instantphoto.eu Polaroid Portrait and Close-Up Kits
This page deals with the different kits for portrait and close-up
photography on pack 100 cameras. Here is a list to sort out which kit
number was made for which camera.
PK : Portait
Kit
CU : Close-Up
471 = PK, 250,
350, 360 (2 diffusers, for 268 and for 365, none for 490)
473 = CU, 250,
350, 360 (2 diffusers, for 268 and for 365, none for 490)
541 = PK, 440
+ 100, 101, 102, 103, 135, 230, 240, 340, Countdown M90 (3
diffusers, 1 for 268 et 2 differents for 490)
543 = CU, 440
+ 100, 101, 102, 103, 135, 230, 240, 340, Countdown M90 (3
diffusers, 1 for 268 et 2 differents for 490)
561 = PK, 450
(2 different diffusers for 490)
563 = CU, 450
(2 different diffusers for 490)
581 = PK, 100,
101, 102, 103, 135, 230, 240, 340, Countdown M90 (1
diffuser for 268)
583 = CU, 100,
101, 102, 103, 135, 230, 240, 340, Countdown M90 (1
diffuser for 268)
581A = PK, 250,
350 (1
diffuser for 268)
583A = CU, 250,
350 (1
diffuser for 268)
591 = PK, 180
593 = CU, 180
1951 = CU, 195
1952 = PK, 195
The numbers in brackets are for the flashes. No. 268 is the
ordinary flash for bulbs, very common. The 490
is for the 400 series, with louvers that close according to the
focusing distance, it takes (Hi)powercubes, nearly unfindable (and not
replaceable by ordinary flashcubes nor magicubes or X-cubes). The 365 is the electronic flash for the 360.
All this seems to be very complicated. But in principle there are
only two different viewfinders for all these models, be it automatic or
not: the Polaroid viewfinder with a separate second rangefinder window
and the
Zeiss model with a combined single window. Each viewfinder has it's
"goggles" (or attachment)
according to the lens in the kit. The goggles slide onto the viewfinder
and at the same time alter the space between finder and camera body for
parallax compensation. So there are only 4 different goggles, a
portrait and a close-up one for the Polaroid finder and the same for
the Zeiss finder. That's all. (O.k., to be exact: on the first 250
models there was a Zeiss viewfinder with a bigger window, but the
optics are the same.)
The lenses are the same for the Polaroid and the Zeiss finder. For the
automatic cameras there is only one portrait lens and one close-up lens
model. The lenses slide onto the metal ring around the camera optics.
Just for information: the portrait lens is +1 diopter (allows focus from
19 to 42 inch = 48 to 107cm) and the close-up lens is +3 diopters (focus range 9 to 15 inch = 23 to 38cm).
For the manual cameras there are 2 bigger lenses with the same
values, a portrait lens +1 and a close-up lens +3. They are screw-in
type of 45mm diameter. But pay attention: the thread is "fine", not
ordinary filter thread. There are adapters from 45mm fine to
ordinary filter thread in different diameters made by Heliopan, a
German firm for photo accessory gear. So you can make yourself a kit
with the adapter, an appropriate lens and goggles from an ordinary kit.
That's by ways less expensive as the original kits for the manual
cameras are as sought-after and as expensive as the cameras. The
adapter can also be used to attach other standard accessories to the
camera.
Here are photos of the kits for the 195.
The 541/543 kit.
The boxes .
Lists on the back of the boxes.
The 541 Portrait kit: lens, adapter for viewer, 2 diffusors (one 400 flash diffusor missing) and instructions.
The 543 Close-Up kit: lens, adapter for viewer, 3 diffusors and instructions + original box.
