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Unread 10-17-2018, 03:40 PM   #12
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Todd,

The film pack adapter you show was not for use with Polaroid file. The Polaroid adapter for a 4x5 view camera was a far more complex and heavier device employing cast metal, springs and levers which was only able to expose and process one shot at a time. Each unit of print paper was in an over sleeve which contained amounts of the activating chemical and a second “negative” piece of transfer paper. When the packet unit was slipped into the special camera back the over sleeve was withdrawn, the exposure made and the cover slipped back in place. Then a lever was thrown which compressed a set of sprung rollers and the entire packet pulled from the back, the rollers squashed the chemicals and rolled them over the surface of the positive and negative pieces of paper. After a period of time, one to three minutes if I recall correctly, the two pieces of paper were peeled apart and the positive print could be examined. If the positive print was to be preserved it needed to be wiped with a special preservative squeegee of fluid - rather sticky. After a studio session you might find yourself knee deep in test prints and trash. It was not a cheap process, but in the days of waiting for processed negative and color film it was an excellent way to test setup and lighting balance.

The film pack adapter shown was a different device used for speed, cleanliness and convenience. I do not remember exactly how many shots this afforded, maybe 6, 8 or 12. It was an alternative to thick base cut film ordinarily used in two shot reversible backs or six shot or 12 shot magazines where each piece of film was individually loaded into a rigid metal septum and then all into the magazine. A lot of hand work and a lot of attention was paid to avoiding dust. The film pack used a thinner base film much like the kind of film used in 120 and 35mm size roll film and the like. Being flexible each sheet could be interleaved with a green/black piece of papers which when pulled would roll the exposed film to the back of the pack and make the next sheet of film ready to be exposed. The pack itself was just over 4x5 inches and about a half inch thick. This made it convenient for a news photographer, for instance, to carry several packs in a jacket pocket. Look closely at the picture of the Graphic adapter you will see the pull arrow on the dark green tab and you will notice that the device also has a traditional dark slide too.

Mostly these were used in 4x5 inch press cameras by the news guys you think of with their press card stuck in their Stetson hat bands, but other sizes were available to, and often used by other sorts of photographers.
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