Polaroid Automatic 220:
How to Replace the Battery with 2 “AA” Batteries. A $7 fix
You will need:
2 “AA” battery pack with snap adaptor
9V snap adapter
Electrical tape or heat shrink insultators
Dremel or needle nose pliers
Wire snips
First, remove the latch to the battery compartment by unscrewing it.
Next remove all of the plastic either with a Dremel or needle nose pliers.
Insert the 2 “AA” batteries and connect the battery snaps.
Remember to connect the black wires together and the red wire
to the white.
Screw the latch back on.
Place the battery pack in camera and close.
Voila! Go take a photo and make sure it works. I will post a photo later
as I am waiting for the photo to dry so I can scan it.
Update:
Here are some shots with this camera.
Unfortunately, I forgot to clean the rollers thus the wobbly edge. When I did clean them there was a big chunk of dried chemistry on one roller. YUCK!
Did using the AA’s end up working?
The 220 (a cousin of the venerable model 100) should require a 4.5V battery. If this works, you are coming up short on the voltage and I would expect the “electric eye” shutter controller of be a bit more whacked than usual on these cameras…
I think you could fit 3 AAA batteries into this compartment. Or some of the sub-A sizes like 2/3A but finding the holders is a little more complicated.
Or you could do what I’ve done and just velcro a 3 cell AA holder (or a 4 cell holder with one bay shorted with a wire) to the outside as a temporary solution while waiting for your new 4.5V battery. http://www.freestylephoto.biz has them relatively cheap.
From a bit of research, the remaining 1.5v runs the hot flash shoe only. I have not had any problems with the electric eye and exposure. Thanks for the hint though
Are you sure the Model 200 has a “hot shoe” flash? I think you are talking about the funny little combination PC-jack/tab connector on the side opposite the shutter cocking lever. That isn’t a hot-shoe. it is just the contacts for the flash bulb attachment. A hot shoe generally refers to the flattened out U-shaped bit that you can slide a flash (usually electronic) into and also make electrical contact with little nubs on the bottom of the flash unit to synchronize the shutter with the flash. Also how TTL flashes communicate with the camera’s microcontroller for automatic flash control.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_shoe for example
Most of the packfilm cameras used the model 268 flashgun which clips onto the top of the camera to the left (viewed from the back) of the viewfinder and used M3 or M3B bulbs. The 268 required a single AA battery.
More information that you probably cared to know…
Anyway, good to know somebody else is keeping some of the old Polaroid packfilm cameras running! Just don’t scoop up and hord all the M3 flashbulbs before I get to them!
Rob,
You are right. It is not a hotshoe but the flashgun connector. I promise you I would never snag all the M3 bulbs:) Do you have a website where you host your photos? I would love to see your work. Just curious and thanks for reading my blog
Trina
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwyoung/
and
rwyoung.wordpress.com
I must say, I can not agree with you in 100%, but it’s just my opinion, which could be wrong.
p.s. You have an awesome template . Where did you find it?
The template is one of the standard WordPress templates. Have a good day