There is no need to empty the whole cartridge. If you get each frame out one by one, and insert them back into the spectra cartridge one by one, the only difficult one is the first. The rest will go much easier.
You can also swap the batteries too, so save your 600 type batteries. I'm working on a video How To, but now that you've opened them both up you should be able to accomplish it. Just some trimming of the card stock backing is needed.
I just tried this method - it works BUT: Be aware that forced grabbing the single sheets of film (when taking out from 600 cassette) leads to damaged parts in the photo (seems to break the layers of film) - I changed the film without a bag but under veeeeery low red light. Exposure didnt suffer from that - pics look great (except the triangular damages I caused). Next time I will simply crash the complete 600er cassette, damage the box , not the sheets! I think I am going for the adapter (3d print plus some cables or battery), will be easier. Anyway , thanks for that tip!!!
Ok so I tried to reproduce this, and here are my two cents: I would also transfer over the battery from the 600 pack. Yes, it requires fumbling in the dark a lot more, cutting the 600 battery pack to fit into the impossible spectra pack (or other) and then after replacing the battery, putting the 600 film inside if it. But putting brand new film inside a pack that might have low battery is a bit risky. Don't chance having to do guesswork if the camera starts having hiccups and wondering if the battery is the culprit. Also I found that you can cut a piece of cardboard the size of a Spectra photo and fit it in the Spectra cartridge to east the process of putting the 600 film inside of it, then remove the piece of cardboard. Makes it simpler than pushing all these sharp and dangerous (and in my case, rusty) pieces of metal down...
Great results doing that under veeeeery low red light (RGB Light set to dimmed R only) - when taking out the sheets instantly turn them upside down or under some cloth for additional safety.
Hey, I know this is a little late but I have a Spectra Onyx camera and I believe the battery is dead, but it's got all the film. Do you have any advice or videos to watch to transfer the 600 battery into the Spectra cartridge?
@@allenm9 wow - I think thats gonna be difficult without damaging the film sheets... there are YT videos for that, but I can imagine that its difficult saving the unexposed film... anyone?
@@ckj324 Well, you can still find working cartridges on Ebay for sure. I'm ordering expired B/W Spectra film from Fotoimpex since a few months and only one cartridge didn't work, but i could transfer the film. Pretty sure, some online shop in the US might have some in stock, too.
I tried putting the battery of a 600 film to a spectra cartridge. It worked and it also took a photo and did an eject. U just had to lessen the films as the battery of the 600 is thicker. I havent had a decent photo yet cause I probably need to do it in a darker place.
The biggest question now is just ensuring we can replace the batteries , I’m working on some sort of one time mod to make a single spectra cart good for tons of uses
I’m pretty sure that the spectra cartridge uses the same battery that’s in the 600/sx-70 packs so you should be able to transfer the battery from any pack.
Hey, are you still interested in Spectra cameras? I noticed that your camera has a film door that can fit a 600 cartridge natively and I have a video guide that shows how to fit a 600 cartridge into a Spectra and use its battery by just bending the contacts. I'm asking because I noticed that you 3d print camera parts and I was wondering if you could help develop something to improve the spread of film paste as in this method, the paste doesn't fully spread compared to reloading Spectra cartridges.
By the way, there’s still ebay listings selling both stocks of Spectra film, so I’d suggest stocking up on it if you’re into using that film type and keep it in your fridge using it sparingly.
Not worth it especially since Polaroid ages 20 times faster than say 35mm film - yes even in a fridge. I bought expired Polaroid Go film - had been expired for less than 6 months - and everything was brown (not that Polaroid go has marvelous colors to begin with but still...)
Did the framing of the photo come out kinda weird since it is pushed to the left of the cartridge? Like, let's say that you were to frame something in the viewfinder perfectly in the view finder, would this then come out slightly to the side on the photo itself?
Is it possible that you pressed the chemical reservoirs in your batch of photos in your manipulation in the dark? This could explain the default where you have already chemical spilled out right in the picture.
yeah, mine has a problem with feeding. the first 3 are fine, but after that it double feeds. also being careful not to burst the developer when loading is tough. but my main issue is definitely it grabbing two films at once
It’s definitely something that takes practice as well as trial/error, and to make sure there’s no moisture between shots. Sometimes a fingerprint alone can cause multiple frames to stick. Also if the front of the cartridge isn’t fully closed back up to prevent the next frame from sliding through.
My solution to that problem. I reverse engineered one normal 600 cartridge and found out there’s a little nipple of plastic at the front where the film come out of which only allows 1 picture to come out an the rest is held in place by this nipple. If you look at one empty cartridge from the front behind the thin black plastic strip that protects the film from light on the left there is this small round protrusion or nipple. This same nipple is found on the Spectra cartridge. So what I did was cut out the plastic of the front of the spectra cartridge where the film sits so it can fully close again but we still need that „door“. Next I took a piece of metal (can be plastic as well I guess) and bent it and glued it to the front of the cartridge to perfectly only allow one single picture out every time no matter how sticky the film is. Hope it helps
Will this work with an original spectra cartridge from the 90’s or is the film too thick to fit into the older cartridges? The Polaroid originals spectra film was never available for a decent price where I live but I still have a few 90’s cartridges with batteries that somehow still work
It will work, the film loads the same way and the thickness is not an issue as long as you keep it to 8 frames to be safe. You do need to do further modifications to prevent the spectra window from masking the 600 film. I was going to get back to documenting that, but have had a long series of customer projects to take care of.
I bought new cartridges, but the film comes out very sort of cracked like urs. Is this an exposure problem? 1 out of 4 pictures actually works and produces an image but some of the ones that do have an image still come out with pieces missing. Any suggestions? Could I have done something wrong with packing the film? Or is the camera broken
Does the standard I type cartridge go in to spectra cameras? If so , I would make spectra with external power supply and use I type films ! Can Be done????
You can swap in a Polaroid 600 battery, it’s the same except for some cutouts on the cardboard that are easy to do with scissors. I have a video on it in my channel.
Hello! I recently found an old spectra system se and learned they discontinued the film! If I was able to get my hands on a spectra cartridge, could I keep using that same one as long as I reload with new film?
Can’t really comment on mods I didn’t make, but whoever made it should have clarified that, right? If all else fails the current “easy” method is an adapter made by Polastudio.
Yes , he definitely blew out the center pod when he was pinching them out of the original cassette...I’m gonna try this,,, I love my spectra ... such sharp awesome pictures... I do wonder just how far the framing is off though
No but the foam method will be easier, and just razor off about 2-3mm of the pod side of the cartridge to prevent the cropping. You want the foam to act as kind of a resistance pad so you don’t have additional frames sliding into the rollers, only the top one getting pulled by the ejection hook. When you transfer film from 600 to Spectra cartridge you run the risk of adding moisture/grease that can create even the slightest “sticking” of one frame to another.
@@sprkplg Thanks for that advice. So one would have to buy a older expired Spectra film ( with cartridge) in order to do this. And then hope the battery is still good for a few 600 reloads in the Spectra cartridge? I know the Spectra film, unfortunately, is selling for crazy prices on EBay
@@ckj324 you can also recycle a 600 battery and use in a spectra cartridge. Just need scissors to make a couple of cuts on the cardboard backing of the 600 battery so it matches the spectra battery dimensions.
Someone in China is doing so and he tried to fit two AA batteries into the 3D printed cartridge. He claimed that it works and made a video about that but has not released the final design yet.
The lenses are better and some have features the others don't, like the Polaroid Spectra ProCam has a wide angle lens and there is no 600 or I-type Macro Camera like the Polaroid Macro 5 SLR.
Wrong, according the the makers of the film it is a darkslide, the film shield is otherwise known as the frog tongue: "Push the film cassette all the way in, with darkslide up and plastic base at the bottom. When you close the film door, the darkslide will eject from the camera automatically, underneath the Film Shield. The plastic Film Shield is designed to protect images from light as they develop - it should not be removed." Source: support.polaroidoriginals.com/hc/en-us/articles/219000467-How-do-I-insert-Polaroid-and-Impossible-film-into-the-camera-
There is no need to empty the whole cartridge. If you get each frame out one by one, and insert them back into the spectra cartridge one by one, the only difficult one is the first. The rest will go much easier.
Excellent tip, and this is definitely much safer for the film handling. Thank you!
I just tried it and it worked for me. Now I can continue using my Spectra camera. Thanks for the tip.
You can also swap the batteries too, so save your 600 type batteries. I'm working on a video How To, but now that you've opened them both up you should be able to accomplish it. Just some trimming of the card stock backing is needed.
@@sprkplg can you do the video on this?
@@sprkplg I would love a video on battery swapping!
@@radnebula6107 @Trevor Harman just released! ruclips.net/video/IiIoSACUMtY/видео.html
Thanks man for experimenting. So I guess, need to frame carefully. THis is another Impossible Project!
I just tried this method - it works BUT: Be aware that forced grabbing the single sheets of film (when taking out from 600 cassette) leads to damaged parts in the photo (seems to break the layers of film) - I changed the film without a bag but under veeeeery low red light. Exposure didnt suffer from that - pics look great (except the triangular damages I caused).
Next time I will simply crash the complete 600er cassette, damage the box , not the sheets!
I think I am going for the adapter (3d print plus some cables or battery), will be easier.
Anyway , thanks for that tip!!!
Ok so I tried to reproduce this, and here are my two cents: I would also transfer over the battery from the 600 pack. Yes, it requires fumbling in the dark a lot more, cutting the 600 battery pack to fit into the impossible spectra pack (or other) and then after replacing the battery, putting the 600 film inside if it. But putting brand new film inside a pack that might have low battery is a bit risky. Don't chance having to do guesswork if the camera starts having hiccups and wondering if the battery is the culprit.
Also I found that you can cut a piece of cardboard the size of a Spectra photo and fit it in the Spectra cartridge to east the process of putting the 600 film inside of it, then remove the piece of cardboard. Makes it simpler than pushing all these sharp and dangerous (and in my case, rusty) pieces of metal down...
Great results doing that under veeeeery low red light (RGB Light set to dimmed R only) - when taking out the sheets instantly turn them upside down or under some cloth for additional safety.
Hey, I know this is a little late but I have a Spectra Onyx camera and I believe the battery is dead, but it's got all the film. Do you have any advice or videos to watch to transfer the 600 battery into the Spectra cartridge?
@@allenm9 wow - I think thats gonna be difficult without damaging the film sheets... there are YT videos for that, but I can imagine that its difficult saving the unexposed film...
anyone?
ruclips.net/video/IiIoSACUMtY/видео.html
...on empty ones...
Gonna try it. Let's hope that my tons of Spectra cartridges will work fine for the next few years. :D
MrChrodo you can take the battery out of a 600 cartridge and it will fit in the Image/spectra one, not tested it if it works but I don’t see why not.
Your lucky you have all those Spectra cartridges. If this works the battery pack inside might be more valuable then the old film itself.
@@ckj324 Well, you can still find working cartridges on Ebay for sure.
I'm ordering expired B/W Spectra film from Fotoimpex since a few months and only one cartridge didn't work, but i could transfer the film.
Pretty sure, some online shop in the US might have some in stock, too.
@@MrChrodo Thanks, just checked Fotoimpex and they are out of stock.
@@ckj324 Seems like i got the last one maybe. Could explain, why shipping took longer than usual.
I tried putting the battery of a 600 film to a spectra cartridge. It worked and it also took a photo and did an eject. U just had to lessen the films as the battery of the 600 is thicker. I havent had a decent photo yet cause I probably need to do it in a darker place.
The biggest question now is just ensuring we can replace the batteries , I’m working on some sort of one time mod to make a single spectra cart good for tons of uses
Yes, the battery backing is cardboard and it is easy to cut to fit the Spectra cartridge.
I’m pretty sure that the spectra cartridge uses the same battery that’s in the 600/sx-70 packs so you should be able to transfer the battery from any pack.
so, did anyone have any luck with this? causei cant figure out for the hell of it how to change the damn batteries
@@thahoule7924 I’ve been busy but It’s still on my list
@@thahoule7924 600 film batteries are slightly larger but you can trim the cardstock backing down to fit the cartridge
Hey, are you still interested in Spectra cameras? I noticed that your camera has a film door that can fit a 600 cartridge natively and I have a video guide that shows how to fit a 600 cartridge into a Spectra and use its battery by just bending the contacts. I'm asking because I noticed that you 3d print camera parts and I was wondering if you could help develop something to improve the spread of film paste as in this method, the paste doesn't fully spread compared to reloading Spectra cartridges.
By the way, there’s still ebay listings selling both stocks of Spectra film, so I’d suggest stocking up on it if you’re into using that film type and keep it in your fridge using it sparingly.
At 30 bucks per pack, and a 10% success rate, in 2022 real spectra film is not worth it.
Not worth it especially since Polaroid ages 20 times faster than say 35mm film - yes even in a fridge. I bought expired Polaroid Go film - had been expired for less than 6 months - and everything was brown (not that Polaroid go has marvelous colors to begin with but still...)
Did the framing of the photo come out kinda weird since it is pushed to the left of the cartridge? Like, let's say that you were to frame something in the viewfinder perfectly in the view finder, would this then come out slightly to the side on the photo itself?
needs to frame more upper right.
Is it possible that you pressed the chemical reservoirs in your batch of photos in your manipulation in the dark? This could explain the default where you have already chemical spilled out right in the picture.
Yes that looks to be what I did there.
yeah, mine has a problem with feeding. the first 3 are fine, but after that it double feeds. also being careful not to burst the developer when loading is tough.
but my main issue is definitely it grabbing two films at once
It’s definitely something that takes practice as well as trial/error, and to make sure there’s no moisture between shots. Sometimes a fingerprint alone can cause multiple frames to stick. Also if the front of the cartridge isn’t fully closed back up to prevent the next frame from sliding through.
My solution to that problem. I reverse engineered one normal 600 cartridge and found out there’s a little nipple of plastic at the front where the film come out of which only allows 1 picture to come out an the rest is held in place by this nipple. If you look at one empty cartridge from the front behind the thin black plastic strip that protects the film from light on the left there is this small round protrusion or nipple. This same nipple is found on the Spectra cartridge. So what I did was cut out the plastic of the front of the spectra cartridge where the film sits so it can fully close again but we still need that „door“. Next I took a piece of metal (can be plastic as well I guess) and bent it and glued it to the front of the cartridge to perfectly only allow one single picture out every time no matter how sticky the film is. Hope it helps
Will this work with an original spectra cartridge from the 90’s or is the film too thick to fit into the older cartridges? The Polaroid originals spectra film was never available for a decent price where I live but I still have a few 90’s cartridges with batteries that somehow still work
It will work, the film loads the same way and the thickness is not an issue as long as you keep it to 8 frames to be safe. You do need to do further modifications to prevent the spectra window from masking the 600 film. I was going to get back to documenting that, but have had a long series of customer projects to take care of.
Wonder why they stopped if this film works in it when the spectra type is just a wider photo, not any thicker.
The camera had a lot of issues with the spectra film. There were lots of jamming problems that they couldn't fix.
Yeah. Polaroid got lucky in not having two many jamming issues with the other films. 8 instead of 10 is the real problem
I bought new cartridges, but the film comes out very sort of cracked like urs. Is this an exposure problem? 1 out of 4 pictures actually works and produces an image but some of the ones that do have an image still come out with pieces missing. Any suggestions? Could I have done something wrong with packing the film? Or is the camera broken
You probably did what I did and mistakenly placed a thumb with too much pressure on the pods. They are delicate.
the way you press the cards when taking them out might push some chemicals into the film already, i think.
Nice but how did you do if you need batterys? I have the old spectra and you need battery 🔋
Check my videos, I have instructions for modifying the 600 type battery to fit the spectra cartridge.
Does the standard I type cartridge go in to spectra cameras? If so , I would make spectra with external power supply and use I type films ! Can Be done????
its been a long time, but how is it? did you find a solution?
What should i do if my battery for my spectra on it is dead
You can swap in a Polaroid 600 battery, it’s the same except for some cutouts on the cardboard that are easy to do with scissors. I have a video on it in my channel.
@@sprkplg thanks I'll check it out
Hello! I recently found an old spectra system se and learned they discontinued the film! If I was able to get my hands on a spectra cartridge, could I keep using that same one as long as I reload with new film?
You will likely also need to replace the battery occasionally. But now honestly there are better and more repeatable methods.
@@sprkplg do you know some methods that would be better?
@@timmiemerwin7759 yes search for Polastudio spectra adapter, and there is a similar project of you search “open source DIY spectra battery”
Hey! I found a Spectra Cartridge that takes x4 AA Batteries. Will this work? Thanks for the vid
Can’t really comment on mods I didn’t make, but whoever made it should have clarified that, right? If all else fails the current “easy” method is an adapter made by Polastudio.
Ik im kinda late to ask and this may seem like a dumb question but where do i get the cartridge..
You'll need to have one already from previous film, unfortunately.
@@sprkplg oh darn well I guess I should purchase one then. thanks for responding 😁
Also I wonder if I-type photos work in an SX-70 camera.
You can replace the spectra battery with a 600 battery, you just need to save the spectra spring.
Are you sure that that spot on the film isn't from you pressing on it during the swap? Its just weird how they're all in the same spot
Yeah I mentioned it in the description
How do u get the battery in from the I type without exposing the film?
You need a changing bag or in a dark room, and the itype doesn't have a battery, its the 600 or SX-70 battery
@@sprkplg I sadly realized this after purchasing an I-type cart :( as u can tell I’m a noob
The fault with that film is somehow the middle pod popped on those frames
he must have squeezed the chemical pods as he was handling the film in the dark bag
Yes , he definitely blew out the center pod when he was pinching them out of the original cassette...I’m gonna try this,,, I love my spectra ... such sharp awesome pictures... I do wonder just how far the framing is off though
@@ralphhoskins2115 have you tried it?
Have you thought of doing this as a kind of production line for those without the ability --naturally you are entitled for compensation.
Would end up being too costly, and the demand is just not there
see 7:17 shows damaged sheet from grabbing to forcely... Better crash the cassette and take them out safely
new question can you put the new go film in a spectra
I’m sure someone will try it! Will need to extend the pick arm though.
What should I do if my Spectra cartridge batteries are dead? Do I need to buy a new empty functional cartridge?
Yes, but you can use the battery from a Polaroid 600 type or SX-70 one as well. You will just need to make 2 small cuts with any scissors.
@@sprkplg ?? How do you do that.
Please make a video about it :)
Thank u :*
I tried everything and my film comes out white?? Everything works but why white? It's a new pack of 600 film
Too much light must have leaked onto the film. You need to make sure it's entirely dark.
Cool. 🙏🏻 ✌🏻
Has anyone with experience using a 3D printer tried to print a “ hack” for a more user friendly way of using 600 film in the Spectra camera?
No but the foam method will be easier, and just razor off about 2-3mm of the pod side of the cartridge to prevent the cropping. You want the foam to act as kind of a resistance pad so you don’t have additional frames sliding into the rollers, only the top one getting pulled by the ejection hook. When you transfer film from 600 to Spectra cartridge you run the risk of adding moisture/grease that can create even the slightest “sticking” of one frame to another.
@@sprkplg Thanks for that advice. So one would have to buy a older expired Spectra film ( with cartridge) in order to do this. And then hope the battery is still good for a few 600 reloads in the Spectra cartridge? I know the Spectra film, unfortunately, is selling for crazy prices on EBay
@@ckj324 you can also recycle a 600 battery and use in a spectra cartridge. Just need scissors to make a couple of cuts on the cardboard backing of the 600 battery so it matches the spectra battery dimensions.
@@sprkplg maybe a video on how you do that? Thanks
Someone in China is doing so and he tried to fit two AA batteries into the 3D printed cartridge. He claimed that it works and made a video about that but has not released the final design yet.
Do you have an empty Spectra Cartridge or know so I can also change over to 600? How close would another cartridge come to working from 600?
Clutchhhhh
The obvious question is why you would use a Spectra camera instead of an i-Type or 600? What’s the point?
The lenses are better and some have features the others don't, like the Polaroid Spectra ProCam has a wide angle lens and there is no 600 or I-type Macro Camera like the Polaroid Macro 5 SLR.
I mean I’d rather pay $6 for a fully functional one I thrifted and not pay $120 for a newer one
It's a film shield or cover, NOT a dark slide.
Wrong, according the the makers of the film it is a darkslide, the film shield is otherwise known as the frog tongue: "Push the film cassette all the way in, with darkslide up and plastic base at the bottom.
When you close the film door, the darkslide will eject from the camera automatically, underneath the Film Shield. The plastic Film Shield is designed to protect images from light as they develop - it should not be removed."
Source: support.polaroidoriginals.com/hc/en-us/articles/219000467-How-do-I-insert-Polaroid-and-Impossible-film-into-the-camera-