A polaroid conundrum

RaglanSurf

RaglanSurf

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Nick
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I've recently picked up an SX-70 and it had a film pack still in it, there are still some shots left in it but the built in battery is dead so I was thinking is it possible to load a sheet in my pinhole camera, expose it and then manually activate the chemical process?

What would be the best way to activate the dev process? Would I have to do it in a dark bag?

Obviously the film may be completely ****ed but it's got to be worth a go.
 
steveo_mcg said:
Can't you do some surgery and replace the battery?
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I'm not sure I can without destroying the film pack, unless someone knows differently.
 
From what I understand Nick, when the photo is taken, the film/paper is ejected from the camera through rollers that squeeze the film.

This squeezing causes the chemicals to be released, thus developing the film and producing the image.

Obviously no battery power means this process won't work.

To do it manually you're looking at copying the "squeezing" process somehow.

Wether it needs to be done in complete darkness, i don't know tbh because under normal circumstaces the film would be coming out into daylight would it not?

Can the film be removed by hand, sheet by sheet without destroying the actaul film pack??....if so then you could at least get the exposed sheets out and then "squeeze" them!

Talk about" impossible project"....this could be close to one! lol....still worth a try though.
 
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Asha said:
From what I understand Nick, when the photo is taken, the film/paper is ejected from the camera through rollers that squeeze the film.

This squeezing causes the chemicals to be released, thus developing the film and producing the image.

Obviously no battery power means this process won't work.

To do it manually you're looking at copying the "squeezing" process somehow.

Wether it needs to be done in complete darkness, i don't know tbh because under normal circumstaces the film would be coming out into daylight would it not?
Click to expand...

It would be coming out in daylight but presumably the chemicals will be activated before it hits the light.
 
If you had an empty pack with a good battery, could you not open the camera in yer dark tent and then carefully remove the remaining 'sheets' and re-insert in the empty, charged pack, then reinsert this in yer camera, all in darkness? Aren't the sheets just held in place by a spring at the bottom of the pack? I think I have an empty pack with a good battery if you want to try?
 
compulsivehordr said:
If you had an empty pack with a good battery, could you not open the camera in yer dark tent and then carefully remove the remaining 'sheets' and re-insert in the empty, charged pack, then reinsert this in yer camera, all in darkness? Aren't the sheets just held in place by a spring at the bottom of the pack? I think I have an empty pack with a good battery if you want to try?
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That would be brilliant Al.
 
Or.. if you really want to pinhole it.. Remove the unexposed sheet in darkness, place it within your large pinhole camera in darkness, expose (in lightness,) remove from the pinhole and place in second charged pack in darkness, then place the pack in the SX-70 and take a shot (in darkness or perhaps with your hand over the lens) and voila! The SX-70 does the processing/squeezing bit of your pinholearoid!
 
compulsivehordr said:
Or.. if you really want to pinhole it.. Remove the unexposed sheet in darkness, place it within your large pinhole camera in darkness, expose (in lightness,) remove from the pinhole and place in second charged pack in darkness, then place the pack in the SX-70 and take a shot (in darkness or perhaps with your hand over the lens) and voila! The SX-70 does the processing/squeezing bit of your pinholearoid!
Click to expand...

Genius, I like the way you think :thumbs:
 
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