giving it away. It's a very interesting camera, but I wasn't prepared to deal with pack film and flash bulbs. It's great to see that people are using it.

Word is Andy Warhol used a Big Shot for some of his Polaroid work.

[davidbivins]

Sam,
Yes, it was a favorite of Andy Warhol's. It has a unique signature if you're willing to scour eBay for bulbs. Film is still readily available from Fujifilm.

[charjohncarter]

Do you recall which camera and lens and film? That's great color.

Yes, Polaroid Automatic 100, Fuji FP100c, and a Polaroid 581 portrait attachment.

[farlymac]

Dave,

Nice to see your project. Hope Arlo doesn't get bored with it. I miss all the old Polaroids I used to own and shoot. I didn't use the Big Shot much, but it sure looked neat on top of the file cabinet. My favorite was the 110B, because it was so versatile, and had a great lens that you could do extreme DOF work with. I quit using the roll film models when after a couple of shots, the rest of the roll would come out of the camera when pulling a shot out.

PF

[rjbuzzclick]

I have one of these also. I found a Kalimar electronic flash at a thrift store that was supposed to be a replacement for flashcubes on a 110 camera and after a bit of kludging to get it to sit behind the diffuser on the Big Shot, it works great. The flash has a flashcube socket on it rather than a hotshoe connection.

[europanorama]

Sam,
Yes, it was a favorite of Andy Warhol's. It has a unique signature if you're willing to scour eBay for bulbs. Film is still readily available from Fujifilm.

It doesnt use flashbulbs but magicube-x. those without batteries. there is a thread here with discussion how to use electronic flash.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114721&highlight=bigshot
i will show images if it if the upload-problem is solved.

[Ezzie]

I'm waiting for my 250 with portrait kit. Look forward to using it for indoor portrait fun with FP3000B. The film is not cheap, but hey - there's no such thing as a free lunch. It seems there's a bit of a revival for Polaroid pack film cameras these days.

P.S: I have fun listening to the guys over on FilmPhotographyProject and their podcast.

[Nokton48]

Mine took batteries and high-powered cubes (magicubes wouldn't fit). You could buy two in a package from Sylvania, so the number of bulbs matched the number of exposures in the filmpack. It was -very- expensive to run, back in those days.

My first darkroom experience (pre-high school) was contact printing color negatives, that I received from Polaroid on a mail order basis, onto Kodak Velox B&W contact print paper. I had a Yankee developing kit from Sears, and Kodak Tri-Chem packs of chemistry, which led to the local camera store, to buy replacements. That started things.