Converting Polaroid J66 to 120 film, is it worth it?

[McFortner]

I have a Polaroid J66 camera that I got from someone on Flickr. It appears to work fine and even has the Type 48 film adapter for ISO 75 color film. Is it worthwhile to convert this camera to use 120 film? The mechanical work seems simple enough and with the exception of the new winding knob the camera externally would not be changed. So is it worth it, or is it just a waste of time and go ahead and make this camera a shelf queen?

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

McFortner ;

Before going in to work , Trying the camera and see how the lens functions , is a suggestable idea.
If you like the results , go for it. If you do not like or if there is a fault at the lens or light sensor , you survive.
Converted Polaroids are very expensive. I think early Polaroids with Rodenstock lenses are excellent and you buy it for few hundreds and sell to few folds more. Its some technicians way of making job.
I looked to the pictures of the camera and it is extremelly sexy. I could not read the name of the lens or shutter but this camera is excellent and worth to every expense.
May be you can use cut 120 film or paper in the camera. You buy a darkroom textile pouch and change the film or paper at the site. It is slow but still faster than glass negative method .
By this way , You dont ruin the museum quality machine and if someone produce a quality film for it , you can use it straight.

Umut

 

[Francis in VT]

The meter is for 3000 ASA/ISO film. There is no way to set a different film speed. The filter drops it to 75. What film will you use in it and how will you set it? The J66 lens was not as good as any of the 110 series cameras with the Rodenstock lens. It is a 114mm f/19 or f/14.5 meniscus (single-element) plastic. I would put this on the shelf and look for a Polaroid Pathfinder at least the first 110 with a 127mm, f/4.5, 4-element Wollensak Raptar Wollensak Rapax Shutter, 1 - 1/400, plus Bulb and Time.

More info on all Polaroids here.
Dead Link Removed


Francis in VT

 

[Mike Wilde]

I have one, and have converted it to actually 70mm, since I have a 100' spool of portra 160nc to use up.

I processed the first roll last night. Turns out I need to mask off the '3' (wiggle to other side to release old roll knob), from the inside, as it seems to leak light into the film chamber under some circumstances.

I made mine with the film supply on the left with the back open, pulling to a dowel fitted to the middle of an old 35mm spool to suit the wider film.

A more complete write up is on an earlier post of mine sometiem around August or later in 2010.

Some were shot with AG-1 flash bulbs, and others without. The lens is adjustable, and the area around the meter needle can be enlarged to see it other than at centre scale.

Then I found a web link that cross references the auto shutter speeds relative to where the meter needle points across the full scale.

I have a table pasted to the back telling me how to set the aperture to match the auto shutter under most EV's that correspond to outdoor daylight. I don't see how Polariod could really bill the thing as for 3000asa when I am able to work quite well with 160asa colour neg film. It has latitude, but not that much.

The next mod is to ND the phot cell for lower light situations.

 

[Francis in VT]

I don't see how Polariod could really bill the thing as for 3000asa when I am able to work quite well with 160asa colour neg film. It has latitude, but not that much.

Mike

I sold them all from the 95 to the SX-70. If you click on the landlist and go to the roll film cameras and click on the 40 series films it states the film was 3000ASA. I have no explanation why your 160ASA film is working. I just feel that a camera with a better lens and a fully adjustable shutter and focusing would be more worthwhile to expend so much effort to convert.

Francis in VT