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Launched in 1971, the Polaroid Massive Shot was a cool, inexperienced plastic digital camera that was constructed for one factor: portraits. The plastic behemoth is just designed, utilizing a hard and fast focus 200mm, single factor plastic meniscus lens. The grip has a stereoscopic rangefinder built-in in it, which makes framing and attaining focus straightforward. Focal size is fastened at roughly three ft, emphasizing the portrait centrality of this digital camera. The shutter velocity is a static 1/52 second, mixed with an adjustable aperture of f56, f36 or f24. A small aperture and reasonably sluggish shutter velocity meant most “usually” lit photographs could be underexposed, particularly indoors, so most photographs would require the usage of a flash.For the flash the Massive Shot makes use of Magicubes, that are an explosive, 4 use, disposable flash dice. There’s a giant Fresnel diffuser for the flash that’s constructed into the entrance of the digital camera, which softens shadows and makes the flash a lot much less harsh. A favourite of Warhol, he used the digital camera to shoot dozens of portraits, usually utilizing the ensuing Polaroids as foundation for his screen-printing artwork.The Movie and The ProblemThe Massive Shot consumes Sort 100 Pack Movie: a ten shot, peel aside prompt movie produced by Polaroid from the early Nineteen Sixties till the mid-2000s. Fujifilm additionally produced a model referred to as Fuji 100C, which was discontinued in 2016. This discontinuation marked the dying of pack movie and consequently, the cameras that used it. Costs of the now-expired Fuji 100C are extremely excessive, usually fetching over $100 for a single pack. There may be an effort by SuperSense, a small Austrian firm, to supply and promote Sort 100 movie referred to as One Instantaneous. Supplied in coloration and black and white, this peel aside movie is priced at $50 for 3 single shot packs: an excellent product however nonetheless fairly pricey.As talked about earlier, the Massive Shot makes use of disposable Magicubes for its flash. New previous inventory Magicubes can simply be discovered on eBay for reasonable, however a reusable choice could be most well-liked, because it’s prone to be cheaper. So, to conclude, you may shoot costly, expired Fuji 100c or new, equally priced One Instantaneous in your Massive Shot, each averaging over $10 per shot. And when utilizing a flash (more often than not capturing), new previous inventory Magicubes discovered on eBay, storage gross sales, your grandparent’s closet, and so forth. must suffice, probably including to the associated fee. That is all slightly discouraging for somebody who needs to experiment with the Massive Shot, reasonably than have it gather mud on a show shelf. All hope will not be misplaced, properly, not for this at the least.AdvertisementsAn ideaThere are nonetheless many reasonably priced and out there prompt movies being manufactured at the moment. One in every of these movies, is Fuji Instax 210, utilized in Fuji’s well-liked Broad collection cameras. It may be discovered for round $10 a pack containing 10 pictures, comparatively low cost… and inspiring! Sort 100 Pack Movie has a dimension of 108mm x 83mm, whereas Fuji Instax 210 is 108mm x 86mm. See what I see? A measly three millimeters is all that’s stopping us from cramming our Instax 210 into the Massive Shot! Nonetheless, there are a couple of different issues to think about earlier than we cram our Massive Shot stuffed with Instax. To start out, movie dimension simply refers back to the dimensions of the piece of movie; it consists of the scale for the chem pack and movie border, not simply the dimensions of the publicity. Nor does this dimension includethe dimension of the plastic housing the movie is held in. Furthermore, Instax is 800 ISO, a lot quicker than typical Sort 100 packfilm, which was generally 100 ISO.Sadly, not like Sort 100 packfilm, Instax doesn’t produce a unfavourable, solely a optimistic. There are many different variations like coloration, chemistry, and so forth. however these are inconsequential for our functions. Relating to the Magicubes/flash, varied digital flash conversions had been bought concurrently Magicubes. These are identical to some other fundamental digital camera flash; nonetheless, their set off is designed to suit a Magicube mount. One in every of these conversions is named the Acme-Lite 138, which makes use of normal AA batteries, that are less expensive and simpler to seek out than Magicubes. I bought one on eBay for $15, however there are lots of different fashions that accomplish the identical factor, all which will be discovered on-line for not very a lot cash.The Acme Lite 138The Acme Lite 138 connected with gaffer’s tapePotential Options and DesignSo, we’ve discovered a present, cheap, prompt movie and a reusable flash, now what? Can we simply stuff a pack of Instax 210 behind the Massive Shot and name it a day? Properly, though a bit brutish, it does work. A pack of Instax with its plastic housing is simply barely bigger than a pack of Sort 100, so it received’t sit completely, making closing the again cowl a problem. I did handle to take a couple of photographs utilizing the next methodology: The Massive Shot and Instax is introduced right into a darkroom or a darkroom bag. Eradicating the Instax from its protecting baggie, the sheet of plastic in entrance of the primary slide of movie is then eliminated. The Instax is then loaded into the Massive Shot, with the movie going through the publicity space and centering it as a lot as doable. The rear door is closed, but it surely requires a little bit of drive, because the Instax pack is a bit bigger than Sort 100. As soon as closed and faraway from the darkroom/darkroom bag the Massive Shot is able to take a photograph!After the picture is taken, the Massive Shot is introduced again into the dar room/darkroom bag to take away the Instax movie pack. The Instax can now be loaded into any Fuji Broad prompt digital camera. As soon as the Fuji Broad is loaded it may be faraway from the darkroom/darkroom bag, the lens lined, after which a photograph is taken. Overlaying the lens makes positive the movie won’t be re-exposed, but it surely does ship it via the rollers of the digital camera, bursting the chem pack, thus creating the shot. This appears like a protracted course of, however I used to be in a position to switch movie between the Massive Shot and Fuji Broad in below a minute. The outcomes I obtained utilizing this methodology had been good, nonetheless I observed a black bar on the highest of the photographs. That is from the movie not being lined up precisely with the publicity space. Though this methodology works, if I continued to do that, probably the rear hinge on the rear door of the Massive Shot would break from the stress of the bigger Instax pack pushing on it. Additionally, I couldn’t treatment the black bar brought on by the Instax movie not being completely lined up with the publicity space.AdvertisementsLoading the filmDeveloping the filmBuilding the Movie MountBecause of those points listed beforehand, I assumed capturing a single piece of Instax movie as a substitute of inserting your entire pack of Instax into the Massive Shot would work significantly better. Nonetheless, if a single piece of Instax movie is positioned within the publicity space, it’s certain to maneuver and fall misplaced, as there may be nothing holding it. What’s wanted is a movie holder, so let’s make one.Instruments and SuppliesPrinted Movie HolderTemplateChipboard/ThinCardboardScissors/Exacto KnifeGlue/Glue Stick(Elective) Black Everlasting MarkerThe movie holder is reasonably easy, and it may be created from quite a lot of supplies. I used black chipboard that’s roughly 1/16” (1.5mm) thick however any skinny cardboard with an analogous thickness will do (assume cereal field). The template offered will be printed on normal 8.5 x 11 paper, pasted/connected to the cardboard, then the items reduce out and glued accordingly. When printing out the template, ensure that to print with no margins, so the scale are correct. The black everlasting marker can be utilized to paint the cardboard/movie holder black so it absorbs mild, not mandatory however it might enhance outcomes.Utilizing the Movie HolderSo, we’ve made our movie holder, now to make use of it! Forgive me to those that thought this might be so simple as loading, capturing and voila, a pleasant prompt picture. The method is far more of, properly, a course of and sadly requires a couple of extra steps than the earlier methodology however may be very related, so apologies for the restatements. Like earlier than, the Massive Shot, Fuji Broad, Instax, and movie holder is introduced right into a darkroom or a darkroom bag. If utilizing a brand new pack of Instax, it’s faraway from its protecting baggie, the sheet of plastic in entrance of the primary slide of movie is then eliminated and a slide of movie is then withdrawn. Though tough, withdrawing the movie by gently urgent on it with each thumbs and sliding it up and out of the slot on the high appears to be the most effective methodology (ensure that your fingers are clear!). The piece of movie is then positioned within the movie holder, ensuring the publicity is going through out.The holder is then positioned into the Massive Shot after which closed. The pack of Instax will be loaded within the Fuji Broad for secure preserving, as to not expose the movie. As soon as closed and faraway from the darkroom/darkroom bag the Massive Shot is able to take a photograph. After the picture is taken, the Massive Shot is introduced again into the darkroom/darkroom bag to take away the movie holder. The movie is then faraway from the movie holder and slid again into the unique pack of Instax, ensuring the chem pack is going through up. The Instax can now be loaded into any Fuji Broad prompt digital camera. As soon as the Fuji Broad is loaded it may be faraway from the darkroom/darkroom bag, the lens lined, after which a photograph is taken. Phew! As I stated a whole lot of repetition and plenty of a step. Nonetheless, the included pictures ought to hopefully illustrate this higher than my phrase salad can.Suggestions For ShootingThe use of a devoted mild meter or meter app is helpful when capturing with the Massive Shot, though you don’t have a lot management. As said beforehand, Instax is 800 iso, the digital camera’s shutter velocity is a hard and fast 1/52 second, and the aperture is just adjustable to f56, f36 or f24. When capturing indoors, a flash is sort of at all times mandatory. Daylight pictures with no flash are actually doable, and I’ve included some under. Talking of flash, because the Acmelite is way bigger than a Magicube, I needed to adhere it to the digital camera utilizing gaffers’ tape, not elegant, however very practical.Finale (lastly…)I’ve included some photographs taken utilizing each “methods” described. Though slightly concerned, when you’ve obtained the hold of it, the method isn’t too unhealthy, and the outcomes are fairly distinctive, particularly for fast pictures. I’m positive this course of will be utilized to different cameras that use Sort 100, though I haven’t tried it on something apart from the Massive Shot. Hopefully this encourages some on the market to experiment with these strategies and get some fascinating photographs on a Massive Shot or different “out of date” cameras.Utilizing Movie Holder and Acme-Lite 138 (No Black Bars)No Movie Holder and Magicubes (Seen Black Bars)Daylight Shot and No Movie Holder (Semi-Seen Black Bars)Concerning the AuthorNicholas Morganti is a panorama, architectural, portrait, and product photographer based mostly in Buffalo, NY. You could find extra of his work on his web site and comply with him on Instagram. This text was additionally printed right here and shared with permission.
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