Polaroid Big Shot mods?

jay moussy · Sep 5, 2023

I got a Polaroid Big Shot off a photo lot buy, recently, then yesterday, found two by a roadside yard sale free leftovers!

Now, it is one odd duck, and I did not yet study what goes on internally... "200mm, single-element plastic meniscus lens". I wonder what kind of modifications I could apply to it to make it back into some kind of camera.

Any thoughts?

BobD · Sep 5, 2023

There are mods to use Instax film with it.
Google it.

FriedLouisStudio · Sep 5, 2023

Why would you want to modify it? It's an oddball classic. Okay, maybe try shooting a paper negative with it, just to see if it works.

Andy Warhol used a Big Shot for decades, making the original portraits for his then-painted-over Interview magazine covers.

The Big Shot Polaroid – Andy Warhol’s Pen & Pencil

We examine Andy Warhol's work with the Polaroid Big Shot and how the camera's invention, construction, and design influenced his artwork for years.

casualphotophile.com

jay moussy · Sep 5, 2023

FriedLouisStudio said:
Why would you want to modify it? It's an oddball classic. Okay, maybe try shooting a paper negative with it, just to see if it works.

Andy Warhol used a Big Shot for decades, making the original portraits for his then-painted-over Interview magazine covers.

The Big Shot Polaroid – Andy Warhol’s Pen & Pencil

We examine Andy Warhol's work with the Polaroid Big Shot and how the camera's invention, construction, and design influenced his artwork for years.

casualphotophile.com

Well, I have three now, has it happens, so I can experiment on one!
The modifications to make modern instant film, although great, is not trigger my interests.

And yes, paper negative is a path, probably.

What about using the stripped down long body as a feature, and graft whatever bits may work, lens, film holders, etc.

Don_ih · Sep 5, 2023

They were made to be used with iso100 packfilm and magicubes. A paper negative will not work unless you modify the shutter. It was genuinely made to just be a portrait camera - you move forward or backward to focus, the shutter speed and aperture are fixed.

It'd be great if there was a ready-made adapter to get it to fire an electronic flash. Then it could be used as-is with iso100 sheet film (which I've done using a magicube).

Polaroid Big Shot mods?

jay moussy

BobD

FriedLouisStudio

The Big Shot Polaroid – Andy Warhol’s Pen & Pencil

jay moussy

The Big Shot Polaroid – Andy Warhol’s Pen & Pencil

Don_ih

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency