How to use the Polaroid Land camera Model 180
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JUST A MINUTE, PLEASE Eager as you may be to get at your new camera and begin making pictures, please take the time to go through this booklet carefully before loading film . As you read the text and look at the pictures, go through all the motions of using the camera - without film. Once you get the simple operating routine down pat, load a film pack. We suggest that you start with black and white.
HOW TO OPEN THE CAMERA A magnet holds the top of the cover down . Lift the back edge. You can let the cover hang down while using the camera. Or, to remove the cover, push in on the spring (A) and lift. Lift the finder up and back; the magnet will grip it. Raise button No.1; this unlocks the front of the camera.
Pull the cam e ra front out as far as it will go, until th ere is a definite click and the locking bar (A) snaps into place. If the front isn't fully out and locked, your pictures will be blurred. HOW TO CLOSE THE CAMERA Press down on the locking bar. This releases the front of the camera. Push the front in all the way until it locks. A magnet holds the finder up. Fold the finder down gently. Try not to bang it on the camera.
HOW TO HOLD THE CAMERA Horizontal: Grip the t wo ends. Place your forefingers on the No. 1 buttons; you can easily shift the right forefinger to No. 2 button . To steady the camera, press your elbows into your ribs; rest the camera against your nose. Vertical: Grip the camera as you would for a horizo ntal picture, then tu rn it so your right hand is below. Brace the camera aga inst your forehead and face. IN DIM LIGHT When you're shooting at shutter speeds slower than 1/3 0 sec .
HOW TO FOCUS THE CAMERA The Model 180 has a single window, combined rangefinder / viewfinder with a projected bright frame line that automatically adjusts to the correct size as you focus the camera. Holding the camera horizontal, place your forefingers on both No. 1 buttons a nd push them all the way to your left. Look through the range / viewfinder window (A) and aim the bright spot in the center at a nearby subject (about 4 ft. away, for example).
THE EXPOSURE CONTROLS Shutter speeds: The shutter has 10 speeds, ranging from 1 sec. to 1/500 sec., plus a 8 setting for time exposures. These are set by turning the shutter speed ring (A). T he normal setting for flash (1 / 60) i s marked in yellow. When setting shutter speeds, be sure that the arrow pOints directly at th e speed number, not between two numbers. Lens openings: They can be varied from wide open (1/4.5) to the tiniest aperture (1/90) by turning the aperture control ring (8).
HOW TO COCK THE SHUTTER Push No. 3 button down as far as it will go and let it come up. This cocks the shutter mechanism so it will operate w h en you pres s No. 2 button. If you forget to depre ss No.3 button, noth i ng will happen the ne xt time you try to take a picture except that you will be dis· appointed . HOW TO RELEASE THE SHUTTER No. 2 button is the shutter release. Press it slowly with your forefin ger until you hear a defi nite cl ick. Don't jab at it you may shake the camera .
CHOOSING SHUTTER SPEED AND LENS OPENING One EV number can stand for several combinations of shutter speeds and lens openings, all giving the same exposure. For example, at EV 14 you have a choice of eight combinations ranging from 1/500 sec. at f/5 .6. to 1/2 sec. at f/90. If you grip both the shutter speed ring and the aperture control ring, you can turn them together to anyone of the eight combinations. Which is the best one to use? In general.
PRACTICE THE 1, 2, 3 SYSTEM ONE is for focusing . Look through the finder and aim the bright spot at various subjects. Push the No. 1 buttons and practice bringing together the two images of your subject in the bright spot to make one clear image. Then center your sub· ject inside the bright frame line. TWO is for shooting. Practice pressing the No.2 button slowly until the shutter clicks. I n dim li g ht hold No . 2 down and stay very still until you hear the second click as the shutter closes .
OPEN THE FILM PACKAGE Open the top of the box . In addition to the instruction sheet (please read it) there's a set of print mounts with color film, and a coater in a tube with black and white film. Remove the film package. Handle it gently. Save the box to carry prints in safely . Hold the package near the edges. Don't press on the middle of the package or you may damage one or more pictures.
HOW TO LOAD A FILM PACK Push the back door latch; the door will pop up a short distance. Open the back all the way . Note the steel rollers (A) . They must be kept clean as shown on page 26. Hold the pack by the edges so the printing on the safety cover faces the lens. Push the closed end of the pack under the door hinge, as shown, against a I ight spring tension . Push the pack down into the camera. You'll feel it snap into place. Be sure the white tabs are free and are not folded under the pack.
LOADING (cont.) Close the back door. Press both sides firmly to be sure they latch. The black tab of the safety cover (A) must stick out of the small slot (No.4). If not, reopen the back and lead the tab out into the slot. Grip the black tab with your thumb and forefinger. Pull the safety cover all the way out of the camera without stopping. Pull straight so you won't rip it! Discard the black safety cover. With the safety cover out, a white tab (A) should stick out of the small slot (No.4).
IF THERE'S NO WHITE TAB If, after you remove the safety cover, there's no white tab to pull, do the following in the shade or indoors, not in bright sunlight. Open the back of the camera part way and, without disturbing or moving the film pack, push the end of the white tab out into the open. Close the back of the camera, making sure that both sides are locked securely and the white tab is out in the slot.
HOW TO GET CORRECT EXPOSURE The best way to get correctly exposed pictures is to use a meter consistently. The Polaroid Exposure Meter #628 is designed specifically for use with this camera . It' s accurate, small, light, easy to use, and gives the exposure in EV numbers and combinations of shutter speeds and f·numbers. Instructions for its use come with the meter . An important point to remember is that the meter measures the brightness of the light reflected from the entire scene .
HOW TO TAKE A PICTURE After setting the shutter speed and proper EV number (or f·number) for correct exposure, do the following: 1. FOCUS: Look at your subject through the viewfinder. Come close enough to fill most of the frame. Push the No. 1 but· tons until the bright spot shows a single clear image of the most important part of your subject Center your subject in the bright frame. 2. SHOOT: Firmly but smoothly press No. 2 button, the shutter release, until you hear a distinct click. Don't jab at No.
HOW TO DEVELOP THE PICTURE Hold the camera in your left hand, as shown, with the lens pointing straight ahead of you. Don't hold it any other way. Grip the small white tab with your thumb and forefinger. Pull the white tab straight out of the camera, all the way, without stopping. When you pull the white tab out, a concealed door (A) opens and a yellow tab pops out. Don't block this door while pulling the tabs. I f no yellow tab pops out when you pull the white tab, stop. Don't pull another white tab.
... Pull the yellow tab straight out of the camera all the way, swiftly, without hesitating. This starts development of your picture, so begin timing as soon as you get the tab out. How fast is a swift pull 7 It should take about as long as it takes you to say, " PULL IT" briskly, each time you pull the tab. If your picture is full of white specks, puJl a bit slower. The picture develops outside the camera.
IF NO YELLOW TAB POPS OUT AS YOU PULL THE WHITE TAB Stop! Don't pull another white tab. I nstead, gently open the camera back Just enough to get one finger under it to hold down the film pack and keep it in place. Do this indoors or in the shade, not in bright sun. While holding the pack down lightly with a fingertip, slowly open the back all the way. Steady the pack with your left hand and take hold of the topmost yellow PULL tab, as shown.
TEMPERATURE IS IMPORTANT Cold and heat have a great effect on the way your picture develops and on the print quality. Even moderate cold can ruin your pictures unless you take precautions. The important factor is the temperature of the camera and film at the time you're developing the picture. A loaded camera carried outdoors in - cold weather for half an hour gets thor· oughly chilled. If you then enter a warm house and a few minutes later shoot a flash color picture, the results are likely to be bad.
POINTERS FOR GOOD NATURAL LIGHT PICTURES FOR COLOR PICTURES Use bright sun: You'll get strongest colors if your subject is in bright sun (but . you can also get very pleasing results on an overcast but bright day). Have plenty of color: Look for subjects and backgrounds with strong, bright colors in big, solid chun ks. If your subject isn't wearing colorful clothes, add color with a bright skirt, scarf, or jacket.
BLACK AND WHITE PRINTS MUST BE COATED Coat all black and white pictures as soon as it is convenient to do so - within two hours, if possible . If prints are left uncoated for more than a few hours they may begin to fade and streak. Avoid touching the face of uncoated prints as they are easily damaged; carry them in an empty film box. I n each black and white film box there's a tube containing a coater. This is a wad of absorbent material soaked with a clear liquid; it's in a plastic handle.
FLASH AND ELECTRONIC FLASH There is a special Polaroid flashgun for this camera, the Model 280. It clips onto the camera and fires when you press the No.2 button. Once the bas ic settings for color or black and white film are made, you just focus the camera on your subject ; the camera / flashgun combination then sets the exposure for you automatically . Complete instructions for making flash pictures are packed with each flashgun. The flashgun connection is on the side of the shutter.
ACCESSOR I ES These simple·to·u se accessories can add greatly to your picture t aking f un . Exposure Meter #628. Quickly gives correct exposure settings for color and black and white f ilms in a wide ran ge of lighti ng co nditions . The inform at ion is given in both EV numbers and combina· tions of f·numbers and shu tter spe eds . Filter Kit #595. It con tain s three items i n a neat carrying case. The #596 Cloud Filter for black and white picture s makes white clouds stand out against th e blue sky.
CARE OF THE CAMERA Keep the rollers clean: Dirt on the rollers causes repeated spots on the print (right). It may also cause poor colors, and even prevent the yellow tab from popping out. Bits of developer can collect on the rollers and in the back of the camera. It's a good idea to inspect the rollers before loading each new film pack. You can also check them when the camera is loaded with film, provided that you don't disturb the film pack, or lift it out.
Clean the lens gently: Never use silicone coated eyeglass tissues on it. Blowdustoff or brush it off lightly. Breathe gently on the lens to m.oisten it, wipe lightly with clean , dry absorbent cotton. Clean the view/rangefinder windows in the same way. PROTECT FILM AND CAMERA FROM HEAT Extreme heat and high humidity can damage your films, especially after the film pack has been placed in the camera. Don't leave a loaded camera or packages of film lying in direct sun.
Place the Cold-Clip, with the picture assembly inside, between your body and arm. Develop the picture for 60 seconds inside the Cold-Clip next to body heat, then remove the picture assembly and separate the print from the negative. Occasionally, developer may leak from the picture assembly and stick to the Cold-Clip. Avoid contact with this material. (Please read the CAUTION paragraph in your film instructions.) Before using the Cold-Clip, wipe it clean with a damp cloth.
White, faint image or none: Film was greatly overe xposed or light struck. This will happen if you pull the safety cover before putting the film pack in the camera, or if you remove a film pack from the camera after pulling out the black safety cover. One possible cause is that you exposed for color film when the camera was loaded with black and white. Black, faint image or none: If no details at all are visible, the shutter didn't open. Perhaps you didn't reset No. 3 button .
Undeveloped or streaked areas in print : There may be a single blank white area, or a combination of blank areas and streaks (orange in co lor pictures) as s hown at right . You pu l led two or more white tabs before pulling a yellow tab, and caused one of the following: uneven spread of developer; jammed film; or developer smeared on the rollers. If you get a picture Ii ke the one at the right, always inspect and clean the rollers before taking more pictures .
Oblong in print: The oblong is pink or red in a color picture . You didn't pull the white tab all the way out of the camera. As a result, when you pulled the yellow tab, the white tab was dragged back into the camera and spoiled the picture. Always pull the white tab all the way out of the camera (page 18). Undeveloped edges or corners: Such picture flaws are usually caused by pulling the white or yellow tab out at an angle. In this example the tab was pulled down, instead of straight.
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