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600 film come with a battery that works at 6v. Just the voltage that spectra camera system uses.

Using a 600 pack is much easier (if you have a compatable film door). Just slightly bend the battery contacts, tear off the black strips, and insert the pack. Both methods, a 600 pack vs. Spectra, have the same ejection positions and also problems with spread. Jams are from weak batteries or too thick rollers.

Motherboard that is controlling the stepper motors is the same factory version from Sovol and I used Sovol's Klipper Pad upgrade (I don't recommend buying Sovol's version). Read the description for more info.

Not without a custom adaptor of sorts. That is because they're different widths. Other than that, they're basically the same.

​@@robertw1469 i think im gonna mod mine but basically all i have to do is bend the 2 pins for the battery, and then those other 2 on the side, trim the plastic behind the rollers and tweak the rollers for even spread? After that will it work fine if i use 600 film or still sometimes struggle with ejecting or other things? Btw do you know how close up you can get with the spectra to your subject?

@@Hungrymunchey Yes, that's basically the video. You would only need to trim the plastic under the rollers if you have an incompatible door. Since you're planning on grinding the roller assembly, you would in theory have perfect spread and only have the unavoidable black line at the bottom of your pictures. There shouldn't be ejection problems if your motor sounds fine and the battery is fresh. The Spectras should have a minimum focus of 2ft, just look for the user manual online. It should also beep at you if you're too close thanks to its more advanced circuitry. I also remember there being macro kits that should allow it to focus even closer (this is also another reason why discontinuing Spectra is stupid).

@@robertw1469 alr thanks a bunch!

Yeah, it's pretty stupid how they frankensteined the old Spectra machinery for the Go format to compete with Instax minis (Instax still wins with its better chemistry, price, and support with multiple 3rd party cameras). They could've fixed all of this if they didn't cheap out on the pack batteries and just used a bigger lithium battery, we're already paying premium prices and the Spectra cartridge is literally bigger than the 600 cartridge! I just tested a Spectra camera with taped rollers with a 5v voltage regulator that has a 2A current limit, and it's able to push the newer film with no problem. This means that using a 6v voltage regulator will also be no problem.

true! the existence of the polaroid mio (a polaroid camera compatible with instax mini film) just makes this more ironic ive also been thinking about getting a spectra, probably the original model (i would have no issue breaking out the plastic tabs that you mentioned in your previous video), i really want to shoot 600 film and ive noticed you have knowledge regards doing this, i saw your previous method of bending the cameras contacts, but i also saw in reddit that you can 3d print an adapter that facilitates doing this, i would really appreciate your input in this, would you recommend bending the camera contacts or just getting someone to print me the adapter? i am probably only going to use circle frame film, from what ive seen utilizing square film means lots of spread issues in the top that you can only tune out by grinding the rollers and going through several packs of film to fine-tune the grinding, i dont want to mess with that and i would just prefer a way to shoot circle frame film in a more featured packed camera, there is also this chinese adapter that is really overpriced and i really doubt it provides anything different other than what ive mentioned if you could help me out with this i would appreciate it lots, but its okay if not :)))))

@@zeriben12 Just try out bending the contacts and a straw to hit the film speed switch first. For the 3d printed ones, there are now two types, the one which you reload and the one by me that centers the cartridge. Both still have spread issues.

@@robertw1469 thank you!! will do ive seen a guy who sanded their roller holders just uploaded a video to their youtube, i asked if they could maybe upload clear pictures of how they should look after sanding, maybe this is it for shooting with spectras in 2024

I should’ve watched more into the vid. 😂 well at least I know it’ll work.

It sucks that Polaroid killed off a camera lineup with good specs and features, especially the special editions with glass lenses. Trying to come up with reversible mods is my goal since these cameras are the only ones in the world left.

@@robertw1469 dude I got a picture my dad has of my cousin on a spectra in a drawer, it’s so damn sharp and wide, it’s beautiful. If you can find an impulse af it’s not foldable and doesn’t have as many switches on it but It’s got a good lens, the auto focus piezo and a timer! Im not 100% but I think the lens is glass. The only challenge is finding one as cheap as the spectra but they’re out there still.

@@shawnlennon1947 I have one but the lens is not glass. It's still pretty sharp. Only thing I don't like about that camera is the forced flash and the shutter having a max shutter speed of like 1/15s. The viewfinder is nice and large.

@@robertw1469 the bright and huge viewfinder makes it such a pleasure to use. It’s my holy grail cause I found it so cheap. And hell yea the images are pretty sharp. Also thanks for the info, I remember hearing something about cameras being force flash being a down side, I built a sweet little oragami box out of a spent dark slide that fits over it but I knew that I heard somewhere it effected something with fractions and such 😂.

Look at the video in the description. Basically Polaroid manufactured multiple types of film doors, some of which have a protruding piece of plastic that will block longer cartridges.

If you do have a comptatible door, then did you tear off the two front strips from the cartridge?

@@robertw1469 I don’t know which „front strips“ you mean but I just tore the front flap off my 600 film cartridge (if you meant that) and now, with some gentle pressure applied, the cameras front door came shut. I am getting new 600 film cartridges tomorrow and will test this, after bending the battery contacts to the left.

@@robertw1469 I also found a video of a 3d printed spectra-cartridge that fits two 3,2V AAA batteries and has a customized slot which takes 600 film. you just need to swap the films yourself with a change bag or in a darkroom from the 600 to the custom spectra cartridge. Some guy sells it on classifieds for 30 Euros.

@@FlorianGuitar85 Yes that is what I mean, though there is another black strip to remove as well. The video in the description shows you exactly how to use 600 film in Spectras.

Yes

I also feel like the best way to run these without bending contacts is to just use your 600 film on your 600 polaroid lol, and then use the batteries for itype film in your spectra.

Not yet as it's hard to covey how to make the pick arm correctly as it's mostly about feel. Else if you figure that out, then the rest should be self explainatory if you look at the video and pictures on Printables hard enough.

I wish this was true but there's something about the Spectra cameras and their rollers not working well with 600 film. I have tried multiple packs of 600 and I-Type and have even put the same pack through a regular 600 camera and it's fine. But in my Spectra cameras, it's a gamble.

@@robertw1469 oh well

Unfortunately it seems like the black bar will be very difficult to remove due to the film area of 600/I-Type being longer than Spectra. If you look at my previous video of this prototype idea, you can see the size of the exposure area. The problem is that the back wall is non removable so you can't really DIY a new wall to push the cartridge in further, you would either have to tilt the cartridge down (which will make the image out of focus), transfer the film to a new holder, make a new optic system, or cut some parts off the camera. Those are the current ideas I have now, though the goal is to not damage/permamently alter the camera.

@@robertw1469 yeah I'm currently trying to figure out what bits would be feasible to cut out and what would actually need to be removed, I have a spare spectra camera so I'm okay going destructive with it

@@robertw1469 definitely interested in a bending guide too, I'm eager to test this

agreed, I'm also pretty broke but if all of us broke people chipped in

Check the description dude

@@JC_Photog34oops

Check the description for the real tutorial. They're blank because they're placeholders/test film because film is expensive.

Did you try using real film and did it work?

Just look at my previous tutorial in the description

Two CR2 or CR123 batteries could work, 3v each so 6v total and they should have enough current capability (since they were originally designed for photo flash units). In this video I just wanted to show that an I-Type cartridge will work in a ProCam. I have also made another video with a 600 cartridge and used power from that.

@@robertw1469 i hear you, ive been watching your videos and ive been getting a few ideas. Im gonna try to hotglue 2 cr2 batteries in a cartridge with popsicle sticks as spacers and contacts underneath so i can run i type.

Hello i have a question if you dont mind. I was testing my spectra camera today. I took a battery from a 600 film pack and put it in a spectra film pack. The dark slide ejected perfectly but when i took the first picture it did not eject i pulled the first sheet and tried again. The motors made the normal sound and the flash went off but it did not eject. I tried again and the shutter would not go off and the battery seemed to slowly die and the rear screen turned off. Do you have an idea why this might be? I did cut the 600 battery to fit in the spectra cartridge so im thinking i mightve damaged the battery. Do you think it could be a defective camera? The camera is quite old of course and the film was expired in 1991. With a new battery it should have worked so im confused. Maybe you have knowledge on this. I will try again with two cr123 batteries just to make sure the camera is functional but if it isnt id like to know if there is a fix if possible

@@LMFAO5001 Sounds like the battery you used is dead, but you said it's fresh? Are you able to check the voltage of the battery with a voltmeter? It should be be 5.8-6.2v but you should check the voltage after cycling it a few times in the camera. You do that to put a load on the battery as I noticed that batteries "recover" a bit of voltage if they're unused for awhile but then the voltage immediately drops once under load. I've experienced the motor/dark slide working but not the shutter (it makes a click then stops) when I had used dead batteries.

@@robertw1469 yeah i had just bought a pack of 600 to use the new battery which is what has me confused. I dont have a voltmeter but ill pick one up. It does seem like a dead battery but im not sure how. Im not home now but when im back ill try again. Maybe i was too impulsive and took too many shots quickly. Should i let the camera rest before taking another shot?

Have you tried wiggling the pack to make sure it's snug against the left side? Could be that the pick arm is not in the right place. I assume you also ripped the front flap off + black strip?

@@robertw1469 I think the cartridge was ready, I will try adjusting the pick arms. Thank you for answering me so quick😙

In this video I used rechargeable NiMH batteries which are nominally 1.2v but they can be 1.4-1.5v fresh out of the charger. With regular 1.5v batteries, it's slightly slower than an original 600 battery. You could always use 5 batteries to slightly overvolt the camera. I find that an ejection time of near 1s is ideal. For feeding the wires through the strap hole, some cameras don't have that option and you would need to fish some thinner wires elsewhere like the viewfinder or other seams. I find that 24-28 AWG or any wires that can handle 2-3 amps with an outside diameter less than 1.6mm to work. I don't like permanent modifications to my cameras and actually the wires going into the battery contacts are tied instead of soldered.

@robertw1469 with voltage that low, have you noticed any difference with shutter speeds? I can't imagine the shutter taking much power, but I figured it's still worth the ask. Also, I've tried this with CR2023 batteries (the circular flat ones) thinking a flatter battery would be nicer. I put 4 batteries in it. 2 in series each for 6v (3v each) and the other 2 in parallel with the first 2 to bring up the mAh in order for them to last longer. Using my multimeter, I was at 6v, but for some reason, it would not power my camera. I'm not sure why. Maybe the current was too low? My pos multimeter wouldn't test for current for some reason. So soon I'll try AA batteries.

@@AnAvgJoe With those voltages (4.8-5v) no, I haven't really noticed any difference with shutter speeds and the photos I took looked normal. I did notice that with almost dead 600 batteries (around 5.4v), the camera will seem to work but after taking a picture the shutter clicks and then it dies (nothing else happens). I assume that the battery cannot keep up with the requested current and so the voltage sags a lot and is not enough to power the camera. I'm surprised you're using button cell batteries to power a Polaroid camera as those batteries are meant for low current devices (looks like a max of 100-200ma from a google search). Polaroid cameras use around 1-2 amps for the shutter and motor while over 2 for flash recharging. Have you checked the voltage of the batteries while connected to the camera? I assume the voltage would be quite less than 6v and that the current measuring fuse in your multimeter is blown (like mines). You could get a rough estimate of the current capabilities of a battery by its capacity (usually mAh) or Google it. If you really want to use compact batteries, IDK if AAA batteries are powerful enough (maybe lithium ones like a CR123, but they're pricey), else you can reuse a 600 battery (which misses the point of this mod) or a lithium battery pouch + voltage regulator (which is risky if you don't know how to properly wire them). I used NiMH batteries in this video because I've heard they have much better current output than alkalines.

@@robertw1469 Ah, ok. Good to know, thanks! I'll definitely just go the AA route instead. Thank you for your input! I greatly appreciate it!

Great video, I just modified a Sun600 box cam with AAA batteries. I noticed the camera is a little bit slower with the external batteries but it still works great.

I've seen those and you would still need a custom pick arm to move the film towards the roller. Anyways, those 3d printed shims are next on my list in order to improve on this proof-of-concept video.

@@robertw1469 oof forgot about that.

@@robertw1469 I just realised in this video the photos are ejecting, but they are in the middle of the Camera How is that working?

@@Ceph_Bluejay9 Take a closer look at the video and you'll find your answer (hint: it's a white green box with 100 of something shown in the first few seconds).

@@robertw1469 I will continue looking, but I’m probably just being a dumbarse and can’t see it 🤷‍♂️

For the example picture of the "perfectly taped" rolls (7:04), I took them out of the spreading unit (which is delicate work since there's tiny plastic clips that can break easily) and separated the plastic gear so that I could roll the rollers onto the tape, sticky side up like a rolling pin. BUT after some testing, that had weakened the adhesion of the plastic gear to the roller and now it is spinning in place. If you want to tape them like that without taking the rollers apart (which I would recommend so that you won't damage the roller gears), I had applied a full width (not thickness) of e-tape and then cut another thin strip (or make two strips with equal widths that cover the roller's circumference), slowly cutting it with a straight edge and X-Acto knife until it fits with no gaps/bumps using some needle nose tweezers. It is very time consuming and tedious. IBH I don't know the thickness of e-tape used since I ran out from trying to perfect taping the rollers, it was 3M brand though. I talked about bending the roller springs because the 600/I-Type cartridge is longer than Spectra and so actually sort of collides with the spring closest to the gears. I don't recommend it and I had theorized that was reducing the spring tension on that side since the spread on the top left was the only problem but now I'm not sure. If you really want to do it, you'd need some strong fingers to get the springs out and two pliers to bend the springs in an L shape to dodge the cartridge. I've been busy with work and school, having little to no time to tinker with Spectras after caring for myself. It would be nice for some Polaroid/Instant film influencers (In an Instant, Analog Resurgence, Just Another Chris, etc.) to get wind of this and make videos to spread the word farther.

@@robertw1469 "It would be nice for some Polaroid/Instant film influencers (In an Instant, Analog Resurgence, Just Another Chris, etc.) to get wind of this and make videos to spread the word farther" Oh, yes it definitely would... Anyway, your explanation is extensive and accurate, thank you very much. I actually tried to bend the springs using an old spectra that was already broken and could not do it without breaking the plastic clips that held them in place, which are very delicate. I will keep trying, but in the meantime thank you very much for all these very helpful details. 🙏

The goal of these mods is to not reload 600 film into Spectra cartridges in the dark since that's a hassle to do consistently. I wanted to find an easier method and I have already seen that video by SPRKPLG.

@@robertw1469 It's a hassle but there is less risk to the camera (or jamming in my experience) and no modification to the camera are needed. You're only modifying the Spectrum cartridge.

​@@HR-wd6cwThat method will work for cameras with extended film doors, but other than that it's better to use a 600 cartridge. The jams in this video is because of dead batteries and in the real world it's from people forgetting to tear the black strips, using dead batteries, or from thickening the rollers too much.

Button batteries? As in those coin sized batteries in watches and key fobs? Those batteries are too weak even though they have a high enough voltage(1.5v to 3.0v). Remember, these cameras need up to 2-3 amps of current at a constant 6.0v and those coin sized batteries are designed to handle at most a few hundred milliamps (a milliamp is 1/1000 of an amp). The original Polaroid PolaPulse batteries were quite powerful (explained in the video with screenshots) compared to what the current Polaroid offers today. The best alternatives would be a flatpack battery that's similar to those used in phones, laptops, or in the RC hobby. Else, we have to strap batteries to the top of the camera and have wires! (the third method in the video) For the batteries in the 600/SX-70 cartridges (I-Type does not have any batteries), those are disposable, one time use, non-rechargeable batteries and they would become a fire hazard if they were recharged. Right now, I'm busy and haven't found the time to experiment with cameras or anything at the moment. I'll see if I can 3D print a new film door using my local makerspace. My newest video has a video of a ProCam working if you're interested in that and I plan on trying to revive those too. (the mods in this video actually work with ProCams!)

@robertw1469 thanks they don't make easy...

If you look at the bottom paragraph at 3:37, the service manual says that having the switch closed (as in there's no straw there) will increase the exposure by 1/3 of a stop. Basically means your images will be overexposed a bit but I think that could be semi-remedied by setting the exposure compensation (usually in the back of the camera) to darken (manual says the exposure adjusts by 2/3 of a stop). The camera will still function without the straw and you could also use some other thing to push the film speed switch in.

Update, if I use a ND filter meant for a sx-70 would that work for fixing the overexposed photo issue. Thanks

@@Antique1dude I don't think so since that ND is rated for coverting 600 film speed (which is 640 ASA) to SX-70 speed (160 ASA) right? Which is I think 2.0 EV/stops, way more than 1/3 EV like the manual said.

Glad I could help. It's cool that you're making a "Spectra Reviver" (I hope you post updates) and I too have goals of making one myself, though I lack the time, money, and resources to. For anyone who does and wants to, my ideas are: - Instax "back" for Spectra. - Custom backs that replaces the original piece (like at 13:46 in the video). - New film door that replaces the original and fits 600/I-Type film. - A new pick arm/extension mechanism so that frames can come out the center of the rollers instead of the left. - Since Spectra cartridges are wide, somehow make a "back" or hollow cartridge that allows 120 film or some other film (35mm, idk) to fit to make the Spectra into a medium format film camera. - I-Type to Spectra adapter that's very similar to PolaStudio's, but uses regular Lithium Ion 3.7v 10440 (basically AAA) batteries instead of LiFePO4 3.2v batteries (or even flat pack rechargeable batteries, like the external battery mods for SX-70s) wired to a compact voltage regulator (since 3.7v x2 = 7.4v, way over 6.2v).

Hi, i am really interested in your project. You menioned fixing the spring will help to have a full spread ? How do you fix it? Can you please make another video explaining it . Thank you

@@leele3143 I did plan on making an update video although I have yet to find the time to record it. Also I don't know for sure that I fixed it as I haven't tried it in the actual camera, I just rolled a frame through rollers which were detached from the camera and cartridge. I still need new batteries and film as well.