I might be ready for @polaroidweek
I’ll be getting out Sunday afternoon for a photowalk. 5 instant cameras. 10 packs of instant film.
It’ll be my first excursion with other photographers since February last year. Masked. It’ll be a ton of fun and I’m super stoked.
‘Roid Week Spring 2021 runs April 18 through 23.
Modified Polaroid Colorpack II – 35mm @ ƒ/140. No batteries required!
After removing the lens and shutter, I lopped off a good portion the front, then fitted a neatly cut and trimmed piece of black ABS to cover the resulting hole. This made for a shorter distance to the film plane and a wide angle of view.
I measured for center, then drilled a 4/16″ hole through the front plate. The shutter and shutter-stops came next. I measured for the shutter location, drilled a pilot hole, then attached the shutter with a small brass screw, washer and nut. The stops were super-glued. Super-simple operation.
I cut a 3/4″ square piece of soda can and used a very small sewing needle and a sheet of binder paper folded up a bit and placed beneath it to punch the hole through the aluminum, slowly, sanding the back of the puncture to smooth it out. The pinhole is attached to the inside of the camera with gaffer tape.
I turned the camera upside down and added a viewfinder, using a simple 200 degree peep-hole from Home Depot. I used ABS for the viewfinder support, drilled a hole to accommodate the peep-hole and super-glued the bracket to the camera body. The viewfinder placement is dead center above the pinhole.
Having removed the original Colorpack II viewfinder – which is now on the bottom of the camera – I cut out 6 of pieces of ABS that mimicked the shape of the Manfrotto tripod mount I use, each slightly smaller than the next. I glued them together, then drilled a hole for a 1/4-20 sleeve to attach the Manfrotto mount.
In a stroke of good luck, the pattern on the ABS was a close match to that of the Colorpack II. I finished off the Pinholaroid by painting all the exposed ABS satin black.
A fun little project. I even have a decent stash of Fuji pack-film to use with this camera.
Funny story. I bought five of these cameras on eBay to cut up and make into pinhole (pinholaroid) cameras. Two pinholes got made. The other two Colorpacks were junk.
But one Colorpack II was in such good condition that I just couldn’t bring myself to altering it. So I kept it as is.
I still have it. Great little camera. I should use up some of the remaining Fuji peel-apart I have stashed. Maybe when the weather gets a little cooler, this Fall.
Film: Peel-apart 100-Series or Fujifilm FP-100C, FP100B, or FP3000B
Lens: 114mm, f/9.2
Shutter: Electronic, 10s-1/500s
ISO: 75 & 3000
Focus: 3 feet to infinity
Batteries: Two standard 1.5V AA batteries
Cold clip included
Russ Morris. Slightly Obsessed With Photography since 1964. 