Film Tutorial #10- Polaroid land camera film conversion build

[@nononsenseBennett]

Photographer, engineer and polymath...You're my hero! I was thinking how to do this then I found this video. GENIUS.

[@tlangphoto]

Very glad you found my video, i am amazed by the amount of Polaroid land cameras out there in the world. I am glad there are other photographers who share a interest in making use out of them.

[@nononsenseBennett]

You could use individual sheet film...Might be easier without modifying. You'd have to load/unload each sheet in a dark bag though.

[@tlangphoto]

Good point! I believe others have tried that concept with good results. as long as you have a dark bag with you to load and unload shots!

[@yuliyapanchenko]

Hi Travis! Thank you for the information. Do you have a converter kit for the Polaroid 80A? or will your converter on Etsy work for the 80A?

[@tlangphoto]

hello, I actually sell two different conversion kits for the 80A model. you can find them in my Etsy store link: filmfridgesupplyco.etsy.com/listing/1294184451

[@yuliyapanchenko]

@@tlangphoto Thank you! I just bought the kit for Polaroid 80A and for 850 as well 🤗

[@deansherry4155]

Nice video! Ideally you would have converted it to use 118 film, as its image size is the same as the original Polaroid film that this camera would’ve took. Unfortunately, 118 film has long since been discontinued and so 120 is the only option.

[@Kankugal159]

*Edwin Land Great video!

[@louismeschino9393]

This is incredible, solid work!

[@tlangphoto]

Louis Meschino thank you! I am currently working on a second version of this camera with more improvements.

[@louismeschino9393]

@@tlangphoto Cant wait to see it. (I know not ideal) but the images with the light leaks are still really cool.

[@tlangphoto]

new video has been posted now go take a peak! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZrblJ6EhdhkhtE

[@sovREVERE]

You are a wild man!

[@cerouno7022]

thanks a lot for this project. ❤

[@tlangphoto]

thank you, glad you found this project.

[@Nafregamisrocanob]

I admire your commitment and abilities but question the reason why. The film edges run atop the light baffles for a few reasons one of which is to keep the film flat; the back plate pushes the natural film curve down and the edges keep it on the film plane. The film plane is where the lens is made to focus and if this is off, so is your focus...notice the long edges of your images, they are really soft...that’s the film, not the lens.

[@tlangphoto]

good observation, you are correct in noting the loss of sharpness on the edges of the film.during my filming of this video I had modeled up a set if film guides to fix the problem you are referring to. I have not printed them yet but I did send the files to another youtuber who reached out to me about printing his own conversion parts. I am waiting for him to hopefully print and send me some film guides as thanks for me sending him my designs. I hope to make a follow up video once I have those parts created and installed in my camera. Do you have any fun or interesting camera projects going on that led ayou to my video? Thank you for your comment.

[@rolandofuret2658]

Nice project, being engineer as you are, you could perhaps also design a proper film guide 3D printed. I will make a similar project with mine 120 or the 800. But I do not have the ability to design a 3D spool, so I'll use a 120-film spool with spacers. I am also thinking about to transform one of those cameras in a pinhole camera. Cheers Travis and keep us updated

[@tlangphoto]

Rolando Furet you are correct, I have designed a film guide to work with this camera and I am currently working on printing and installing it. I have a few extra spools I printed when designing this camera mod. If you would like to have one for your project I would be willing to send it your way!

[@rolandofuret2658]

@@tlangphoto Of course I'd like to have one. Tell me how much do you would like for it. My email is ; rolando [e-mail]. Thanks

[@virgiljohnny]

@@tlangphoto I would also buy a spool or have one printed if your file is available. My wife gave me this camera as a gift with a couple of rolls of 120, under the impression that the conversion was an easy one. :)

[@tlangphoto]

@@virgiljohnny my e-mail is [e-mail] get in touch with me and lets make something happen.

[@The_Raydinator_2008]

I have one of the og model 95’s not the A or B version, but the ‘48 original, and I was wondering if I could use this convo kit on my cam?

[@tlangphoto]

Yes, the base body and film back remained the same through all the models with the big changes being to the lens and focus abilities with the later models.

[@The_Raydinator_2008]

@@tlangphoto alright, thanks man, I’ll look into getting mine converted then

[@soulstart89]

Nice project! I’m trying to create a 6x12 coupled rangefinder and this video made me think weather a Fuji gw690iii could be used as a shell. I’ll have to find out what the width of the frame opening is and if it could be expanded. Thanks for the inspiration

[@tlangphoto]

soulstart89 glad you liked the video! I would look into a larger camera to get a 6x12cm frame. Do you have a Fuji 690 laying around? I love those cameras! This build was my way of creating a camera similar to the Fuji. I wanted a wide film frame with a coupled range finder focus but I didn’t have Fuji gw690iii money.

[@soulstart89]

Travis Lang I’m looking to purchase a gw690iii. I wonder weather the 90mm can cover the 6x12 frame. I’ll need to do some research

[@fern7702]

Hey man I just started watching your camera vids and I'm loving them. I have model 95 Polaroid and wanted to actually be able to use it and came across this vid in the hopes of modifying my camera itself. I also wanted to know if there's any link I can follow to buy the spool you made if possible?

[@tlangphoto]

Fernando Ortiz Hi Fernando, glad you found my videos, I have tons of information I can share with you about these cameras. And yes I do have spools you can purchase. Please contact me at [e-mail] and we can talk some more.

[@deftfuljesse]

i have the same Polaroid camera and this just inspired me to do the same thing Thanks a lot . also i read all the comments here and will used the 3d printed model , are the measurements on the link ?

[@tlangphoto]

Jesse perez get ahold of me at [e-mail] and I can send you all the details and measurements I have for this camera. I am actually converting another camera at the moment and I am making some improvements to my initial designs.

[@zilinyang6356]

Hi Travis, very nice engineering. I would like to ask if there is a conversion between the polaroid exposure readings to normal readings?

[@tlangphoto]

yes, please feel free to contact me at my email address: [e-mail] I would be glad to send you my files and information for the exposure readings.

[@jsz1962]

Brilliant!

[@tlangphoto]

Thank you for the kind word, I am glad so many people have found my work online.

[@carmadon78]

Nice work! How do you control a frame count?

[@tlangphoto]

Щедрин Сергей the best method so far is to count the turns on the film advance knob. 2-1/2 turns works out perfectly. Giving you evenly spaced frames without any overlap.

[@colonel__klink7548]

I was excited that I might be able to use this beautiful camera at first. Then I realized midway through.... is the only way to make this work to build my own dark room and develop the film myself? I can't have a photo hut do it for me? That's a lot bigger investment than I was hoping to make...

[@tlangphoto]

There are a lot of places that develop 120 film. Those places might not be local to your location but mail in film services exist and are a great option. I develop my own film because I have the space and resources to do so, but I designed this project to work with 120 film spools so that individuals without access to a darkroom could also use this conversion. If you have any other questions feel free to contact me through my email @ [e-mail]

[@iOSJailbreaksSL]

Hey man awesome video! I want to try something similar to this since the fp 100c will be extinct soon. Do you mind uploading your 3d models to thingverse or something and attach the link so I can print it out. Thank you and keep making cool camera modifications!!!

[@tlangphoto]

www.thingiverse.com/tlangphoto/about

[@thomulusmax]

Hi Travis, great videos and thanks for sharing your expertise and experience along learning journey. That curve seems to go up on each video I watch. I noticed you are working on a customer's camera, you still do 120 conversions and if so what do you charge? I want to buy a 110 Pathfinder either a or b if I can find one cheap enough so I'll be shopping for a few weeks, anyway it'd be great if you could let me know if you still do conversions. Is there someone I can private message you here or through Instagram or some other social media? Thanks, Thomas.

[@tlangphoto]

Hello Thomas, thank you for reaching out. I love working on these cameras and I am still taking commissions to convert cameras for individuals like yourself. You can contact me by my email [e-mail] or reach me on my Instagram @tlangphoto . Price wise can vary depending on how you would like your camera conversion to be. $250-300 is a rough guess but I am always willing to work with my fellow photographers to come up with a plan. I look forward to hearing from you

[@ethanelliott1832]

I’m looking into getting one of these cameras, an 800, in white for my collection. If this is an easy conversion and if 120mm film is affordable, I might do it. My question is, how hard is it? I’ve never done a conversion before and I don’t want to harm a camera that could otherwise be in my collection. My one correction from this video: the founder of Polaroid is named Edwin H. Land

[@tlangphoto]

I know you are not the first person or even the second person to comment on my mix up. I will have to make another video modifying another Land camera to fix my mistake. Thank you for watching my video and taking the time to comment!

[@ethanelliott1832]

@@tlangphoto sorry, in my brief scrolling I hadn’t seen any other comments point it out! Regarding the convention, is it difficult?

[@nickcanning2782]

Did you ever end up doing the conversion to an 800? I just bought one and I’m looking into doing it myself.

[@Zetaphotography]

I have a 450 I found. I wonder if this can be done to it

[@tlangphoto]

The 450 looks to not use a roll style film so with no space for film take up or storage I dont think it would be a easy conversion. But this type of camera would lend itself well to having a 4x5 film back conversion.

[@Sanibeljunonia]

Hello Travis, I would very much like to get in touch with you regarding the Polaroid 150. Looking to convert one . How do I get in touch with you? Thank you...Angie

[@tlangphoto]

my e-mail is [e-mail] you can reach me there. Look forward to hearing from you!

[@rolanddeschain6270]

Do you have a conversion kit for the Polaroid the 800?

[@tlangphoto]

Yes, I offer a conversion kit that will fit the 8000 series camera. This link will take you to my Etsy page. I am glad you found my video, let me know if you have any other questions I can help with. filmfridgesupplyco.etsy.com/listing/920830367

[@pmcdriver]

the video around 13:45 with the cute blonde kid dogging you are really cool. Try making some videos of that if you haven't already. That little guy is gonna get big really fast and then you won't be able to get those shots anymore.

[@tlangphoto]

I actually have a lot of vlog style videos of myself and my boys. They are very different from my camera videos but my boys are my world and I love sharing our adventures.

[@joziejameson6870]

Hi!! i have a polaroid land camera 95b do you know where i can get film?

[@tlangphoto]

The pack film for these cameras is no longer being manufactured. :( that is why I took on the challenge of converting this camera to shoot 120 film. Where did you get your 95b from?

[@ZDKzap]

I just got gifted my grandmas’s old land camera 80b and tbh im completely lost as a newcomer to photography on how to convert it to take 120 film

[@tlangphoto]

It can seem like a daunting task but I am glad you found my video. I try my best to break down the process of converting these land cameras. I also sell a conversion kit on my Etsy page that has the 3D printed parts and instructions on how to convert one yourself.

[@robcicca]

Would you be able to put a roll of 35mm in there to shoot panoramic photos with the image over the sprocket holes? Like a Sprocket Rocket camera?

[@tlangphoto]

Yes! this is totally possible. In fact I will link to a video I made where I review some of my photos with my son, some of those photos are 35mm film shot on my modified polaroid land camera. kzbin.info/www/bejne/raLaiXihrMd8pLc Check it out and let me know what you think.

[@1911geek]

Why didn't you use black tapefor everything. Install circular felt or black fabric on both end of wind crank to keep light out

[@tlangphoto]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZrblJ6EhdhkhtE. Good question, I made a second video to this series where I refined my design and did away with the tape. Give it a watch and let me know what you think. Thanks for finding my videos

[@1911geek]

@@tlangphoto a good project

[@martintrejo1950]

What watch are you wearing ?

[@tlangphoto]

Thanks for asking, That watch was an older model Fitbit. It has been replaced by a Garmin vivo-active 3 watch.

[@martintrejo1950]

@@tlangphoto thanks, it looks good

[@rancidtown]

Would this modification work for a polaroid land camera 250?

[@tlangphoto]

This modification would not work for the 250 model, But I have made friends with a guy who is designing a kit/ solution for the 250 model camera. you can find his work at polaroids.theskeltons.org or on his instagram @hackaninstant .

[@rancidtown]

@@tlangphoto Thank you so much!

[@minenotyours6895]

Are doing this conversation for customers, if so $$$???

[@tlangphoto]

Yes, I have another video on my channel where I build another camera for a customer/ friend. Contact me at [e-mail] or on Instagram at @tlangphoto and we can talk about price and timeline. Thank you,

[@Clarkcr]

I have a Polaroid 800 land camera and would love to get I working with newer film if you could help in anyway please contact me

[@tlangphoto]

I would love to help you with your project! Let me know what kind of help you need? detailed photo? Spare parts? film? get back to me and let me know.

[@fenixlolnope361]

You know what's bigger than 120 I think? IMAX film. I wonder how hard that would be..

[@tlangphoto]

That would be fun! Do you have a lead on where i could get some? I am always up for new projects

[@IainHC1]

Edwin Land!!

[@tlangphoto]

Yeah who is this Eugene fellow? Haha I don't write any of my scripts so I knew in my head that it was Edwin but I ended up saying Eugene. If you could watch all my other videos and let me know if I missed anything else :). I'm sure there are other things I've missed over the years.

[@hitbyabus4615]

The kodak pony 135 is worth $342 how is it not special?

[@tlangphoto]

The non working condition of it was the main factor for it not being special. I didn’t know those cameras fetched such a high price. Where are you from?

[@hitbyabus4615]

@@tlangphoto Wisconsin (US)

[@tlangphoto]

I have several camera I would like to sell in Wisconsin then maybe. Most older cameras don't fetch to high of a price where I live here in Minnesota.

[@fa_be_you8578]

What is your favourite polaroid land camera?

[@tlangphoto]

I really like the 110a land cameras, the optics on those cameras look fantastic. My next plan is to modify a better lens and shutter set up onto the model 800!

[@musiccitycontentkings]

Would you sell me a spool?

[@tlangphoto]

Music City Content Kings yes! Contact me at [e-mail] and we can talk. I actually have some new updated versions of these spools for an upcoming project.

[@tompaste387]

HMMMM Wasn't it Edwin Land the inventor of the polaroid camera

[@tlangphoto]

You are correct, I miss spoke and goofed on his name. What brought you to my video?

[@tompaste387]

@@tlangphoto just acquired a Polaroid J66, whilst looking for a Polaroid 95 the first one made

[@tompaste387]

@@tlangphoto Also was interested in finding a way to continue to use these cameras without the roll film

[@israeldesignphotography9368]

Hi I'm Israel luevano I'm from new Mexico I just want to say is that a monster so what I want to knows that will u b interested in buldin another I'll pay

[@tlangphoto]

Hello Israel, thank you for reaching out. I am always open to commissions please reach out to me at [e-mail] I look forward to hearing from you.

[@eicas_11]

Dr Edwin H Land. None of that Eugene crap

[@tlangphoto]

You are not the first person to notice my slip up of saying Eugene when I meant to say Edwin. What brought you to my video?

[@eicas_11]

Just my recommended, I am a huge Polaroid fan

[@tlangphoto]

Awesome I'm glad you came across my videos!