Polaroid 110 converted for 4x5

[Fintan]

*sighs*
I missed out on an auction at the weekend on a converted 110a without the rangefinder etc. I'm quite disapointed not to "win" it.

I must admit I dont know a lot about these cameras, I know about the Littman conversions which I'm not interested.

I'm wondering if these basic convertions appear on ebay often? Is there anyone or anywhere that I can buy one? All I want to do is put a polaroid back on it for Type 55. I dont care about coupled rangefinders etc and I'm not very useful modifying myself.

Can anyone enlighten me, I could do with cheering up.

 

[medform-norm]

*sighs*
I missed out on an auction at the weekend on a converted 110a without the rangefinder etc. I'm quite disapointed not to "win" it.

I must admit I dont know a lot about these cameras, I know about the Littman conversions which I'm not interested.

I'm wondering if these basic convertions appear on ebay often? Is there anyone or anywhere that I can buy one? All I want to do is put a polaroid back on it for Type 55. I dont care about coupled rangefinders etc and I'm not very useful modifying myself.

Can anyone enlighten me, I could do with cheering up.

I don't know anything about the company, but have you checked this: Dead Link Removed

or try http://www.fourdesigns.com

don't know if they do Type 55 Polaroid conversions

(I will not name other companies in order to avoid another nasty thread developing...)

HTH, Norm

 

[John Koehrer]

Both the Four Designs and Wolf conversions are for the 3X4 films. 665 is tthe PN variety & if you can live with the slightly smaller format may just be the way to go for you. Four designs has been around for years. I'm not familiar with Wolf.

 

[Fintan]

Thanks for the info guys, I can already do MF polaroid and wanted to do 4x5 on this camera if possible. So any info appreciated.

 

[GM Bennett]

*sighs*
I missed out on an auction at the weekend on a converted 110a without the rangefinder etc. I'm quite disapointed not to "win" it.

I must admit I dont know a lot about these cameras, I know about the Littman conversions which I'm not interested.

I'm wondering if these basic convertions appear on ebay often? Is there anyone or anywhere that I can buy one? All I want to do is put a polaroid back on it for Type 55. I dont care about coupled rangefinders etc and I'm not very useful modifying myself.

Can anyone enlighten me, I could do with cheering up.

Hi, Fintan -

I hesitated a moment before replying to this, as I don't want to re-kindle an old debate, but I had Dean Jones (the Aussie a.k.a. "razzledog") do a 110b conversion for me earlier this year; he kept the rangefinder and installed a Graflok back. He did a fine job and fortunately I had none of the problems apparently encountered by another APUG member with her conversion. I haven't had an opportunity to use it as much as I'd like, but find so far that I get best results handheld by using Tri-X with the stock 127mm Rodenstock Ysarex stopped down to f8 or smaller. No news flash there, I'm sure. I don't know if it'd be my first choice for Type 55, handheld, unless you have plenty of available light or studio lights.

If I recall correctly, the 4x5 conversion cost about C$140 + shipping for the body, and another C$500 + shipping for the actual conversion. For some fortunate reason, perhaps because it was a "repair", there were no duty charges. I know I probably paid too much for the body, but the guys doing these conversions tend to scoop up all the 110's on ebay, driving prices up. At least I found one here in Canada in excellent condition.

Prior to the 4x5 conversion, I picked up a Wolf pack film conversion of a 110a; similar creamy B&W images as with the 4x5 conversion. Again, fast film works best unless you're using a tripod, but I find that using a tripod with these cameras kind of defeats the whole purpose of having a handheld LF camera, i.e., if I'm going to use a tripod, I might as well use my Wista DX.

Regards, Graham

 

[Donald Qualls]

Just so you know, for planning purposes (and hopefully this won't get the thread dumped in to the "product availability" section), but Polaroid's web page has announcements up that Type 665 and Type 85 are being discontinued within the first half of 2006 (first quarter, for Type 85). Type 55, they say, is unaffected. "Discontinuation of components" is the stated reason, same as it was for Time-Zero film.

 

[Paul Sorensen]

Just so you know, for planning purposes (and hopefully this won't get the thread dumped in to the "product availability" section), but Polaroid's web page has announcements up that Type 665 and Type 85 are being discontinued within the first half of 2006 (first quarter, for Type 85). Type 55, they say, is unaffected. "Discontinuation of components" is the stated reason, same as it was for Time-Zero film.

That scares me because it seems to me that the components that are required for the film are roughly the same as for type 55, except for the pack apparatus. If they can't get coaters, or the emulsion, or the paper, then it will hit 55 as well. If they can't get the packs, it will hit 664, 669 etc. Either way scares me.

 

[Donald Qualls]

My take on it is they or their supplier have dropped production of the base film stock that was used in Type 85 and Type 665, the last of those films has already been produced, and the estimated dates are when they expect the warehouses to empty out. The base film stock is different in 85/665 from Type 55, being as it is about one stop faster; Type 55 negative stock used to be produced for Polaroid by Kodak before being brought in-house long ago (it's said to still be virtually identical to the old Panatomic-X), but it's possible 85/665 negative stock was still outsourced and it's surely not profitable for Polaroid to retool the T55 line to cut and perforate differently, and then market a new, slower P/N film in the pack sizes.

Since no other pack film lines are noted as due for discontinuation, and Polaroid has recently introduced new pack-film consuming products ($800 ID cameras, for instance, that don't depend on line power the way their digital products do), I doubt the packs themselves are in direct jeopardy (and they're just molded plastic, easily replaced by comparison with a film and emulsion and subject to much more economy of scale since there need be only one design for all 3x4 and one for all 3x3); pack film is still Polaroid's cash cow, the way color negative is for Kodak.

 

[Fintan]

Thanks for all the info on the conversion. And thanks Donald for the info on Polaroid.

Sincere thanks to one special APUGer who offered me a loan of a camera. I'd be really terrified in case anything would happen it so I couldnt take it.

Fintan

 

[Fintan]

..

 

[heinrich voelkel]

..

what does this mean?????????????

 

[John Z.]

I had a polaroid 4x5 conversion by Dean also. He did a very good job, and was very up front about things. Just check out his web site for more info. He seemed like he knew what he was doing technically, making some adjustments on the camera that I would not have known even needed to be done, and included a mounting tripod plate and a cable release in the conversion.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Heinrich, I think it means he couldn't completely delete a posting after changing his mind about wanting to post.

I might mention, too, that in a few more years there'll be folks converting the better pack-film Polaroids to use standard film holders. My 350 is good enough I'd expend some effort, and it was a LOT cheaper than anything else that would conceivably load 3x4 film...

 

[Fintan]

what does this mean?????????????

I posted another question and withdrew it, I've bugged you guys enough.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Fintan, if it's related to the Polaroid 4x5 conversions, please ask it -- someone else probably wants to know, too (or will in the future and will hopefully find it with a search). If it's about something else entirely, do a search, and then if you don't find it, start a new thread. This is what these discussion forums are here for -- to discuss, which very frequently starts with a question.

 

[Paul Sorensen]

My take on it is they or their supplier have dropped production of the base film stock that was used in Type 85 and Type 665, the last of those films has already been produced, and the estimated dates are when they expect the warehouses to empty out. The base film stock is different in 85/665 from Type 55, being as it is about one stop faster; Type 55 negative stock used to be produced for Polaroid by Kodak before being brought in-house long ago (it's said to still be virtually identical to the old Panatomic-X), but it's possible 85/665 negative stock was still outsourced and it's surely not profitable for Polaroid to retool the T55 line to cut and perforate differently, and then market a new, slower P/N film in the pack sizes.

Since no other pack film lines are noted as due for discontinuation, and Polaroid has recently introduced new pack-film consuming products ($800 ID cameras, for instance, that don't depend on line power the way their digital products do), I doubt the packs themselves are in direct jeopardy (and they're just molded plastic, easily replaced by comparison with a film and emulsion and subject to much more economy of scale since there need be only one design for all 3x4 and one for all 3x3); pack film is still Polaroid's cash cow, the way color negative is for Kodak.

Thanks for the clarification. For whatever reason I always think of 665 as "55 in packfilm format." For that reason I assumed that the components were the same, just cut smaller and put in a pack. I will now breathe easier. I will also shelve the idea of getting a 405 back to use on my 4X5 and saving money buying 665 as opposed to 55. Oh well.