Friday, September 23, 2011

fun with the Big shot

Brought the Big Shot to work. I thought it would be fun to take a few shots.  It was for three people but when I got to Peta, the flash cube I had brought ceased to work. Grr I still had a flash left. Stupid cube. I didn't bring another one as I only have three cubes left.
Took the big shot to work.. Have a gallery of thugs now...

Still a bit of giggles.

David hamed it up early in the week

David finds the flash cubes startling
Got to use my #Polaroid Big Shot today. Extremely happy with this #camera mind you, the flash is eye wateringly bright.. #vintagecamera #vin

Monday, September 19, 2011

a care package arrives

ah big boxes in the mail and nowadays a rare thing. MI am under heavy fiscal restraints for my own good, but on occasion, I can still get what I call a care package. They used to be more frequent but now things gather for 2 months or more before I can afford to post them to me.

This box was mostly film. polaroid film. There were sales at the Impossible project and I managed to grab some before they were sold out. Now of tis O received a 10 pack of spectra film. This was advertised by impossible as Soft focus with an impossible cover...




Well I opened a package.. and what faced me was one of the last batches of real polaroid spectra film.
Spectra film was the last ever film to be made by polaroid.. the very last batch expired in October 2009, and there in my house was 10 boxes of this last batch. How cool!! I shot two photos before putting it away. Oh what a difference real polaroid is to impossible. I am sure that they will improve but this 2009 film is fantastic. Of course the spectra system was waiting in the care package for me as well :-) what a great Polaroid..

I discovered a polaroid reporter and a EE100 essentially Identical cameras but one was really marketed to journalists... Hmmm





The big thrill in a historical way was the polaroid Big Shot. Produced from 1971 to 1973 only, this cult camera was made famous by Andy Wahol, who used it to record the 1970s. His portraits are famous (of course)
I bought this camera as a parts only camera, it cost $15 and to my great delight, it's perfect and even came with a box!!






I had forgotten to buy flash cubes..so this bad boy an wait until solstice.
Hidden in the big shot box was a No2 folding brownie with beautiful red bellows. Also a parts camera, this lovely old lady nestled quietly next to her plastic protector. Trust me, it was a challenge getting her out.
Coaxing her away from the Big Shot, I inspected this 106yr old camera. Even discovered a film in the back. Shutter works and this camera is in excellent condition. Super bargain at around $20.




This camera, like the big shot, was only made for a very short time. In her Case 1904-5 she was replaced in 1906 by the pocket automatic.




I am giving away my 600 polaroid cameras and only had one left when a colleague gave me one as a present. OF course this one I will have to keep but all my others are up for grabs. I only have a pack of b&w film which I am saving for Jenny. Her pack of first flush was a disappointment as she got the partly missing photos and two coming out together.. I had the same issues with a different 600 cam and hence I know it is the film packs. :-( If I can find impossible's later films at a reasonable price I may get some for her for xmas.

That reminds me, that Ben probably would love a pack too....

Next is a mamiya C3 body only. Whilst I am good at sourcing parts for cameras, this has me stumped. I cannot find a none fungus lens for under $100 :-( still I'll keep looking



Made from 1962-1964 it's still a modern contender in the medium format Market. This is a professional body, the c2 being the amateur one. By the end of the tlr mamiya run, the c330 and the c220 had blended together somewhat.


#ensign #ful-vue undressed as requests by @jellywally #vintage #mediumformat #classiccamera #camera #british #cameraporn

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Quiet lull continues

Spare Mamiya RB67 body arrived on friday the 22nd. It was $65 and it's in fabulous condition. I am totally thrilled with it. Also in the box was a spare back for the Mamiya in use and it was just in time. Again a used part looking unloved or as Michael Raso calls them Beaters... It worked a charm. Again thrilled.

Photography had been slow, I have been unmotivated and without Tim coming over with some old 1960 film, I probably would have achieved nothing at all.

1960 White House. President Eisenhower's helicopter arriives (Or leaves) as you can see some rather cool shots appeared. They all belong to Tim so I'll leave him to upload them.

I did take the mamiya to Kiama where it was used in Gale force winds and sea salt. :-( talk about needing a clean. Something I need to get on too tomorrow.

Did a stock take of my film supply.. And need to use more 135 film.. Or trade it for 120. Any takers??

Film stock take

Polaroid 95A
Also in the mail was a Polaroid 95a in mint condition it's a shame that, to me, it has to undergo surgery but as roll film no longer exists ( though I do have two rolls) I can convert it to 120 film. The other beastie that arrived is HUGE..
I am tempted to convert the Polaroid 800 to 70mm film but this is a dying format. I have managed a 30ft roll for my two 116 cameras and I will use some in the Box brownie 3 that took 124 film ( even bigger) but to perform surgery for an almost dead format would be cruel, so another for the 120 knife.
Polaroid 800this camera came in a nix compete with a wink light, a

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