DIY #191 Polaroid Cable Release

Ok... so you just bought a brand 'new' Polaroid Land Camera, automatic or not, one of those nice folding pack cameras (which uses polaroid type 80 and type 100 peel apart films or even fuji's peel apart films)

Now you really want to try long exposures shots! Yeah! That's pretty cool.
You already have a tripod, the camera, the film.

Having an automatic model you have already figured out that blocking the 'electronic eye' and keeping shutter button pressed down will keep shutter opened until you release it

If you are lucky and have one of those 180, 190 or 195 *rare* land cameras, all you have to do it's just to set to B mode, press shutter button, release when done..

But you just realized that a cable release is a must have, because even with a tripod you'll probably shake it.

After looking for a Polaroid #191 Cable Release at eBay you realized (like me) that it's a rare item, so it's expensive, even other sites where this accessory is cheaper, an international shipping can be expensive.

Ok...

What about making an adapter for using one of those widely available cable release for those film cameras with threaded mount?

I've tried google but haven't found anything.

So I went to my local film store, bought a cable release which I'd paid for it, let's say, US$ 15,00 (I'm sure you can find it for less money, maybe you already have one...)





At home I went to my tool box and found a piece of 1 meter of a transparent/crystal flexible tube that I bought for... well, I don't remember
Its cost: US$ 0,50 one meter.





I cut a piece of it and tried it on my camera... SCORE!!! \o////

Perfect fit, could be better?

Well, so what I would need next is something to fix the cable on it... but what?

A closer look at my tool box I found a small plastic piece, one used as a water pressure reducer on those electric showers, very common in Brazil.

I've tried it on that piece of tube, guess what? SCORE!!!

Yeah!





All I would need next is something to fix the cable on it... another look at my tool box... nothing.

What kind of clue would... wait... I tried the cable thread in the plastic piece hole... and... YEAH, again, SCORE!!! it fitted and stayed tight





I would say: JACKPOT!


After testing it, adjusting the tube's length... perfect fit, works nice, not that pretty look but not that ugly yet...





The better: it cost me only the US$ 15,00 of the cable release instead of paying more than one hundred bucks plus international shipping, plus some nights without sleeping thinking if the postal service (www.correios.com.br) would be able to deliver it or it would just be lost or STOLEN on the way to my address.


The parts:

- The camera (Polaroid Land Camera (automatic or not))
- One shutter release cable
- A small piece of a flexible tube 12mm internal diameter (2mm thick)
- One cheap electric shower
- "exacto knife"




The procedure:

Cut the tube (note that the "exacto knife" is sharp, so take care of your fingers... even your tongue) 30mm is a good length, open the electric shower package, find the water pressure reducer, it's a small piece with a hole on it, throw the shower away, you won't need it...
Put the plastic piece in the tube, insert the cable thread in the hole (mine fitted nice)
Test the cable on the camera... time for adjusting tube's length, if needed... c'est voilà





As I said before, it's a good and cheap way to avoid the high cost of the original #191 Polaroid Cable Release, but if you find it for a good price, take it! \o/


If you found this info useful (I think it is) and want to make a donation, let's say US$ 0,05, be my guest, the paypal button is laying somewhere =)


If you had success doing this and want share some words... yeah... let me know.


Sorry the poor English and have nice shots!