Help with Polaroid 350 Land Camera

[OliverB]

recently bought a 350 Land camera from a thrift store, as far as i can tell it’s in ok condition. I cleaned the rollers but that’s about all I was comfortable doing. I know the original type 100 film isn’t made anymore and I don’t feel comfortable buying the FujiFilm FP 100c as I am very inexperienced in photography in general. I’m doing my best to figure out what i’m doing, if anyone has any good resources to help me learn some of the terminology and general concepts regarding this type of photography, I would be very thankful.

I saw a reply from @ic-racer on this forum post and was wondering if that technique works for the camera.

I apologize if I seem stupid (I am) so I really appreciate your patience. Thank you

 

[BrianShaw]

Welcome to Photrio.

Your certainly not stupid but might be in for quite an adventure. Even in their original days, the automatic Land cameras could be a challenge to dial in for good exposure. I wouldn't call them fickle, yet they were fickle. TBH... they are mostly a bookshelf novelty item now. If you are interested in instant photogprahy it would probably be best to use the modern cameras and film.

instax™ | FUJIFILM

Global branding site of FUJIFILM's instant camera instax™ series. This site will introduce the various appealing features of instax™.

instax.com

 

[OrientPoint]

Yes, that technique would work in any pack film camera in principle, but it's pretty fiddly to get right, and unless you modify the camera the exposure will be wrong. The 350 expects ISO 80/100 or 3000 film. Instax is ISO 800.

Using Instax in a pack film camera is much more "practical" (still kind of a hassle) in a 180/190/195 model that has manual exposure controls.

 

[OliverB]

Welcome to Photrio.

Your certainly not stupid but might be in for quite an adventure. Even in their original days, the automatic Land cameras could be a challenge to dial in for good exposure. I wouldn't call them fickle, yet they were fickle. TBH... they are mostly a bookshelf novelty item now. If you are interested in instant photogprahy it would probably be best to use the modern cameras and film.

instax™ | FUJIFILM

Global branding site of FUJIFILM's instant camera instax™ series. This site will introduce the various appealing features of instax™.

instax.com

thank you so much, i’ll see what i find out!!!

 

[OliverB]

Yes, that technique would work in any pack film camera in principle, but it's pretty fiddly to get right, and unless you modify the camera the exposure will be wrong. The 350 expects ISO 80/100 or 3000 film. Instax is ISO 800.

Using Instax in a pack film camera is much more "practical" (still kind of a hassle) in a 180/190/195 model that has manual exposure controls.

Ok so this might be really stupid but theoretically could set the exposure to 100 and expose the photo 8 times before pulling it through the rollers?

 

[Donald Qualls]

Uhhh, no. You'd want to expose the film 1/8 of a time. ISO 800 needs 1/8 the light of ISO 100, not 8 times as much. You could in theory set the ISO to 3000 and expose four times, but unless you have a cable release adapter, you'll likely get multiple outlines due to camera movement from operating and recocking the shutter.

 

[xya]

ISO 3000 and a ND filter before the photo cell could help...

 

[OliverB]

Uhhh, no. You'd want to expose the film 1/8 of a time. ISO 800 needs 1/8 the light of ISO 100, not 8 times as much. You could in theory set the ISO to 3000 and expose four times, but unless you have a cable release adapter, you'll likely get multiple outlines due to camera movement from operating and recocking the shutter.

Thanks, i think i might try the 4x exposure idea, the worst i have to lose is some film and my time. it will be an interesting experiment either way.

 

[ic-racer]

There were "Single Shot" loads available for these cameras, but they were expensive and are no longer availabe from what I can tell. I tried to make the same with Instax film as you saw in the thread. It was very tedious, probably would need IR goggles to line up the film for each single-shot load.
I gave up on the idea and currently use Instax in my Horseman, rather than my Polaroid 250. I have to take the exposed film out of the holders and put it in an Instax camera to process them, but that is very easy to do in the dark.

 

[Donald Qualls]

My own pack film cameras (as I recall, a 100 and an auto-only exposure model converted for auto-exposure pinhole on 3000 speed) are all retired. Unobtainable batteries (only semi-satisfactorily replaced with packs of AAA or AA) and now unobtainable/exorbitant film makes it not worth the effort to deal with them -- and reduces their resale value below what would justify posting them on eBay. I have a working, unrefurbished SX-70 Alpha 1 and a couple 600 film point-and-shoot integral Polaroids, an Instax Mini 9, and a LomoGraflok back that I mainly use on my Anniversary Speed Graphic (converted to Graflok) -- and that's about all the instant film I need.

I do also have a Kodak instant camera that I bought intending to use an adapter to shoot Instax Square in it, but the camera itself has a shutter issue (and another has failed plastic gears in the print roller drive) and I haven't had money to spare trying to find another one that works...

 

[blee1996]

There might not be economic ways to use your Polaroid 350 any more these days

- Pack film (expired) are very expensive with unknown quality.
- option8 on eBay and his website can modify it into Instax machines with shuttered lens, but it costs $500+
- Lo-Fi graflock adapters exist for other Polaroid cameras (110a, 110b, 600se) to use Instax or 4x5 film, but not your model

 

[hsandler]

I feel qualified to give an opinion here, as I had experience with a Land Automatic 100 pack film camera with FP100c and FP3000b until they were discontinued (RIP) and I have gained experience with Instax since then.
Pack film was good stuff, but it's just way too expensive to buy up aging remaining stock now. I wouldn't bother to start fiddling with it now. It's a dead end.
I certainly wouldn't bother with modifying a pack film camera to take Instax. There are much more versatile options.
Instax is different, but is better in some ways. It is very contrasty and sensitive to precise exposure, but on the other hand, has good colour, doesn't fade, and is much less sensitive to development temperature, and of course, no wet caustic mess to discard.
If you would like to play with instant, I suggest getting a used Fuji Instax camera to start. Yes, they are plastic toys with limited features, but they will give you experience, are fun at social gatherings, and you will see if you really like the instant experience, all at low cost. If you get a Fuji Instax Wide 300, you will get the largest prints with the best output/cost ratio (you can often buy up wide film at the same price per sheet as mini, as many people accidentally buy it who needed mini and then resell it). Then if all goes well, you can get a better camera modified to have an Instax wide back, or use a Lomograflok on any 4x5 graflok-equipped camera, such as a Crown Graphic. I wrote an article, aimed at Graflex users, but really fairly universal, here:

https://journal.graflex.org/journal-2022-3.pdf

 

[OrientPoint]

Some years back (2015?) Lomography made a crappy-plastic hand-crank Instax-wide back for their Belair line of cameras. It was possible to modify these for application onto medium and large format cameras. I bought a couple and attached one to a Polaroid 110b, and the other to a Graflex XL. It wasn't too difficult to get focus correct, and the as both cameras have excellent lenses the results are wonderful. I don't know if there are any of these Belair backs still out there, but if you can find one and are inclined to do some cutting and fitting of plastic you can end up with a really excellent Instax-base camera.

Another (expensive & heavy) option is an Instax Square back for the Mamiya RB67. There are a few options around for those, including https://zins.tax/

I know these aren't simple options, but if you want to get the most out of Instax film these sorts of "frankencameras" will repay the effort with great images.

 

[blee1996]

I agree with @hsandler that plain vanilla Instax cameras might be the first step to test the water before throwing more money down the road.

On the other hand, there is a cottage industry of building adapters and hacks for Lomograflok Instax back. Basically you can easily get Polaroid 110A/B converted (rangefinder focusing), as well as several 3D printed solutions for Mamiya Press or Polaroid 600SE lenses (scale focusing).

 

[xya]

I agree with @hsandler that plain vanilla Instax cameras might be the first step to test the water before throwing more money down the road.

On the other hand, there is a cottage industry of building adapters and hacks for Lomograflok Instax back. Basically you can easily get Polaroid 110A/B converted (rangefinder focusing), as well as several 3D printed solutions for Mamiya Press or Polaroid 600SE lenses (scale focusing).

Yes, the summary of @hsandler says it very well. The only thing to keep in mind is that Fuji Instant Film is very uneven in ISO depending on the light. It's 800 in an average situation. 400 in low light and 1600 on a bright beach.

I gave up pack film when it was discontinued and explored Fuji Instax since then. Have a look at my website, there are many possibilities https://www.instantphoto.eu/ the "other Intant" page shows quite some...