DIY Polaroid 250/180

A few years ago I was given an old Polaroid 250 land camera. Unfortunately, it's electronics were kaput making it inoperative. So, I initially ripped out the shutter mechanism turning the 250 into something of a pin-hole camera. I shot with it like that for a little while until getting bored and shelving it.

Some time later a friend of mine acquired an old Calumet 4x5 view camera kit with several large format lenses. I asked and received one of her "extra" lenses, a Wollensak Raptar 4 1/2" (114mm) f/4.5 that was similar enough to another lens to part with. I used that to resurrect my dead 250.

So, I'd like to say I did a lot of precise measurements, and fashioned and fitted everything properly, but I didn't. I basically just cut out a piece of sturdy matte board in the shape of the camera's front section, then cut out a hole for the lens in roughly the same place as the original lens, and taped it all together. Surprisingly it worked.

But the focus on the new lens didn't line-up with the 250's range finder. I tried trail-and-error first with little success. I then made a zone-focus system by test focusing on objects at varying distances and marking off the distances on the camera. I wasn't going to waste a bunch of peel-apart film for tests. So, I made a make-shift ground glass out of a piece of wax paper, opening the back of the camera, and placing it where the film would sit. Then focusing the same as I would with a view camera.

But my zone-focus system didn't really work well either. So finally, I carefully bent the little metal piece that coupled the 250's focusing mechanism to the range finder in the view finder, little by little until the range finder matched with the lens. Now it works great.

I now have probably the cheapest equivalent of a Polaroid Model 180 available.

 Examples of what my "modified" 250 can do:

More photos and technical info after the jump.

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My DIY Darkroom

My "darkroom" where I develop my black and white film is a bathroom I share with three other people. So, my set-up has to be easily put together and taken apart every time I develop film. The only things that are (semi-)permanent are my DIY film wash hose that's attached the the left-hand sink and the bathroom window blacked out with construction-grade black trash bags and painter's tape. And those both could be taken down and put back up without too much trouble. The room is 99% dark once I black-out the bathroom door (from the inside) with a large black sheet made of the same black trash bags, hung with painter's tape, and secured to the floor with a rolled-up bath mat. My chemical jugs are stored in a cardboard box on the floor to the left of the sinks, the tanks and equipment go into a duffel bag that sits on top of the box, and my stool folds up and fits in the corner. Altogether taking up about 3ftx2ft of out-of-the-way floor space.

At the moment I use mostly Kodak photo chemicals: Kodak Xtol Developer, Kodak Indicator Stop Bath, Kodak Rapid Fixer, Kodak Hypo Clearing Agent, Kodak Photo Flo. Occasionally, I develop using Agfa/Adox Rodinal Developer or Photographer's Formulary PMK Pyro Developer with Photographer's Formulary TF-4 Archival Fixer. My equipment is a mixture of professional stainless steal tanks and reels, and DIY plastic and Tupperware/Rubbermaid containers and pitchers.

I develop film using the lift-rod method. While processing film (dev, stop, fix) I work in total darkness with film in open containers. Each chemical has it's own container. The developing film is transferred from chemical to chemical using a lift-rod. To agitate I use the lift-rod to lift, lower, and rotate the film reels within their containers. To keep track of my film, chemistry, and equipment in total darkness I keep to a strict routine and place all tanks in the exact same order and locations each time. Afterwards, I hang my film under a ceiling fan to dry.

Unfortunately, I do not have enough space for an enlarger or photo paper trays, so printing is out of the question. Instead, I scan my film straight from the darkroom and either print digitally or through a professional photo/print lab. 

More photos and technical info after the jump.

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A less than ideal method..

LQ and Gina's
2008-11-22

Nikon F2
Nikon Ai 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens
Nikon Non-Ai 50mm f/1.4 lens
Ilford XP2 Super 400 35mm film
(expired) Kodak Gold 200 35mm film
Nikon SB-19 flash
Cactus V2s wireless flash triggers

I ran out of time while scanning negatives at school, so during a little bit of down time on internship, I decided to try a little idea..

I typically scan 35mm film photos on a Nikon Coolscan V ED. I wanted to see what I could do with a very basic (and somewhat halfass) light-table/copy-stand setup.

I used a small softbox under a translucent panel to act as a light table, a tripod and boom with a C-stand acted as my copy stand, and scrap matte board was used to cut down on glare/fogging.

The results are sketchy at best, due to several issues: the translucent panel was rather dirty and scratched. I did not set-up or use any kind of negative holder, so the negatives are not held flat against the panel. I set my focus and macro ratio (>1:1), but neither the C-stand nor tripod had any sort of geared rise/fall, so adjusting/repositioning the negatives was difficult. And many of the negatives themselves were poorly exposed making a less-than-ideal control/subject for this little experiment.

I made my "scans" with a Nikon D3 and Nikon AF 60mm f/2.8 macro lens. I edited the images through Adobe Photoshop CS3 and CS2. The black and white negatives cameout with a far lower contrast than desired. The C-41 processed XP2 has a red-ish purple base that becomes a cool cyan blue when inverted. I left the color in most as a style choice. The color negatives were also low contrast. And color was very hard to control. The inverted Kodak Gold 200 had a very blue cast. But the film was expired, color balanced for daylight, but shot under tungsten, and many were very under exposed. Also, I was unable to use dust cleaning, sharpening, grain and color adjustment features that come standard with Nikon Coolscan and other film scanning software.

In the end, I like the results. Because of the dust and scratches, along with the rough edges and distortion.

There was one positive result: Many of the very underexposed negative were virtually unsalvageable using the Nikon Coolscan V ED because of its automatic analog gain adjustment. Those negatives came out far better using my DIY method.

Setup shots:

Gboro Party

I love shooting parties on film, but damn if digital isn't faster...

Canon Rebel XT
F-to-EOS adapter
Nikon Ai 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens
Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 USM IS lens
Canon 430EX Speedlite flash
DIY softbox
Canon off-camera hotshoe cord
Vivitar 285HV flash x 2
Cactus V2s wireless flash triggers
Adobe Lightroom post processing

With and Without DIY IR Filter

Nikon F2
Nikon Non-Ai 50mm f/1.4 lens
Efke IR 820 35mm film

DIY Digital Infrared

Most digital cameras are not sensitive enough to capture into the infrared spectrum.
There are ways of modifying sensors for infrared, but it's difficult and usually risks disabling the entire camera.
But there are ways of simulating IR photography.













I taped a makeshift IR filter (unexposed piece of processed Ektachrome film) inside the lens at the bayonet mount (it can be placed on the end of the lens, but found it easier to tape inside). I used my Vivitar 285HV with a red gel folded over several times to light.

The viewfinder cannot be used with the IR "filter" attached. So, I set my distance on the lens and estimated distance. So, This, with the wide open aperture, led to some pretty sketchy focusing.

ISO-1600
Aperture- wide open (f/3.5)
Flash- full power (M)
Flash-to-subject distance- ~6-8"

Canon Rebel XT
Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens
Canon offshoe cord
Vivitar 285HV flash

Pharmaceutical Macro

Silly Rabbit, Trix Are For Kids



Adderall Noir


2.5:1

Canon 30D
Nikon lens-to-Canon EOS mount adapter
Nikon PB-6 Bellow Extension
Nikon 105mm f/2.8 Macro AI lens
LED modified Maglite
with DIY diffuser
and DIY slit snoot

setup shot:

Needle And Thread

~4:1 ratio

-Canon 30D
-Nikon lens to Canon EOS mount adapter
-Nikon PB-5 bellows
-Nikon BR-2 reversing ring
-Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro AI lens
-(blue) LED modified Maglite
-with DIY photo canister diffuser

Lighting Setup:

DIY Macro Experiments

I didn't check out any macro equipment over the weekend and I don't have any of my own, so I put together a couple cheap, and somewhat sloppy macro set-ups . Here's the results:




Image area roughly 0.5" x 0.25"

Pictured is the self-timer switch on the front of my Nikon F2.

-Canon 350D
-toilet paper tube wrapped in black gaffers tape acting as a 4.5" extension tube
-Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AI lens set to f/22
-light leek/haze at connection between "extension" tube and bayonet mount.




Circle of illumination diameter roughly 5/8"

Pictured is the "do not chew" icon on a medicine label.

-Canon 350D
-Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens set to f/5.6 and 135mm
-offset by 1" spacer and gaffers tape acting as an extension tube
-reversed Nikon 28mm f/3.5 AI lens set to f/22 taped to the end

This ended up a ridiculous mess of gaffers tape.

Jessica

Canon Rebel XT (350D)
Canon 430EX Speedlite flash
+ off-shoe cord
+ amber diffuser
+ (opaque) blue plastic cup - (DIY) acting as a gel and diffuser
+ spindle of CDs - (DIY) acting like a green gel and a grid
+ toilet paper tube - (DIY) acting as snoot