Topic: Anyone have a Polaroid 900 (Viewfinder) or a Grafmatic 1268 back to sell please?

[rotarysmp]

Hi All,

Answering Damian's request for a Polaroid 100 series got me watching the local Austrian equivalent of craiglist.

Unfortunately a 110A came up about five blocks from my place for €120. Looked pretty good, so I went to take a look at it. The shutter only works from 1/60 through 1/300. The slow speeds it opens, but doesn't close and you can't here the whirring of the geartrain. The lens has some light mould traces visible. The bellows weren't closing right and had some extra folds. I offered the sellers €60 due to the shutter, and we agreed on €70 including a B+W E46 8x ND which I can use on the Leica.

It is a beautiful piece of 1950/60's manufacturing technology. Beautiful die castings, lovely folded sheet metal. Engraved shrift and silkscreened graphics. Very heavy, very rigid feel. The leatherette is in perfect condition, and there are no signs of wear. Makes you wonder how many films ever went through this camera.

I don't want to do a butchered,  glue up conversion, out of respect the quality of craftsmanship which went into building it. Since I have a lathe and mill, I'd rather take the time to do a low profile 4x5 conversion sort of like the Byron http://salihonbashome.blogspot.co.at/. His design is very well thought out. It would be cool to have the back lock use the existing polaroid back latch. Have to see once it is stripped done whether a system of levers can be fitted in there.

I'll strip down the lens and clean it, and service the shutter, as it is probably just the low speed mechanism gummed up through lack of use. There are instructions are here http://pheugo.com/cameras/index.php?page=prontor

The bellows just needed a little TLC, and now they are folding up correctly.  These will need to be replaced to cover 4x5. I already made bellows for my homemade Tachihara copy, so that is no big deal.

Does anyone have a Grafmatic #1268 back with septums which they would sell me please?

Mark

[rotarysmp]

I knew the 110A had separate rangefinder and viewfinder, but didn't realise how crappy the viewfinder is. From the front it looks huge, but peering through it makes one yearn for a Canon A series digital P&S viewfinder

Here is a comparison of the 110A range finder, and 110A viewfinder, to that of the Leica.

Since the Polaroid 900 was fitted with the same combined view/rangefinder as the 110B, I would like to find a donor Model 900, and salvage it's finder for use on this 110A.

Does anyone have a Polaroid Model 900 which they would sell me please? Given the weight and cost of postage, even better would be if you could remove the rangefinder and just post that. There are instruction here https://docs.google.com/document/d/18oFQFxorgrvIaWoSwxu8Bv9bLWhRcOhy_gHi9x_wrKo/edit?pli=1

[Ezzie]

The 110B finder (also found on 900) may be better for framing, but I find it not as good for focusing. Since the 110A has a separate focusing finder it can be magnified, giving better accuracy. I have some of the parts for a 900 finder conversion, but have opted to keep my 110A as it is. It does help with a good clean of all the glass, lenses and mirrors involved in the light path of the finder.

Good luck on your conversion.

[rotarysmp]

Thanks for the feedback Ezzie.

I would love to see a photo through a 900 / 110B view finder. At least smart phone photography is good for one thing, photos through view finders.

Love your blog. Your Polaroid view camera is brilliant.