instantphoto.eu Polaroid MP4 Instant Camera System
This a
special gear, the Polaroid MP4 Instant Camera System. It is a large
format copy stand that includes a sliding pack film holder with reflex
viewer and different Tominon lenses set in a Polaroid MP4 shutter. The
camera system is mounted to a rotating head and a sliding column.
The camera head can also be mounted onto a tripod and be used as a
studio camera. With its slider and a reflex viewer it's a wonderful
camera. As it accepts ordinary film holders, it can still be udes today.
It
allows to make copies of photos or drawings or even small 3D objects on
Pack 100 and 4x5 Polaroid film. It accapts other than Polaroid 4x5 film
holders. Its main purpose was to make high quality copies of pictures
and slides. Many shops for film and gear had a MP4 System to
provide copies of any pictures their clients brought in. It was also widely used in museums and universities.
If you remove the sliding head from the column, you can also fix a tripod base to use the stand for other camera systems.
Some pictures:
The MP4 stand, quite big.
Seen from the side.
The head can be tilted, so can the lamps.
The bellows can be adapted...
...to quite some extension.
The column is quite long.
Sliding head installed. Viewer side.
Ground glass with 4x5 and pack 100 marks plus a cm and inch scale.
Slid to picture taking position..
A pack 100 holder.
Reflex viewer.
It's quite handy.
Seen from the side.
Shutter deposed. I has a bayonnet mount. Adapter rings.
A full set of lenses, 135mm, 105mm, 75mm, 50mm and 35mm.
More film holders.
A filter holder and adapters for the use of non-Polaroid or Polaroid 4x5 film holders.
Extension...
...from the other side.
Adapters to fix other gear to the column, one is a tripod mount.
One seems to be an extension. The use of the third one I don't know, maybe for the mounting of the camera head to a wall.
As said, the camera head can easily be taken off the column and be mounted onto a tripod. In this case you have a studio camera with sliding head and even with a reflex viewer.
The system accepts ordinary 4x5 film holders, so you can still use it without Polaroid film.
Tripod adapter mounted on a big tripod.
In picture taking position.
In viewing position,
Seen from the right side.
Front.
Left side.
Reflex viewer mounted.
Left side again.
There is more extension possible. There are even extension units for macro work.
Right side again.
Head deposed from the tripod adapter.
I have used the head on a tripod even for landscapes. This is not
backpackable, but not far from your car or your cargo bike, you have a
nice system with precision viewing but without camera movements like
tilt or swing. Nevertheless I had beautiful results.
In any case, this is a highly sophisticated system for multiple use. In my opinion it is widely underrated.
