Polaroid pinhole camera

To do this, all that is needed is a Polaroid Land camera, some small screwdrivers, and a small sheet of thin metal. These cameras can be found on eBay, or better yet, at yard sales. It will be made into a pinhole camera with several pinholes that can be switched into place, for use in various light conditions etc.

Step 1:

With a thin blade, pry off the cover plate on the front of the camera. Remove
the plastic ring around the lens, and discard it. Unscrew the lens, and set it
aside (this will be made into the lens cap). Cover the small semicircular slot next to the lens with a piece of electrical tape, to prevent light leaks.

Comments

[2spoons]

hi, great little set of instructions for using my land camera!
1 question-do i still need to buy a 4.5 battery or can i skip the costly thing?

sorry for posting a 'stupid' question. im just unsure if the film will work without battery?

thanks :)

[Housekey]

You don't need to worry about the battery- that is used to power the shutter and the light meter, neither of which are used in the modded camera

[jdhitc]

hey i am looking for something a bit simpler to do, and that would be to just set the thing up to take a normal battery, I heard you can do this but have not come across anything. Has anyone seen an kinda of tutorial on this ?

[Housekey]

You don't need to worry about the battery, it isnt used at all. It was used to power the exposure meter and the shutter mechanism, but neither of those are used in the pinhole setup, of course.

If one does want info on olaroid batteries, this website has a ton of info:

http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/landbatt.htm

I believe the batteries are 4.5V, itd be pretty esay to wire up a few 1.5V batteries to take place of the old ones.

[leptiprince]

Hello What are distance to make the photograph by unfolding the bellows landscape or portrait? Thank you

[muyo19]

Too bad that polaroid film is going way

[Housekey]

Actually, while Polaroid is no longer making film, Fuji makes a peel-apart instant film that fits this camera. Not many stores carry it, but a web search for "fuji instant film" will point you in the right direction. I've found that the results are actually better w/ the fuji film

[muyo19]

Super!

[randofo]

Pretty awesome, but I don't think I could bring myself to do that to my camera.

[oryx]

any tips for converting a polaroid land onestep. my main question is what i can take out of the inside of the camera and how do i need to regulate exposure time, since i will be using 600 film instead of the discontinued 100 film, and the exposure time is like 0.5 s. can i mod the shutter somehow, or just be really quick in covering the pinhole after exposure? i've never made a pinhole, so any advice, would be super awesome!

[sabadash]

These cameras are readily available. Think this project would be good for underachieving, underclass kids? You know, beauty is as beauty does. "-" [www.sabadash.com sabadash]

[parasymboligist]

underachieving, underclass?

[s_boarder21]

where do you get film for the camera? I thought they stopped making compatible film a long time ago.

[Housekey]

They actually still make the film, and now Fuji makes their own line as well. I usually order it from B&H Photo and Video (go to the Instant Film page), though there are many distributors available, and better photo-supply stores usually have a few packs on hand too. This camera uses the 3.25 x 4.25 inch size. This type of instant film is referred to as "peel apart pack film", to distinguish it from the newer type of Polaroid film.

[Housekey]

Sorry–I meant to include some of the photographs Ive taken with this...Ill scan some and post em soon

[colin]

Awesome! Could you post some of the developed pictures that you've taken with this camera?

This reminds me of the Pinhole Camera Camp at Burning Man. They use 1.5ft diameter barrels with photo paper lining the inside of the barrel and a pinhole pierced in the top. Their pictures are spectacular.

http://pinholecamp.org/gallery/2005/