I've been collecting vintage cameras before I started my photography career. Thus started my collect of cameras, new and old.. broken or working, I've collected so many over the years. As a photographer, this gave me the knowledge of how cameras work. I then made it my mission to look into every vintage camera I own, to refurbish and use them!
This is the story of the Polaroid 3300 BF.
Lost and found.
I found this point and shoot camera in the mix of my collection. I opened it and found that there was a roll of Royal Gold Kodak film loaded and ready to shoot. More reason for me to clean this baby up and shoot the expired film that I found inside - it felt like Christmas!!
I started by cleaning the corrosion build up using vinegar and a Q-tip. The vinegar will fizz when it comes in contact with corrosion. I kept applying the vinegar until I don't hear fizzing. I then make sure to wipe off the access vinegar and leave to air dry. Mean while, I took a rough sponge and some rubbing alcohol and managed to remove the sticky, gunky residue that has been on this camera for lord knows how long.
This camera takes two different batteries, 2 AA batteries at the bottom of the camera and one 3 volt lithium cell battery on the inside of the back of the camera door - this battery is used to add a time and or date stamp on your images.. so retro!
Now that the camera is alive!! I now need to tend to the film.
Because this is expired film the light sensitivity is less sensitive. I also have no clue how old this film is and how long its been expired. When shooting expired film its best to shoot over exposed on the ISO setting. Since this film is 400 ISO - I need to tell my camera that is a 200 ISO film. Since this is a point and shoot, the camera decides the setting, this includes the ISO. SO what do you do?!
Every film has a DX code. The DX code tells your camera what ISO speed to shoot based on your film. Newer SLR cameras that don't have manual shooting modes aka this camera, use this code to know what ISO to set the camera at. There is only one option and that is to fudge the DX code. The film that was left in the camera is 400 ISO. I needed to change to code to read 200 ISO.
In order to do this I used a razor blade and scratched off the black square that needs to be silver. I then used black electrical tape to recreate a black square where I need. Mimicking the 200 ISO DX code.
After cleaning inside and out, and hacking the film DX code, we are now ready to shoot!
I just went around town and shoot some quick shots.
The beauty of finding this long lost camera with expired film and not knowing how they turn out until days after is such a
