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Polaroid 545 for dummies (questions)

 
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Murray@uptowngallery.org



Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Posts: 164
Location: Holland MI

PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2004 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My being-repaired 4x5 CG came with a well-used Polaroid 545 filmholder and 4 boxes of expired refrigerated film.

I am having some issues with the filmholder that may be operator error. In the process of learning how it worked, I suspected the tab at the end might not be releasing and was led to the skgrimes.com service note to check condition of the 'tab grabber'. No problem there, and the R (release?) plunger makes a big difference!

What I am having trouble understanding is what guarantees the film will go back into the sleeve when it is reinserted? Am I not supposed to pull it completely out?

I don't have the details here to inquire about, but it is not clear where the little rod with flags on it goes. There is a wear spot that suggests where it sits. I will take a digital photo to clarify what I am asking about if it's still a problem after the question about full or partial removal of the sleeve is answered.

Thank you

Murray
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t.r.sanford



Joined: 10 Nov 2003
Posts: 812
Location: East Coast (Long Island)

PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 12:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No, you don't pull the sleeve all the way out of the holder. There is some sturdy tape on the outside of the paper that will gently contact a lip inside the slot, and tell you by feel when the sleeve is fully clear of the film. When you feel that hitch, you stop pulling.

The "545" holder is somewhat susceptible to not gripping the metal flange at the end of the sleeve, if you don't cultivate some body English and do some twiddling when necessary. I am told that the original "500" holder was much worse in this regard.

But all in all, it is an elegant system, illustrative of Polaroid's ability to come up with things that inspire one to say, variously, "How do they do that?" or "Why didn't I think of that?"
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 2:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't even think you could get the sleeve out of a 545? Maybe I never pulled hard enough?

Seriously, TR is right of course and I'm just adding to it because there's not much else going on

The sleeve is deffinitely not supposed to come out all the way. That's the problem when trying to use the old 500 holder. It doesn't have a stop mechanism compatible with current films and the sleeve will pull right out. It's supposed to stop with the 545 series, and does with mine...

If you don't feel a deffinite stop position when you're pulling the sleeve out, then it may be a good idea to look into the mechanism. It may just be defective... If it is, you can still use it by making sure you don't pull the sleeve out all the way. If you search for messages here about the 500 holder, you'll find the info on how far to pull before it's too far...

As for the "little rod with flags"??? Boy ya got me on that one. A better description or picture would really help there...
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Murray@uptowngallery.org



Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Posts: 164
Location: Holland MI

PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2004 3:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ref: http://www.skgrimes.com/545/parts/
Item 28: Envelope latch.

The exploded view lacks detail where the envelope latch lies. I see two short squarish tabs that point up perpendicularly from the film plane. The envelope latch either lies in front of or behind those tabs (depending on your perspective), or sits on TOP of the tabs. One if my tabs has a groove worn in it, so that's why I wonder if it's supposed to sit up on top. It doesn't seem to want to stay there.

I did not need the rubber bands and driver license trick Mr Grimes offered to hold the springs down. My springs latch into a small lip at each side OK.

Maybe the driver's license accomplishes proper insertion of the envelope latch.

Murray
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 2:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I have to admit that the blow-up didn't help me in the least. It's a lousy representation of the internals and doesn't help much at seeing how the holder goes together...

I had to dig out my 545 just to see where that latch actually sits... And I'm not going to take mine apart to see what holds it in!

But I can see it. If you open the roller compartment and take out the top roller, you can see it sitting in the film slot. The two little tabs seem to be facing away from the rollers.

Now with the lever in the Load position, the tabs are just about touching the flat surface of the film plane. When the lever is moved to Process, or the "R" lever pushed in, that bar lifts up flat with the top/front of the case out of the way of the film envelope.

So, while the lever is in the Load position, the tabs would catch the end of the film envelope and prevent it from coming out of the holder. When the "R" buttong is press in the Process position, the bar is moved up and out of the way so the film envelope can be completely removed...

That's how it's suppoed to work. You can see it move if you look through the slot with the roller removed...


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Baker



Joined: 08 Apr 2002
Posts: 85
Location: Texas

PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 4:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2004-06-07 19:21, RichS wrote:
I didn't even think you could get the sleeve out of a 545? Maybe I never pulled hard enough?

Yeah, you can, and surprisingly easily. I got a little over-enthusiatic one time and yanked it right out; had to take the holder off the camera and open it up to get the film out. I was trying to take a group picture of a bunch of photographers (at the school newspaper's Christmas party) -- kinda embarassing.
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Murray@uptowngallery.org



Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Posts: 164
Location: Holland MI

PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This AM driving to work I visualized those 'flags' on the latch catching the strip on the end of the sheet of film, probably to keep it from coming out! No problem inserting. Kind of like those things at parking lots to discourage driving out the wrong way.

Either mine is in the wrong position or I was overzealous. I guess the R lever lifts that latch to allow the strip to pass when extracting.

Thanks all.

Murray
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t.r.sanford



Joined: 10 Nov 2003
Posts: 812
Location: East Coast (Long Island)

PostPosted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 3:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of the things you can do with the "R" clutch -- and this was mentioned in the original documentation supplied with the "545" -- is hold it down while the roller actuating lever is in the L (load) position, which releases the latch that grips the metal flange on the end of the film, so you can reclose and withdraw an exposed film packet without processing it.

You might want to do that if you've got the exposure right, and you have to make six or eight shots in quick succession, not timing and peeling each after you've exposed it.

You can do that, and then when time permits, reinsert each in turn with the lever at the Load position, then swing the lever to Process and proceed normally until you've got them all processed.

This is especially helpful with color material, which has a long developing time, when you're photographing a series of events happening in a static setting but in quick succession, like an awards presentation ceremony.
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Murray@uptowngallery.org



Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Posts: 164
Location: Holland MI

PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, my problem was trying to put the film latch in then the cover which has the film pressure springs.

I see that the latch goes into a well in the cover, and apparently should cover the small ends of the film pressure springs, behind the rivets. These appear to be secondary functional springs that keep the latch in it's 'sprung' or 'up' position.

Something is still hanging up on film insertion. I may have bent the springs by not having them under the latch then inserting film. I will try to post photos somewhere so someone can agree or disagree with the 'health' of my springs between the rivets and the film insertion aperture.

The photos may be if use to others in the future who find inadequate detail in the previously referenced photos on the web.

Murray
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Murray@uptowngallery.org



Joined: 03 Apr 2002
Posts: 164
Location: Holland MI

PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My photos didn't impress me so I didn't save them.

The solution was to pretty much follow the SKGrimes instructions, which I had tried to cut corners from. I used a driver's license without the rubber bands (I couldn't get them out when I tried them, again probably operator error) to hold the film latch down over the spring ends, installed the cover with film pressure springs and slid the license out, and it works. I STILL pulled ANOTHER film sleeve out because I held the release plunger in while I pulled the sleeve. It would be easier when the filmholder is in a camera instead of in one hand because you're trying to do three things with two hands.

Thanks for the walk-thru.

Murray
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london



Joined: 20 Jun 2004
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sun Jun 20, 2004 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I can hijack the thread for a moment, I have a similar problem, but I am somewhat less optimistic.
The 'envelope latch' on a recently bought 545 holder is absent, there is nothing to hold down the short ends of the springs. In fact, one of the 'short ends' does not even exist as it is snappe doff at the rivet.
Is there any hope for me? In my optimism I wonder if I can snap the other short end of the spring and cross my fingers. Does the holder really need the 'envelope latch'?

Polaroid has a nifty picture of the latch on page 14 of http://www.polaroid.com/service/userguides/photographic/4x5filmguide.pdf

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