Product Information
The Premium Model
The Premium Model, based upon the Deluxe model with an added bonus. A brand new hand made leather strap from GordysCameraStraps.com. As with all our cameras we’ve added the rechargeable battery system, and the ability for the photographer to use strobes and electronic flash units. We offer a number of pre-configured options as well as the full range of accessories.
The defining feature of the Deluxe Model is the ability to use modern electronic x-sync flash units. We’ve altered the timing of the flash trigger mechanism for better compatibility with all electronic flashes. whether its a studio strobe or on-camera flash, your camera will fire the flash at the correct time when using electronic flash units. Like the professional model 180 and 195′s we’ve added a simple ‘Cold Shoe’ to the top of your camera. Here you can mount a flash, or Hot Shoe that will trigger a single flash unit or an array of studio lights.
To read more about the flash system see the 'Details' tab
About our Cameras
We take pride in each camera rebirth; up to 4 hours of cleaning, and care goes into each camera restoration . Whether you’re interested in a Standard, Deluxe or Premium Model, all cameras pass the same rigorous quality testing before we invest the time and effort into restoration. See Details tab for all the steps we take with each model.
LiFePo4 Battery: A modern solution to an old problem
Polaroid pack film cameras use power in two places; the light sensor and the magnetic shutter. Power draw from these two systems is low enough that the original battery can last a year or more with normal usage. Most normal rechargeable batteries have a full charge shelf life of less than 3 months. This means that you’d have to recharge your camera even if you didn’t use it for a few months.
All our cameras include
- Rebirth Certificate
- Charger
- Battery/Flash instruction manual
- Original Manual
GORDY’S CAMERA STRAPS : A premium Feature
Its no question that after nearly 40 years some of these camera straps have seen better days. Often we would receive cameras that are nearly perfect, yet the strap left something to be desired. After searching for quite a while, we discovered Gordy Coale. Gordy is a leather craftsman who specializes in fabricating unique, one of a kind camera straps for photographers worldwide.
We contacted Gordy with our request and after a few days, a package arrived on our doorstep. Gordy had built us a new line of straps specifically for our cameras. Wrapped in red heavy duty wax thread to custom match the shutter button. Inspired by the original Polaroid strap adjustment, Gordy invented a new way to adjust his straps. This adjustment lug, now an option for all straps he makes, comes standard with our straps.
Visit: "Gordy's Camera Straps", to view some of his other work.
ELECTRONIC FLASH : Solving the flashbulb delima
The X-Sync upgrade performed Deluxe models and above are a electro-mechanical modification to the shutter and flash system. The common wisdom has been that these cameras are not compatible with modern electronic flash units, completely true. The original flash system was based on flash bulbs which needed to be replaced after every exposure. The nature of flash bulbs required the flash to be “ignited” slightly before the shutter was fully open. This is known as “M-Sync” (reference from Wikipedia).
Modern “X-Sync” flash systems are fast enough that they need to be triggered at the moment the shutter is fully open. If one were to place an electronic flash on a “M-Sync” camera, the result would be uneven and cutoff light, as the flash would fire before the shutter was fully open. The modification performed on this camera corrects the timing issue.
In addition to performing the internal upgrades to the shutter, a ‘Cold Shoe’ will be installed on the top of your camera. This allows a convenient mounting point for any flash that you choose to use with your camera. The cold shoe is made of high quality stainless steel, and securely attached to the camera body. Many flash units are quite wide and may not fit in the space between the viewfinder. To overcome this please use the Hot Shoe
Finally, with every flash upgrade or complete camera we’ve also included a “Hot Shoe” kit that. This kit includes the hot shoe block as well as a cable. The cable is used to connect the hot shoe to the lens housing in the front of the camera. The hot shoe block serves two purposes – To provide communication between the camera and the flash, as well as raise the height of the flash above the viewfinder.
Detailed restoration process
The only differences in restoration that you will find from the deluxe/Premium models is the Flash modifications and Internal lens cleaning.
- Fully clean entire body
- Viewfinder disassembled and cleaned
- Touch-up paint on any chips to avoid future corrosion
- Clean Battery box
- Install new battery wiring
- Replace light seal foam
- Install “Cold Shoe” on top of camera body (Deluxe Model Only)
- Disassemble lens housing, clean “electronic eye” light meter (Deluxe Model Only)
- Modify shutter for x-sync flash (Deluxe Model Only)
- Clean and Lubricate internal lenses and shutter mechanics (Deluxe Model Only)
- Check Lens for scratching or fogging
- Test battery operation and shutter speeds against known camera
- Check bellows for light-tightness
- UV treatment on bellows
- Lubricate all joints
- Check Range finder focus with ground glass
- Test flash functionality (Deluxe Model Only)
- Test photo
- Charge Battery
- Clean Rollers, test for wear
| Features | Elemental Model | Standard Model | Classic Model | Deluxe Model | Premium Model |
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| Battery Charger (and battery) |  |
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| “Care and Feeding” guide for battery/flash | |
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| Re-Birth Certificate | |
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| Polaroid Model 100/240 | |
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| Polaroid Model 360 | |
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| Polaroid Model 250 | |
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| Zeiss-Ikon large or small viewfinder | |
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| Flash Included | |
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| Flash x-sync capability / modification | |
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| Hot-shoe / sync cable kit | |
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| Hand-made “Gordy’s” camera strap | |
See Add-ons above or Original Accessories page
We will email you with an estimated ship date within two days of placing your order
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