Monday, August 26, 2019

Y.A. SX-70

Yet another SX-70.

I acquired this in the nicest of ways.  A co-worker, who knows I am into old cameras, asked me if I could give this unusual looking Polaroid a good home.  It came from an old nearby industrial facility that is being torn down.  As you can see, this isn't your mother's SX-70.   It has been customized for scientific photography or perhaps quality control.  The entire addition is of a sturdy metal construction.

The addition on the front says it's from Technical Enterprises of Gainesvill, Florida.  There must have been a bunch of these produced at some point, because it features a model and serial number.  The lens assembly on the front looks like it's configured to attach to another tube, such as a microscope.  There's a remote shutter control attached.


I didn't know if this camera was any good.  It was frozen into an open position, and I could not collapse it down.   Looking through the view finder, all I could see was blackness.  I carefully removed all the Technical Enterprises hardware and discovered an Alpha 1, Model 2.   


Lo and behold, I can now see through the viewfinder, and I can close down the camera.  This one has lugs for a carrying strap and a socket for a tripod mount -- something my older model is lacking.   I looked up the serial number and I found that this one is three years younger than my first SX-70.

Serial Number :5J825789173
Config :Alpha 2 Electronics & Alpha 'K' Focus Wheel
Model :Model 2, SE, Sears or Alpha 2
Birthday :Sep 25, 1978


Cosmetically, the leather trim is cracked in places, and it's considerably worn around the tripod mount area.   I'm thinking of plopping down $20 for laser cut replacement skin that I found on Etsy.

I'm now running a pack of Polaroid Originals color SX-70 film through it and the results so far are quite good.  Better, I dare say, than my Model 1.   I shot this Polaroid of the nearby Marriott:

The one problem that I've found so far is that the focus stops a bit short of infinity.  Until/unless I can fix this, there won't be many landscape shots in its future.

I will be giving this camera a good home.

Edit:  see the update here.

Friday, August 23, 2019

In to thy hands, oh Lord

I'm boggled and perplexed. Millions of Americans believe that the election of Donald is the fulfillment of God's will.

God wants Vladimir Putin to be perfect.

People pray that God will guide a surgeon's hands.

Is there any line of demarcation?  Perhaps not.

Let me go back to the Great Orange One (Trump, not God).   Is God putting stupid words into Trump's mouth?  Was this, too, prophesied? 

Was it God's plan to have toilet paper stick to Trump's shoe as he boarded Air Force One?  It must have been.

Et tu, Corinthians?

Truly, these are strange and mysterious ways.