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Anyone useing the contractors polaroid camera with the 2 foot to 4 foot and the 4 foot to infinity
lenses? What quality picture do you get from them and can you frame the close up shots any better than the standard 35 millimeter cameras? Are the snaps of a good enough quality to scan?
Thanks up front,
brisketbean
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You're talking about the almost disposable black and yellow JobPro camera. The ones that polaroid gives you for buying 4 packs of film ? The quality of the photographs is marginal to good, and almost acceptable when used outdoors. I dont think you'll want to toss out the 35mm yet though, I still take more pics with the 35 than the polaroid. They do come in handy for documenting all sorts of conditions on site, and sending a pic. with the helper for that piece of hardware you need. Buy one. They're cheap and you'll find a use for it.
zale
*I have a similar polaroid, same features, about 30 to 40 dollars. 20 free pictures came with it. after that, its about 1 dollar a picture for film.Takes pretty good quality pictures. I use it a lot to show certain details of my work to customers, such as how their deck railing will look if i do it a certain way, etc. It is a lot easier than explaining things over and over. You can see if you have the picture you need right away rather than a few weeks after the job is finished, when I usually get around to getting my film developed.
*The comments of people here brought me around to thinking a digital camera is the best option. No film, no processing, no scanning. The intial cost is higher ($300 entry-level?), but consider how much those 10-shot Polaroid film packs cost and you'll see the break-even point comes quickly. The image quality is also "loss-less" -- no intermediate steps of recording on film then scanning.Am also considering a "catalog" of sorts -- posted on a Web page and printed selectively for particular clients (the quality of $300 color inkjet printers now is astonishing). But have more immediate uses for $$$ in the meantime!
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Digital cameras will probably be the way to go in the future, but I don't know how impressed you'll be with the quality of the "$300 entry-level" cameras right know. I think they will work fine for basic documentation, much like I use my Polaroid Job-Pro camera for right now. But I'd be hesitant to use it for any kind of "catalog" shots.
It may just be my bias (I used to be a newspaper photographer and still am a hobbiest) but cheap digital imaging looks just like that, cheap. Also, keep in mind that digital imaging exacts a price on computer memory. The bytes can really add up if you attempt to store images in any format that retains good quality for printing out. While the 72dpi JPEG's look fine with the limitations of monitor resolution, they look pretty splotchy from even the best inkjet. Also, working with larger files with the image management software you'll need is RAM intensive, and is really only practical on faster Mhz machines (pretty pokey on my old 100Mhz Macintosh).
The top quality digital cameras are far to expensive for anything but daily professional work. But they are capable of producing the kind of images you may desire.
My only argument with the Job-Pro is that the lens isn't enough of a wide-angle. I really use it most for taking photos during my site visits prior to estimating. Trying to get enough shots in a small bathroom can require piecing together a whole pack of shots collage style. The film costs do add up quickly.
Again let me reiterate the cheap digital cameras will work for the purpose you hope to use them for, but the quality may not be up to snuff for your tastes and it exacts a price on your computer hardware.
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The contractor's polaroid is handy, but at a buck a shot, I use it sparingly, and for personal use at the job site. Not having a digital, a 35mm is my choice for before, progress, and after shots that will be given to clients or shown to prospects. BTW, the polaroid film doesn't seem to hold up too well in the truck through Virginia winters and summers.
I haven't tried the close-up feature.
Candidly, Steve
*I've long though the resolution on a Polaroid was pretty poor. I prefer 35mm still, but it always amazes me how blind most people are to issues like sharpness. I'm keeping the Pentax.
*Dick, seems the old Horseman or Technica wasn't so out of date after all. WA lens on a 4x5 Press or Field Camera with a polaroid back, use the instant image/negative film... a quick B&W, followed by a 4x5 negative... still available at pro photo shops I believe. 125ASA still beats a digital. Not to mention the old 180 to 220 lpi screen vs. today's pixelated photo reproduction. We'd throw out stuff that I see printed now.
*I've had a sony digital for about 4 months now and I like it. Twice I've been talking to potential customers and told them I would drop off a picture the next day of similar work I've done. Took the pics on the way home printed them and droped them off in the morning, got both jobs. Its a $750 camera and it's "film" is a cheap "3.5" floppy so storage isnt a problem. I take plenty of shots, delete what I don't like right on the camera and store the rest on floppy.But it will never replace my pentax for nice shots
*I got a camera to take pictures of all the people following me around.......wait a minute that's a paranoid camera.......nevermind.
*Gee, Mike ... we didn't realize you knew all those people are following you around.Stealthfully, Steve
*Looking at all the messages, it seems like the cheap contractor polaroid specificly and cameras generally are like any other tool. Select the best to fit the job.For catalogs, brochures and FHB articles use 35mm or larger format with good lenses and probably hire a pro.For sending the apprentice to the cabinet hardware shop NOW, the ceap polaroid is fine.For ease of use and making before and after sales presentations ('here's what we can do') or job orders for crews ('here's what it's supposed to look like') digital's hard to beat.Someone once told me that polaroid has many advantages over regular film in litigation because it cannot be easily doctored or retouched. "Here's the photo of the completed job with the happy client standing in front of it with me, that broken picture window happened afterward." I'd expect case law to start developing (no pun intended) about the use of digital images as evidence (read "Rising Sun").So for really good quality evidentiary pictures the good lenses with polaroid backs might be the ticket.The news services have been using specially made Nikons and the like with digital backs so they can electronically transmit images, but they go about $25K! There is an add-on coming out for most 35mm's, it will be under $1k. IMAGEK EFS-1 http://www.imagek.com/index.shtmlThere is a digital image website, Digital Photography Forum: http://people.ne.mediaone.net/denniscurtin/index.html
*I bought a pocket 35mm with some nice features from the local photo shop.Had it ordered to imprint the day and date and time on the shots.At around $125. To get pic's fast stop by and use the 1 hour at the local drug store for around 6 bucks for a roll. We have a scanner and post or sent that way. If we need to keep shots I save to disk.
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Anyone useing the contractors polaroid camera with the 2 foot to 4 foot and the 4 foot to infinity
lenses? What quality picture do you get from them and can you frame the close up shots any better than the standard 35 millimeter cameras? Are the snaps of a good enough quality to scan?
Thanks up front,
brisketbean