Polaroid Swinger

pinhole_dreamer · Mar 3, 2011

I picked it up at a 2nd hand shop...with a Swinger case. It has the original manual and the original fixer in there. (Still very very VERY pungent!)

The batteries were left inside and have left the battery acid all over the inside of where the batteries go. Can this be fixed? And can batteries even be purchased for it?

Or do I just have a really neat conversation piece for the mantel?

brucemuir · Mar 3, 2011

Get a tooth brush, some baking soda and a little water.
Make a thin paste and use the toothbrush to try to clean the battery compartment down to the metal contacts for the battery.

Batteries should be available but IDK about film. (doubt it but IDK)
What battery does it take?

I had a white one around the early 70's and remember the coating containers & applicator.

Paul Sorensen · Mar 3, 2011

Most of the cameras with the name Swinger use film which is no longer available. They either used roll film or square pack film, both have been gone for many years. You can make sure that this is the case by looking up your particular camera on the Land List at Dead Link Removed. If it is just a Swinger and has no modifiers at all on the name, it used roll film and that is indeed very long gone. If it is the Big Swinger, you are in luck, the Fuji pack film will fit.

The land list site may also have assistance with the battery issue, if the camera uses available film.

Paul

pinhole_dreamer · Mar 3, 2011

I haven't even tried to take out the batteries yet. They're pretty well STUCK in there. The corrosion from the two batteries looks pretty bad. I can't hardly see the batteries for the stuff. My husband suggested taking it apart and making a pinhole camera out of it.

pinhole_dreamer · Mar 3, 2011

Paul Sorensen said:
Most of the cameras with the name Swinger use film which is no longer available. They either used roll film or square pack film, both have been gone for many years. You can make sure that this is the case by looking up your particular camera on the Land List at Dead Link Removed. If it is just a Swinger and has no modifiers at all on the name, it used roll film and that is indeed very long gone. If it is the Big Swinger, you are in luck, the Fuji pack film will fit.

The land list site may also have assistance with the battery issue, if the camera uses available film.

Paul

Yup. The film is long gone as it was the roll film. *shrugs* My husband wants to take a look at it and see if any modifications can be made to it or just take the whole thing apart and scavenge the plastic lens and housing for it. *shrugs*

Or I might give it to one of my ball joint dolls as a prop.

hpulley · Mar 3, 2011

There are pack film conversions for roll film models. The batteries can be converted to AAA or a lithium cell as well instead of the old batteries which are hard to find. Otherwise they make good conversation pieces. Pack film (Fuji the only source now or expired Polaroid) is a lot of fun.

pinhole_dreamer · Mar 3, 2011

I'll see if I can get the battery case cleaned out first before the husband and I start taking it apart. As it's not the weekend, I've not much time to really do much...because I have two pair of pants that need hemming. I just have to convince my youngest he needs to WEAR them so I can stick pins in them...and try not to turn him into a voodoo doll.

Paul Sorensen · Mar 3, 2011

For a camera like this a conversion would probably be difficult and not gain you much except for the fun of doing the conversion, if you are into that kind of thing. If you want to shoot Polaroids, there are scads of decent to good pack film cameras out there for very little money. I bought a Polaroid 240 for about $20 on eBay and I love it. Batteries are a little hard to find, but possible. There are also very good pack film cameras out there for pretty real money too.

hpulley · Mar 4, 2011

You can easily convert that 240 to use 3xAAA batteries. My 100 has had that conversion done. It is easier to find AAA's at any store than the 531 batteries for $9 each on eBay.

Paul Sorensen · Mar 4, 2011

hpulley said:
You can easily convert that 240 to use 3xAAA batteries. My 100 has had that conversion done. It is easier to find AAA's at any store than the 531 batteries for $9 each on eBay.

I might give that a try. Did you do it yourself? I am guessing I would need to solder in some sort of battery holder, right?

McFortner · Mar 4, 2011

Paul Sorensen said:
I might give that a try. Did you do it yourself? I am guessing I would need to solder in some sort of battery holder, right?

You can get a 4 cell holder at most Radio Shacks and use a wire to bypass one cell. Another thing you could try is one of those cheap LED lights in the dollar store. A lot of them use 3 AAA batteries and has a holder inside them you could solder leads to. A lot cheaper than the Radio Shack option.

hpulley · Mar 4, 2011

Yes that's right, you need to cut the wires to the 531 holder and solder in a 3-AAA holder or a 4-AAA holder with one cell worth wired out (and you can cut that 4th one off too if you like).

Paul Sorensen · Mar 4, 2011

Sweet - Dead Link Removed

Now I just have to figure out the soldering thing.

Thanks!

Edit: Judging by the reviews, the plastic has all the quality one should expect for $1.99. I might look for a different option here.

rjbuzzclick · Mar 4, 2011

McFortner said:
You can get a 4 cell holder at most Radio Shacks and use a wire to bypass one cell.

This is exactly what I've done with two 340's, a 215 (actually 3v instead of 4.5 volts), and a Model 100. I had to remove much of the original battery mounting to fit the new holder in.

I've also kludged an old Kalimar electronic flash that replaces flashcubes for use with a Big Shot.

Oh, and I've used a pair of Swinger Model 20's for props!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjbuzzclick/4281962891/

hpulley · Mar 4, 2011

May I say nice pair of Big Swingers without getting slapped? ;-)

xya · Mar 5, 2011

there is another solution: CR 123 batteries, which are 3V, but it's even sufficient to replace the older 4.5 V batteries. there are small, cheap and easy to use holders which fit into the space of the old battery. have a look here what it looks like:

http://www.batteryspace.com/battery...batteryinsertionandremoval-rohscompliant.aspx

cr 123 batteries last very long. I converted all my polariod pack film cameras to this, a 250, a 430 and two 360 (two batteries each).

kind regards

reinhard

xya · Mar 5, 2011

there is another solution: CR 123 batteries, which are 3V, but it's even sufficient to replace the older 4.5 V batteries. there are small, cheap and easy to use holders which fit into the space of the old battery. have a look here what it looks like:

http://www.batteryspace.com/battery...batteryinsertionandremoval-rohscompliant.aspx

cr 123 batteries last very long. I converted all my polariod pack film cameras to this, a 250, a 430 and two 360 (two batteries each).

kind regards

reinhard

Polaroid Swinger

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