So a customer in Japan asked me if I can show him how to make a pack, cause mailing anything overseas is so darn expensive now and I made a short video, and it’s now a Rescue Me page! This one’s for you, Massa!
DIARY
Hey Andrzej, here comes some help – IP Lab conversion tip
If you’re Andrzej and you’ve just sent me an email asking for help with the IP lab conversion, I just added a note with photos in the Install your RB67 analogue.studio Impossible Lab conversion kit! Rescue Me page!
Your yahoo email bounces so I had to find a way and hoping you see this!
For everyone else, this is how to correctly reconnect – notice the orientation of the blue tape – the ribbon cable to the eject board when you build your Polaroid Back from an Impossible Project Lab.
Polaroid Back news!
Head out to the RB67 Polaroid back page in the Candy Store and snap the last available Impossible Lab Based Polaroid Back for Mamiya RB67!
Yes I know I’ve said I’m discontinuing these before, but low and behold, I keep finding Impossible Labs for reasonable price and I make another one. But as I said before, the base for the product is old, long discontinued and rarely available at a decent price. So if i find another decently priced Impossible Lab, I’ll make another back based on it, and I will continue making conversion kits as long as there’s a demand.
All that being said and as promised, I have now finished two working prototypes of the new version of the Polaroid Backs for Mamyia RB67. They have functional dark slides, they run on 4AAA batteries, and the eject is one touch automatic. There’s also an on/off switch. Are these “better” than the Impossible Lab based ones? Functionally they are absolutely identical. The IP lab version has built in rechargeable battery, this runs on AAA. That’s the only real difference. What will be different is the price. The IP Lab version is (now) $340 plus shipping options (conus/canada is still free shipping), the “new” version will be more expensive. How much? I don’t know yet. There’s significant more work to make these and I have to source a laser cut dark slide and new electronics. Official launch is still a few weeks away.
What about the RZ version I keep talking about. I took the next logical step and bought a (broken) RZ body to move to the next stage. I am now confident I have a working dark slide solution (already tested on the RB version), and enough backfocus to make the mating connectors part. Eta? I don’t know. Two months? Maybe sooner.
Just to reiterate, all these backs take available integral Polaroid film, as in itype, type600 or SX70. They do not work with instax film.
Stay tuned
long live Polaroid Backs – new design, RZ67 in the works.
After a full year of sitting on it, i took the time and finished the design for using newer itype Polaroid cameras as a support for my Polaroid backs!
Impossible Lab limited and super expensive inventory, move aside!
Here is the prototype for an integral film Polaroid Back for RB67 (for now, since this is my most used camera).
It uses 4 AA batteries as power source for the motor so no more recharging, lost charging cables, etc. The charge from one set of AA should last for quite a while, have not tested it yet but I would not be surprised if it lasts for 20-30 packs, one alkaline AAA has a capacity of ~2000 mah, which is more than 6 times the capacity of the Impossible Lab batteries (old or the replacements I make/sell).
I know I know there’s already other backs out there on ebay that use iType cameras as the basis for Polaroid Backs so how it this special ?
- Mine has a dark slide (stainless steel). My competition does not. And it’s really nice to have one.
- The backs have single action automated eject. You press the eject button once, it ejects one frame. You need to keep pressing the eject button till the frame ejects for the “other” backs and you can easily eject multiple frames at once, since the polaroid eject action is so quick. Sure, you can get used to this but why?
So when can you buy these? Not just yet. This is just the prototype, the finished product will look slightly different and may use a nicer looking and less fragile eject button. And still need to undergo testing. So maybe mid September 2022 till they hit the market.
What about the other systems you’re making backs for based on IP labs? I will redesign those this fall, maybe available in Oct 2022 or so?
And the question I receive so often, what about RZ67?
Yes, it’s possible, based on my measurements. As a matter of fact, I am working on the design now and stay tuned for news mid September 2022, hoping to have a prototype by then and maybe have it on the market by mid October 2022.
What about Hasseblad series V or Bronica SQ, etc? Nope, sadly never. Those systems are simply too tight and they have a frame size of 58x58mm, so Polaroid film is such a waste on them anyway. Instax square is my only (complicated and therefore expensive) option for Hasselblad now and yes, I will make more of those backs.
Mamiya RB67 and Fuji GX680 Polaroid backs in stock
One of each.
Lead time is about 1 week.
End of message.
a Polaroid Back for Fuji GX680 cameras
As promised, now available:
FujiGX680 (all versions) Polaroid Back (itype/type600/sx70 film)
2 units ready to build (2 weeks lead time).
Shipping Updates
I have shipped the first 4 orders of the Hasselblad Instax Back, hurray. A bit of a milestone, all sorts of little unexpected delays, but a lot more mature product now.
Serial numbers 5 and 6 will ship at the end of February 2022, I will be on vacation till mid February.
RB67 backs and kits are going to be shipped up to orders placed before January 11th 2022, I will resume the production in mid February as well.
order status and upcoming products
I’m catching up with the Hasselblad Instax Square back orders, shipped 2 and 2 more to go out by the end of this week.
My instax wide manual back is on hold pending time to finish the design. As well as the conversion to using Itype cameras for Polaroid backs, the same lack of time.
But lo and behold, two new things on the pipeline:
1- a dslr scanning adapter for film from 35mm to 6×8 (separate masks for each film), with a manual film feed using rollers. This is already done and printed, in testing phase, I’ll probably put it on the market in late February 2022. I will price it substantially less than existing adapters on the market. Sure, it’s mostly all 3d printed, but it should work fine. – PS working on a 4×5 holder as well. You’ll need to use your own lightsource, but I don’t see that as a major problem. Planning to use a simple LED panel for start.
2- an integral Polaroid Back for Fuji GX-680 cameras. This is a special project and really in the early design phase. It’ll probably _not_ reach infinity focus with most native GX-680 lenses, but may if using 4×5 lenses on the camera. Stay tuned, I’m really excited about this one.
Hasseblad Instax Square Back production delays (not that bad, and fixing it)
1) i’ve encountered some issues with the fiber optic plate pressing too hard on the film and preventing eject for the first couple of pictures. It’s been a bit difficult to fix since it requires a lot of experimentation and had to print a lot of drafts at full resolution (.1mm layers), and that takes about 1.5 days from print start to the test. I’m getting very close. I was also sick for a bit, had a bit of unplanned travel, etc.
2) given all that, I am hoping/planning to ship the October 2021 orders mid next week (~December 14th).
3) I know i’m way over the estimate, my apologies. Should have beta tested this a bit more before release.
4) this of course allowed me to make a few other minor fixes, but yes, not an excuse.
Hsq shipping updates
Targeting shipping for the first Hasselblad Instax Square Back orders next week (Oct 22nd-26th). Had to work a few bugs out, apologies.
More Mamiya Instax Wide in stock soon as well too.
