Polaroid 110b Camera
Photo thanks to Mark Hubbard
[email protected]
This Polaroid 110b camera is a nice example of this popular professional
camera. As the photo notes below indicate, this camera uses film that is no
longer made, but can be converted to use current polaroid film materials.
However, the camera is also popular as an inexpensive source of a high quality view camera lens made by Rodenstock-Ysarex with a leaf shutter. Thanks to the large size of the polaroid format, these lenses can be used on many medium format rollfilm back and 4x5 sheet film view cameras with the appropriate mounting board materials.
The Polaroid 110B Pathfinder Land Camera uses a view-camera quality Rodenstock-Ysarex 127mm f4.7 lens in a Prontor shutter, allowing the setting of real shutter speeds from "B" to 1/300 second, and real aperture settings from f4.7 to f45 (with a tiny aperture in the attached lens cap to allow an astounding f90 when using high-speed Polaroid film type 667 outdoors in bright sunlight). It has standard flash-sync capability. What this means for the professional photographer or serious amateur is that lighting set-ups can be tested and checked with instantaneous results (rather than waiting to get the whole roll processed to find out the set-up didn't work). It also means that the Polaroid print is sharp and clear, a finished work of art in itself. The other reason is money. At least two nationally distributed companies built their businesses converting the Polaroid 110A and 110B cameras to use modern Polaroid pack films. You can call Four Designs in Seattle, Washington, and they will sell you an already-converted 110B for $550. However, they will convert YOUR 110B for $234.50 complete (I checked with them in December). $550 less $234.50 is $315.50. If you buy this Polaroid 110B for $150 and have it converted, you will save $165 off the Four Designs price for an already-converted camera.
From: Tom Fineran [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.photo.marketplace
Subject: Re: polaroid 110a conversion
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1998
Iugigfi, the name of the company that does this as a regular part of
their business is: 4 seasons. They advertise in the classified section
of Shutterbug under both "Polaroids for sale" and "Polaroids wanted".
The usual price differential between an unconverted Polaroid 110A ($80)
and a converted Polaroid 110A ($400) leads me to believe this is a
costly and skill intensive conversion.
From camera fix mailing list: Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 From: Stephen Castello [email protected] Subject: Re: Re: Prontor SVS Shutter Disassembly Problem - Polaroid 110 series Barry Velostigmat [email protected] wrote: >How does one convert a Polaroid to use modern film? I assume a rollfilm back >using 120 would be the ticket. Please enlighten us all. > Thanks > > Barry Simple, either put a Polaroid film pack holder on it or a graflok back. I put a film pack holder on my 110A using this site: http://www.rwhirled.com/landlist/how2-packconv.htm The film back I used happened to have holes that matched up with the rivet holes used to hold the bellows to the body, so I had less drilling to do. Stephen