Mamiya RB67 ProS Polaroid Back

kwall · Jun 11, 2012

Hi all,

I have the camera and Polaroid back mentioned. Should both the rollers on the back's business end move freely? On mine, one does, one doesn't. After pretty thorough cleaning I got a lot of crap out of the rollers, but the bottom roller (closest to the camera body) seems stiff. Consequently, when I load pack film and pull the dark slide from the pack to expose the first frame, the paper rips off. That seems wrong.:

Any cleaning or repair suggestions, or should I just find another back?

Thanks!

Kurt

Ric Trexell · Jun 13, 2012

Stuck Polaroid roller.

Although I have a back for the Pro S, I have never used it yet. However, I have had several Polaroid cameras over the years and I have never seen a Polaroid where both rollers did not move. I think Polaroid always suggested cleaning the rollers with just plain water. All the rollers I have seen were made of stainless steel, so if yours is stuck due to developing gunk, I would just soak it in water for a few minutes and see if that helps to free it up. Other than that, it is stuck for a differenct reason that is causing it to bind . Hard to say. Ric.

mhcfires · Jun 16, 2012

The rollers do pop out, take them out and clean them with lighter fluid. I used it on my rollers and got them to both move smoothly. It will take a bit of work, but you should really clean them after each roll. ( I know, I don't either, but I really do try and keep them clean. )

revdocjim · Jun 16, 2012

Just out of curiosity, why do you still use a polaroid back? (Not meant to be snooty or sarcastic. I'm genuinely curious.)

homeiss · Jun 16, 2012

revdocjim said:
Just out of curiosity, why do you still use a polaroid back? (Not meant to be snooty or sarcastic. I'm genuinely curious.)

I shoot Fuji FP film in my RB67, Mamiya Universal, and Polaroid 250 all the time, it's fun. It can also be helpful for checking exposure while using multiple flashes.

kwall · Jun 18, 2012

revdocjim said:
Just out of curiosity, why do you still use a polaroid back? (Not meant to be snooty or sarcastic. I'm genuinely curious.)

No offense taken. I like to get a sense of what I'm about to shoot before I commit to film.

kwall · Jun 18, 2012

Ric Trexell said:
Although I have a back for the Pro S, I have never used it yet. However, I have had several Polaroid cameras over the years and I have never seen a Polaroid where both rollers did not move [...] Ric.

Thanks. That was my suspicion.

kwall · Jun 18, 2012

mhcfires said:
The rollers do pop out, take them out and clean them with lighter fluid. I used it on my rollers and got them to both move smoothly. It will take a bit of work, but you should really clean them after each roll. ( I know, I don't either, but I really do try and keep them clean. )

Excellent. I was able to clean them somewhat in denatured alcohol. I'll just pop them out and do a more thorough job. Thanks!

K

revdocjim · Jun 18, 2012

kwall said:
No offense taken. I like to get a sense of what I'm about to shoot before I commit to film.

Oh, I see. So pretty much the traditional application. I guess I was just assuming that most folks use some sort of simple digital camera for that function these days. I've found my little Sony NEX5 to be pretty good for that. The only problem is that minimum ISO is 200 but I just attach ND filters to adjust or do the math in my head. It also is about as comprehensive of a light meter as you can get with the matrix metering, instant playback and live histogram. But anyway, I don't want to highjack this thread with another topic. Thanks for the straight forward answer.

Mamiya RB67 ProS Polaroid Back

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