In the end I want a solid accurate shooter. The 180 and 195 in good cosmetic and functional shape are worth more than $800 these days. I have always wanted one.
Lately I have been thinking about getting back into film etc. I own a complete Sinar 4x5 kit with all the extras, plus a 4x5 Busch Pressman D camera with Fuji 150mm lens, a full 6x7 system and several film cameras in the 35mm format. I have been checking out some of the amazing work found here: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/forumdisplay.php?30-Image-Sharing-amp-Discussion
These guys are really all about "Alt" shooting! Amazing stuff.
The other project I want to get back into is my little Kodak Vest Pocket Camera conversion which has been a lot of fun. I am making a DIY "beauty dish" out of a metal mixing bowl and pizza plate. This should be a perfect match with the Kodak Vest Pocket Camera meniscus lens conversion I did some time back.
There is more than one way to really go "alt" in photography. Buying the latest Fuji or Sony digital camera really does not qualify in my book...
I got my 180 back from the camera repair shop. The shutter has had a full CLA.
I then purchased a really, really nice Polaroid 250 Land Camera. The 250 model is perhaps the best of the automatic Land Cameras. What I found out is this: basically all of the metal Land Cameras have interchangeable parts. So what I did was sacrifice this great 250 body so that my 180 system could live. I took the 180 lens and shutter housing (the main components that compromise the desirable 180 system) and transplanted it over onto the 250 body. So, the best of both cameras is now one great camera. This took more time and included all kinds of frustration which I will not go into.
But it works. Still getting used to how the Fuji pack film loads and functions in these cameras. I also purchased a new battery for my long idle Sekonic L-358 flash meter. I need to shoot some film to get used to the handling and the exposure. The great thing about the 180 and 195 is that you DO get to set both aperture and shutter speed on a real quality glass lens. That is why these two models cost so much more than all the other automatic cameras.
Hope to post some images soon, but I have a busy three day work period ahead of me.
But it really is so darn cool to press the shutter button and have a real print in your hands 20 seconds later....
Funny you should mention that, because a couple weeks ago I watched a friend of mine transplant the bellows from one LC to another! That went fairly smoothly however. (I don't remember the exact models involved).
This is goofy-fun-analog-chemistry-instant "Alt" magic!!!
You get an instant negative and positive print that measures 3.75" x 2.75" (rough image size). The tonal range of the FB-3000B is surprisingly good with solid shadow and highlight detail. I have only shot three exposures so far. Looking forward to color as well...
My experience using Fuji film on the Polaroid 180 wasn't always happy. Apparently the Fuji packs are slightly thicker than the original Polaroid film. Thus, it can be tricky to pull smoothly the film through the rollers because the negative and positive sheets inside are excessively pressed. More often than not the paper got stuck halfway and it's no fun to reopen the camera back in the dark trying to rearrange the film sheets.
I discovered later a little trick. Unlatching the camera back and opening it a bit helps a lot to avoid jamming. You have to be very careful, though, Open the back a couple of millimeters only at the moment of pulling out the film and close it back immediately or you'll have fogging..
Of course, if your camera hasn't problems handling Fuji packs, forget all that I wrote above and leave that latch alone..
