Polaroid Thread

[IGMeanwell]

Ok ... so I am making an official thread for the polaroid lovers, this stemming from all the talk on the coffee and camera thread.

I received my Fuji FP-3000B film today; I took a couple examples and I was hoping this would evolve into some discussion into Polaroid rangefinders

My camera is a Land Camera Model 250 114mm glass lens with the Zeiss Ikon viewfinder

I have the portrait kit, a cloud filter, and a flash gun (though never used it)

I bought the camera off of ebay over a year ago for 10 bucks ... it came with a case and a flash gun ... oh and a strap

The exposure was off when I first played with it, but after a little research I found this site
which showed how to adjust the exposure mechanism and locate a battery

Good ole Radio Shack still has lithium versions of the batteries and it took about 6 days for the transaction, since Radio Shack has to locate these batteries in their warehouse

The exposure took a few shots to get right (about 6 or 6 dollars) ... to be honest I only ever got it right for the ISO 3000 film and I have yet to try to ISO 80 or 100 on its setting ... but the shots I get with this camera was worth the trouble.

When you take it out in public to take some snap shots or portraits people always ask questions and love the look of the old bellow camera (old is relative since my camera is circa 1966)

My father thinks back to his teenaged years when he sees it, my nieces love their portraits especially if they get to hold their photo (2 and 3 years old)

As much as I love my other cameras, especially my Yashica ... this Polaroid just remains its own camera for better or for worse

Share your polaroid stories or your work... or ask questions regarding the Land Cameras or Polaroids in general

My photos:
I am posting three photos from tonight with Fuji FP-3000B B&W pack film

#1: I know a sin on this site... oh well... A bevy of my SLRs .. a Minolta X-370 (passed down by my late grandfather, his 'new techy camera' in the early 80s) with 28mm f2.8 MD lens attached, Rokkor MC PF 135mm F2.8, (and its normal lens) 50mm Rokkor MC PF f1.7

A Miranda MS-1 used by my brother for year book photos about 12 years ago

And my Nikon D50 sporting a Nikkor 50mm (effective 74mm) f1.8 ... my everyday workhorse ... don't worry my yashica is used just as frequently

#2
My wall of polaroids and other prints
My year was as chaotic as this wall.... so here is a polaroid of all the polaroids

#3
My Nike Free Trail shoes ... amazing shoes that is waiting for the snow to melt for more abuse (the fall was hard on these shoes)

Enjoy everyone and long live polaroids!!!!!!!

[IGMeanwell]

I probably shouldn't have posted this at 3 am ... oh well


bump

[cp_ste.croix]

I just got a polaroid back for my Crown Graphic...I can't wait to fiddle arround with it! Do you do any of that developing onto water colour paper? I believe it is done by peeling the film early and rolling it onto water colour paper. It's supposed to be quite painterly.

Nice shots BTW!

[lubitel]

I like polaroids too

I have a SX-70 (there are some shots on my website) and about 14 shots left of time-zero film.

A few months ago I got this awesome Polaroid book (something like "photographs from polaroid collection"). It is a very inspiring book and its packaged like a pack of film too. I really wanted to get a polaroid Rangefinder after looking through all those beautiful polaroid photographs. But there are so many different models, I couldnt make up my mind and they are not that cheap, either. And the film... thats quite expensive too. But may be you have some tips about which camera is best and which film.

A while ago I saw about 30 packages of expired fuji instant mini film being sold at 50 cents each. I thought "man I cant let that go!" So I bought just about all of them, and then got the camera to go with it from ebay for 10 bucks. fun thing for parties and such.

[robert blu]

Great ! I have some Polaroid Land 340 pics, but I have no flat scan ! I'll ask some friends to scan for me to post some.

[David Goldfarb]

Originally Posted by cp_ste-croix

I just got a polaroid back for my Crown Graphic...I can't wait to fiddle arround with it! Do you do any of that developing onto water colour paper? I believe it is done by peeling the film early and rolling it onto water colour paper. It's supposed to be quite painterly.

Nice shots BTW!

I've just started experimenting with Polaroid transfers. Here's my first good one, made with a 6x6 Polaroid back on my Bronica S2A, type 669, Arches Cold Press watercolor paper--



There are some basic instructions on the Polaroid site, and then there is a comprehensive book on transfers by Holly F. Dupré at

http://www.pacificsites.com/~hdupre/trans.html

[Poptart]

Does anyone know whether Time Zero will be bought by some other company and continued in production? (I'm trying to decide if I should stock up.) BTW, I have a pristine SX-70 on my eBay--click my profile home page link to view.

[jonasv]

polaroid 636 I found somewhere & a magnifying glass..sorry, no large format backs, or advanced manipulations, or.. just some pictures from a newbie!

[IGMeanwell]

I have never tried the water color printing... its sounds pretty good.

I know many people love the SX-70 ... but I have never used one, only one of the newer 20 dollar pack film polaroid cameras

The one good thing I about the newer pack film ... it got rid of the god awful smelling exposure chemical ... believe it or not Fuji's smells different from Polaroids, but they both smell bad

[lubitel]

you have to try the sx-70! you can get one for 20 bucks. and instead of time zero film, you can put a pack of 600film (you just have to cut off those plastic thingies on the bottom and underexpose)

[lubitel]

could you post that link from Polaroid website? couldnt find it.

[marknyc]

I love Polaroid. Years ago I went through a phase of only shooting polaroid with one of their Spectra cameras -- great saturated colors. Nowadays I use Polaroid 55 -- a 4x5 film that produces an instant print and negative (albeit never a perfect print and neg at the same time as the exposure parameters are a stop or so off each other). It's great -- the instant gratification of digital but a fantastic LF negative with which to play.

-- Mark

[Poptart]

Is the 600 film or the 779 as good as T/0? The Polaroid info page is good stuff. I knew that pair of Pentax binocular polarizers I bought years ago would come in handy one day. Now I just have to make an adaptor to fit them on the lenses. PS: Check out my "Dreamsicle" SX-70 below. Real leather too.

[slerman]

I've been experimenting with scanning the "negative" from Fuji FP-3000B B+W print film. Just blown with hairdryer, scanned, and reversed in Photoshop. What do you think?
[Shot with Polaroid 600SE, Mamiya 127mm 4.7 lens.]

[fbf]

Will it dry real quickly? How long do you have before the image from the "negatives" fade away? I am just curious how you can save the "negatives" during field shooting.

[charjohncarter]

Your camera is nicer than mine, but I shoot a lot of FujiFP100/3000b and really like it. I have a portrait attachment (#581) and there is nothing like it.

[robert blu]

Bought a few days ago a Fuji FP-3000, not yet used, planning to do in next days. I like the scans from negative, I'll try it !
robert

[Pickett Wilson]

marknyc, where the heck are you finding Type 55? I think the last box I saw for sale was going for $300!

[vdonovan]

You're striking a lot of familiar notes. I've been working with instant for about a year with a variety of cameras, including refurbished old Polaroids.
I love that reverse scan trick for FP3000b:


One of my cameras is a flea market Polaroid mounted a good lens and shutter, giving me full control over shutter speed and aperture, (but not having to pay $100s for a Polaroid 180). It was the only camera I took with me to Spain this summer and, as you can imagine, it attracted a lot of attention. I got some great shots too


My newest experiment is with a pinhole camera with a Polaroid back. Again, Fuji 3000b inverted:

[slerman]

Originally Posted by fbf

Will it dry real quickly? How long do you have before the image from the "negatives" fade away? I am just curious how you can save the "negatives" during field shooting.

Depends on the weather. Indoors, I'm using a hairdryer for 2 minute dry times. Once dry, the "neg" seems stable. (We're talking Fuji 3000b)

[lostinblue]

Hi all,
first of all I would like to thank this wonderful section for Polaroids lovers, there are spots in internet where one can find info, but not many are really useful!

I ve got a second hand Polaroid 1000 Camera Land recently, and I bought the film that Impossible Project has produced for the sx70 series (the camera land uses the same film), but when I tried to shoot some pics the photo does not come out of the camera, it gets stuck inside and when I open to pull it out, there is no picture info, just a dark brown surface.
Does anyone knows why that happens / how I can solve it?

I ve read in the basic manual of the camera that it might happen because of the battery, but I am unsure whether it is about the filmpacks battery or a camera battery (sorry, i m lost on that, I dont even know whether the camera has some sort of battery or however is the film which has its own one)

I am plastic artist and was counting already in some Polaroid pieces, so I would very much appreciate your help!

thanks a lot in advance

[antonandreas]

I took one of my favorite images of my father with the Automatic 100.


Untitled-Scanned-02 by antonandreas, on Flickr

I was a little concerned over M vs. X sync, but found that it works great with electronic flash.

[zzpza]

Fuji FP100B in a Pinholaroid

Mind's Eye 01 by zzpza, on Flickr

Fuji FP100C in a Pinholaroid

Bognor Regis 006 by zzpza, on Flickr

Fuji FP100C Silk in a Polaroid 350 Land Camera

Polaroid 350 00002 by zzpza, on Flickr

Fuji FP100C in a Polaroid 350 Land Camera at Night

Polaroid 350 00028 BIBF by zzpza, on Flickr

Fuji FP3000B in a Polaroid 350 Land Camera at Night

Polaroid 350 00043 by zzpza, on Flickr

Originally Posted by photomoof

I love Polaroids. The first thing I did with a photo grant I got in the '70s was to go out and buy an SX70. I continued to use it until I just could not find any film.

The Impossible Project sells film that will work in an SX70. It's not as good as the old Polaroid stuff used to be as a lot of the manufacturing equipment and knowledge of the process was destroyed / lost. However, with each new batch improvement is made. I do not own an SX70, but have used their PZ Silver Shade film in my Polaroid Spectra.

Originally Posted by slerman

I've been experimenting with scanning the "negative" from Fuji FP-3000B B+W print film. Just blown with hairdryer, scanned, and reversed in Photoshop. What do you think?

That's very impressive! I must give that a go. I have been saving some of my negatives as I wanted to try to reclaim them using the bleach method, but never got around to it. This however sounds much simpler and less messy.

[Todd.Hanz]

Originally Posted by patrickjames

I love shooting Fujiroids but there is very little you can do with them unfortunately. I miss 665. Here is a bleached FP-100c neg. I would do more of these because they are fun to do, but they are also too unpredictable.

By 'Bleached' you mean the negative side was cleaned with household bleach...Right?

I have done just that with Fuji 100C with some cool results...



and one left partially uncleaned for effect...


Todd

[ped]

Here are my fave shots I have taken so far. I love polaroid. It's great fun.

I have a 450 with flash, cable release, could filter and close up kit. Also waiting for a square hooded 'rainbow' supercolour 1000 which should be here any day now.







Was just posting about these the other day so I think many of you will have seen them before!!

Looking forward to trying the 1000; I have the B+W gold and black frame film packs to try. I'm also going to go and get a fridge at the weekend for all the film I'm stockpiling...

The flash on my 450 stopped working the other day (not a big deal when using 3000B) and I located the problem; it's the ribbon circuit board in the shutter housing which has perished a bit. I may fix it or just get another 450, they are pretty cheap. I didn't use the flash much anyway so it's no biggie. I will use flashbars on the 1000.

ped