Author Topic: Polaroid Zip camera and film (Read 13321 times)

salvo · « **on:** May 01, 2009, 02:26:38 PM »

Hi all, wondering if somebody can help.
I am spending some days in my family home and I have found my old Polaroid Zip camera That I was given as a present all those years ago. After ca. 30 years without being used I thought to be nice to play a bit with it. At the back it says it uses Type 87 film, that appears to be discontinued for a while now. So wondering whether any alternative (e.g. Fuji) that I could use, even if some tweaking and fine tuning is required.
Done some searches but no joy (even looked a Sean's nice site).
I'd really appreciate some help.
Below the photo of the camera, though the actual one.
http://collectiblend.com/Cameras/Polaroid/Polaroid-Zip.html

Many thanks

moominsean · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2009, 04:35:44 PM »

if i find some more type 87, i'm not telling anyone about it...i'm buying it for myself! i only have i think 4 boxes left. i haven't seen any type 8os at all on ebay for a couple months.

This-is-damion · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2009, 06:03:17 PM »

same goes, not seen any in a loooooong time, i sold a couple of boxes a while back to fund my LF set up.

salvo · « **Reply #3 on:** May 02, 2009, 01:29:20 PM »

ok, so i can forget about type 87 film... any other possible alternative or just use the camera as a paperweight? Are any of the current available instant films sort of "compatible" even with some "adjustments"?

moominsean · « **Reply #4 on:** May 02, 2009, 09:59:08 PM »

nope, only good for type 87. if you pick up a 'big swinger 3000' you can use type 667 or fuji fp-3000b. but the square format of the zip and the exposure only allows for 87 usage.

Skorj · « **Reply #5 on:** May 03, 2009, 12:02:38 PM »

Chop it up! Chop it up! Plonk a 100-series pack-film back on it and load it with FP-3000!

moominsean · « **Reply #6 on:** May 03, 2009, 10:14:13 PM »

i thought about doing that. get some MAJOR vignette i bet, would be cool. might have t make a wider body though if it doesn't cover the frame. might just end of looking the big swinger 3000 though.

moominsean · « **Reply #7 on:** May 03, 2009, 10:58:06 PM »

ha! much easier than that. they were nice enough to make the swinger and zip fronts the same size, so it's an easy swap. will just have to file down the bulb release on the zip front. judging by lens size, it will end up no different than the swinger, but won't know until i try! results later.

[Sorry, image deleted during forum software upgrade. Please re-upload if so inclined.]

rolo · « **Reply #8 on:** May 04, 2009, 12:06:32 AM »

Only vaguely on topic, I wish Fuji had some crazy reason to make their pack film in square format.

Dream on.

moominsean · « **Reply #9 on:** May 04, 2009, 12:13:28 AM »

done! pretty close. the lens shape seems to be a bit different. same vignette and falloff, but a slight fisheye effect on my face. the swinger tends to elongate towards the bottom.

the exposure latitude is much better with the zip front, though. the swinger wants you to set it much darker in full sunlight than the zip does (and i always set it a bit darker to increase vignette). zip is newer than the swinger, so maybe they made some small improvements. or maybe the lens is slightly better...glass instead of plastic (though the zip had the cheapest price of any polaroid camera)? looks cool if nothing else. will use it often, i'm sure, as the big swinger is one of my faves. will blog a bit on this soon.

yeah nobody will probably ever make square film ever again.

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Skorj · « **Reply #10 on:** May 04, 2009, 01:23:01 AM »

This looks like Next Year's Project for me then! Sweet!

moominsean · « **Reply #11 on:** May 05, 2009, 12:21:54 AM »

getting my blog on...

http://moominsean.blogspot.com/2009/05/polaroid-big-zip.html

salvo · « **Reply #12 on:** May 05, 2009, 02:30:26 PM »

Guys, thanks all for the info, looks like interesting project, I may start soon looking into it.

Sean, already read your "camera conversion" on your blog, nice one.

Quote from: moominsean on May 05, 2009, 12:21:54 AM

getting my blog on...

http://moominsean.blogspot.com/2009/05/polaroid-big-zip.html

jojonas~ · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2011, 02:48:44 PM »

crap. just 87? I got this yesterday. original box and everything.
I was hoping that it'd work with fuji film. that or sticking some polaroid 600 film in somehow but I guess they're too big to fit?

moominsean · « **Reply #14 on:** February 22, 2011, 03:21:14 PM »

nope, nothing but 87 in that camera. you can get a big swinger 3000 on ebay for $5 to $20, takes fuji 3000 film and takes great shots! first shot with fuji, second with 667.

Phil Bebbington · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2011, 06:54:31 PM »

Hot damn! That second is a killer, Sean.

jojonas~ · « **Reply #16 on:** February 23, 2011, 07:29:50 AM »

as I feared... bohoo

might look into a big swinger, those shots are nice! I like the structure of the paper on the first

Diane Peterson · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2011, 04:58:45 PM »

Can someone tel me which film will fit in a Polaroid Square shooter 2 or am I completely out of luck?

moominsean · « **Reply #18 on:** February 23, 2011, 08:07:24 PM »

square shooter 2 will only take type 84, 85, 88, 89 and viva. all square film, very hard to find!

Francois · « **Reply #19 on:** February 23, 2011, 09:03:07 PM »

I've been using Colorpacks for a while. While the lens is plastic, they're easier to come by and take Fuji FP.
They're also super tough. Only drawback is you have to compensate using either ND filters inside the camera or by tweaking the exposure button to avoid overexposing the film...

Diane Peterson · « **Reply #20 on:** February 23, 2011, 09:54:21 PM »

well guess answers that..thank you for taking the time to answer my question! I do appreciate it!