A couple months ago, I shot a pictorial showing how to use Impossible Project film in a Mamiya RB67.   Ever since then, I’ve been intrigued with the idea of using instant film in various cameras.  The fact that you can use film in a camera it’s not intended for is so cool to me!  You can breathe life into old cameras.  This morning, I was looking at the size of PZ680 Spectra film, and I noticed a dusty old Polaroid 95A sitting on my shelf.  When I got this thing, it was basically useless.  Film for this camera hasn’t been made in a loooong time.

Would the back be big enough to fit a frame of Spectra film in?

Like a glove.  I did some quick research online about the camera; f/8.8 with shutter speeds from 1/12th – 1/100th & a bulb setting.  Using this technique, I extracted the photo from my Spectra and put it inside the 95A while in the darkroom,*my closet*.  NOTE: When closed, the 95A’s back holds the film in place perfectly.  Nothing extra is needed to keep the film flat & in place.  If you’re removing film from your camera in the darkroom/closet, you will need a darkslide to put over the top of the cartridge BEFORE inserting it back in the camera.  

– CLICK HERE for the Polaroid 95A Manual –

The camera has notches for focusing from 3.5 – 50ft.  To check its close focus, I snapped a quick photo inside my bathroom, with the lens roughly 21 inches away from the mirror.   I metered the scene; 1/4th,  f/8 @ 640.  I tripped the shutter at the #1 setting @ 1/12th.

EDIT: Once I shot the image, I took the camera into the darkroom/closet to extract the photo, slid it back into an empty cartridge, stuck the cartridge in the Spectra and it ejected the image to start development.

SWEET.   I went up the road to Archinal Camera and had Robert test the shutter speeds.   On the 95A I have, the average shutter speeds are …

1.  1/12th

2.  1/20th

3.  1/35th

4.  1/60th

5.  1/65th

6.  1/70th

7.  1/80th

8.  1/100th

When testing, the speeds were a little erratic.   They would jump around slightly, but for the most part, when I pressed the shutter release slowly, the results were fairly consistent.

NOTE: If this is something you are going to try, take in account that with the 95A you might have, there will be some variances to the shutter speeds because of aged mechanical parts.  Also, when using this method, because of the 95A’s limited range of functionality & Impossible’s film sensitivity, you will be restricted as to where and when you can shoot.  

I loaded up another image later on in the evening and shot a 1 second exposure of a reflection near my house focusing at 50 ft.   I used the bulb setting on the 95A and estimated the one second exposure.

It’s a little overexposed (and not too great of an image) BUT at least I know for the things I’ll use this for, the focusing works.

Also, for close-ups at 3.5 ft, FRAMING IS DIFFICULT.   I took a quick picture of my neighbor Tom and as you can see, I wasn’t quite centered completely.  The viewfinder really doesn’t work for this distance, so you will have to try and position the lens where you think it should be for the composition.  Tom was really excited to have his picture taken.  His father used to take pics of him with a Polaroid 95A in the 50’s …

Later on in the evening, I grabbed a picture of the South Side building near downtown Dallas.   NOTE: All images are reversed when shot through the 95A … 

If you’ve got a Polaroid 95A just sitting on the shelf, like so many people do, it can still be used!  When/if you try this,  I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK!  As long as there are no light leaks and you gently handle the film when moving it from place to place, everything should be OK.  Granted, it’s not the easiest way to make an image, and there are a handful of extra variables, but who cares.   If you enjoy a roundabout creative process, pick yourself up some Spectra film and try it out!

Take your time and enjoy the fruits of your labor 😉

-Justin