Camera “POLAROID” MACRO 5 SLR..

Camera “POLAROID” MACRO 5 SLR..

Mikhailov Vladimir Mikhailovich

CAMERA “POLAROID” MACRO 5 SLR
Special single-lens reflex camera
for instant macro photography in medicine and forensics.
Experience of use.<

In the minds of an ordinary amateur photographer, the name “Polaroid” is associated with inexpensive automatic cameras for instant shooting. The finished color image appears right before your eyes in 2-3 minutes. Very fast and quite convenient.

Polaroid cameras use the so-called single-stage diffusion process. Over the half-century of its existence, it has spread literally all over the world. Some popular Polaroid models have been assembled in Russia for several years now.

But this is only one, albeit very significant, side of the company's activities. Those who have touched photography from a more professional side know Polaroid for a wide range of equipment and materials for non-household purposes:

• professional equipment for instant photography: reproduction equipment, devices for taking photographs for various documents, special equipment for scientific and applied photography, cassette parts, or, as they now say, “backs” for medium-format equipment (another neologism of our time);
• materials for the one-stage process in professional photography;
• materials for the “instant production of slides;
• digital cameras;
• various auxiliary equipment (special scanners, printers, etc.).

For the sake of completeness, we should also mention simple point-and-shoot cameras and traditional photographic materials, including high-quality 35mm color negative film produced under the Polaroid brand.”

Despite its widespread use, the single-step process created by Polaroid should not be considered a direct competitor to traditional photography. Rather, these are two parallel systems that complement each other.

Of course, with the advent of digital cameras and video cameras that can be easily paired with computers, the positions of both traditional photography and the one-step process are noticeably narrowing. Sensing this, Polaroid has confidently declared itself in this area, releasing very good digital equipment, while demonstrating its characteristic systematic approach.

And yet, for all those who strive to stop the moment, both amateurs and professionals, the main thing in Polaroid is its immediacy, the ability to easily and quickly obtain final results directly at the scene of events, “in real time,” as they say now.

But this feature of Polaroid acquires special value when conducting so-called operational shooting by law enforcement officers at the scene of an incident:

• a unique opportunity to obtain results directly on the spot;
• the ability to immediately duplicate the most important shots.

Even a cursory acquaintance with the work of law enforcement agencies in developed countries convincingly shows that Polaroid equipment is an integral part of the equipment of a modern police officer.

American James MacDonald in his “Police Photographic Handbook”*, as well as “Guide to Macro Photography for Law Enforcement Agencies”** strongly recommends the Polaroid Spectra home camera (in Europe and Russia this device is known under the name Image), as well as professional Polaroid 600 or Miniportait 203 cameras.

And yet, in the practice of law enforcement agencies, instant photography using Polaroid cameras has always been considered a backup link in documenting especially important stories. For example, in the comprehensive “Guide to Police and Forensic Photography”***, Polaroid equipment is called secondary equipment for duplicating stories already shot using traditional methods in case of equipment failure, laboratory personnel errors, loss or damage of materials, and other unforeseen circumstances.

Nowadays, this is of particular importance when law enforcement agencies work in difficult operational situations and, above all, in so-called “hot spots”.

Macro photography takes up a significant amount of operational photography. This is, above all, the recording of various traces and small-sized material evidence on film:

• fingerprints;
• traces of erasure and forgery of various documents;
• indented text;
• dust traces detected by the electrostatic method;
• traces of penetration, including burglary;
• various damage to objects;
• re-punched numbers on weapons and car bodies.

Photography is sometimes the only way to remove and record certain types of traces without the risk of damaging them. This primarily applies to fingerprints detected by iodine, silver nitrate, finely dispersed reagent, as well as volumetric traces on loose and granular surfaces.

It is no secret that using conventional photographic equipment: a single-lens reflex camera, a standard lens with extension rings or even a macro lens, it is not so easy to take high-quality macro photos: you need to set up the lighting correctly, properly highlight the object against the background, emphasize or, on the contrary, smooth out the texture of its surface, and achieve the desired depth of sharply depicted space.

In laboratory conditions, this task can be solved quite simply, including with the help of the well-known reproduction unit Polaroid MP-4+.

But what if the shooting “in the field” is performed not by an experienced expert, but by an ordinary police officer or other law enforcement officer who is not very knowledgeable in photography, or who, due to the nature of his work, does not have sufficient time and opportunities to determine and set shooting modes?

Imagine that after developing and printing the photos, you want to retake or correct something, but to do this you need to return to the scene of the crime?.. Without a time machine, it is unlikely that this can be done. Therefore, it would be very tempting to use all the advantages of Polaroid in such cases. Previously, this could be partially done using a Polaroid Image home camera with a 1:1 macro attachment. Using Polaroid, you can immediately get the final result and adjust the shooting parameters.

And so in August 1995, Polaroid announced that the English branch was starting production of a new Macro-5 SLR camera for macro photography in medicine and forensics.

Almost simultaneously, an article with the intriguing title “Five Star SLR Camera from Polaroid” appeared in the newsletter of the well-known American company Lightning Powder Co., Inc. (equipment and materials for forensic scientists). Here, in a small, half-page article, an original, unique special camera for macro photography was described. In subsequent issues, a more detailed description was given in relation to the needs of forensic science.

Already in the winter of the following year, an article appeared in the popular Russian magazine “FOTOMAGAZIN” with the first impressions of the new camera, which, it must be admitted, turned out to be very, very favorable (Sheklein A.V., Polaroid Macro 5 SLR subjective assessment, No. 7-8, 1995-96, pp. 52-54). But, as it seems to me, having conducted a conscientious and fairly impartial test of the device, the staff of the magazine unwittingly made some methodological error.

The fact is that a special device, especially one intended for very specific areas of application: medicine and forensics, cannot be assessed in isolation from a specific task, from the nature of the object being filmed, from the working conditions of the operator — a doctor, a policeman, a forensic expert. In general, the assessment turned out to be truly subjective, differing, as it was previously customary to say, «a metaphysical approach.

By this time, thanks to the kind assistance of the employees of the joint Russian-American company “Svetozor”, representing Polaroid’s interests in Russia, the author of these lines managed to get to know this original camera better.

In fact, the Polaroid professional camera program already includes a special device for macro photography: Acmel Macro Auto V6, which allows for high-quality instant macro photography. The main lens (4 elements in 3 groups f=125 mm/F=16) provides a scale of 1.65:1. With the help of five special adapters installed on the lens, the ability to take macro photos is achieved in five more scales: from 1:4 to 3:1.

Shooting is performed on special Polaroid kits of the 339 (color) and 331 (black and white) types, which are also used in Polaroid MicroCam devices for joint work with a microscope.

The main areas of application of the Acmel Macro Auto V6 device are medicine, forensics, investigative operations, control during industrial production of miniature products and components, for example, in electronics.

Even at first glance, the Acmel device and the pictures taken with it make the most favorable impression. But the fact that in order to use it fully, the investigative team would have to carry another suitcase with accessories, instilled some doubt in the convenience of working with the device. Of course, in the laboratory and in production there are no such restrictions, but at the scene of the crime the situation is completely different.

Since then, five or six Macro 5 cameras have passed through my hands, and many pictures of all sorts of objects have been taken in a variety of conditions. And now, having accumulated some experience, having felt the device, I would like to share my thoughts. The first quite natural impression is that the experience of developing and operating the Acmel camera was used in its creation, and used masterfully.

At first glance, the Macro 5 resembles a housing for underwater photography.

The camera is well balanced, comfortable, as hunters say, “butt-friendly”.

To begin with, we will provide brief technical characteristics of the device (Table 1):

• special Polaroid Macro 5 SLR device for macro photography;
• area of ​​application: medicine (primarily ophthalmology), forensics, as well as control of parameters of individual types of products in production;
• optical scheme Macro 5 single-lens reflex camera;
• built-in turret of 5 lenses;
• shooting in five fixed scales 1:5; 1:2.5; 1:1; 2:1 and 3:1;

Table 1

• a “folded” type sighting system (like in regular binoculars), which made it possible to create a compact and easy-to-use camera;
• coordinate grid in the viewfinder's field of view;
• focusing system — by combining light spots» on the surface of the object being photographed;
• automatic exposure control, controlled by a microprocessor, ensures correct exposure at any scale;
• automatic correction of the multiplicity of additionally installed light filters;
• the ability to enhance the elaboration of details in light or dark areas of the image using the “lighter-darker” regulator (adjustment range ± 1 EV in 1/3 EV steps). The “memory system” remembers the set value for the entire shooting period;
• built-in dual flash lamp with the ability to turn off either of the lamps or both at the same time;
• fixed mechanical shutter speed — 1/60 sec;
• shooting material — color integral kits* Polaroid “Type 990”, Image” (Spectra) or “GridFilm” with a sensitivity of ISO 640/29 °, which are balanced for natural light and an electronic flash lamp (5500 ° K);
• format — 102×102 mm, image field 74×91 mm;
• the ability to imprint the date and time of shooting in the frame;
• light filters — polarizing filter, fluorescent filter for ophthalmology (supplied separately);
• operating temperature range 13 — 35° C;
• recommended storage temperature no higher than 24° C;
• weight — 1800 g;
• nylon case for storing and carrying the camera with a pocket for 4 sets of Polaroid film (supplied separately).

Despite its relative ease of use, the Macro 5 SLR is a technically advanced device. The device is controlled from a panel located on its back wall.

It can be successfully used not only by professionals, but also by employees who are not very knowledgeable in photography. The high degree of automation of the shooting process guarantees the achievement of high-quality images.

When testing the camera, we tried to create conditions close to those that an expert would encounter when photographing traces and other objects at the scene of a crime. First of all, the camera is distinguished by the high stability of the results it produces.

Like a regular SLR: the familiar Zenit, the elegant Canon or the durable Nikon, the Macro 5 SLR allows you to see the subject of your photo without any parallax, just as it will appear in the photo.

A turret of five built-in independent lenses without any additional attachments provides macro photography from shoulder portrait (1:5) to three times magnification (3:1) compared to natural size. Switching between scales is done by turning the turret using a handle on the top panel of the device with convenient graphic symbols.

The use of relatively long focal length lenses made it possible to get rid of perspective distortions. A large depth of field is achieved by using minimum aperture values ​​- when shooting at a scale of 3:1 (focal length f= 64 mm), the aperture is 1:100 (!), while achieving a depth of field of 5 mm. And this is with a frame format of 91×74 mm!

It is unlikely that anyone has encountered anything like this in their photography practice. At the same time, the warning about the reduction in sharpness due to the phenomenon of diffraction immediately comes to mind. But, surprisingly, the image clarity remained excellent. For testing, individual shots taken at a scale of 3:1 were enlarged to A4 format (210×297 mm) using the Kodak Magic Image* installation. It is safe to say that the image quality and, above all, the sharpness remained quite satisfactory. At the same time, no software tools for “improving” the image sharpness were intentionally used.

The coordinate grid in the field of view facilitates framing, as well as orientation of the camera relative to the subject to prevent perspective distortions when shooting flat originals.

The camera uses an original focusing system with the help of an auxiliary device, which I would call a “light rangefinder”. Its advantages include, first of all, amazing simplicity and high reliability.

The manipulations during shooting are as follows. Lightly press the shutter release button. This causes two light “bunnies” to appear, which are projected onto the object being photographed. By moving the camera back and forth, we achieve that the “bunnies” merge into one. After that, by pressing the shutter release button, we take the picture. Thus, there is no need for complex electromechanical devices.

The advantage of this focusing scheme is its efficiency: focusing is performed surprisingly quickly and easily. This procedure is performed much faster than focusing on the ground glass of a single-lens reflex camera.

The point is that in the latter case the photographer “skips” the position corresponding to maximum sharpness; the degree of blur near the optimal position changes very slightly and is poorly captured “by eye”. Thus, the photographer is forced to make one or two movements with the frame or the entire camera back and forth.

In this respect, it resembles the principle of focusing in the good old “Leicas” and “Contaxes”, forgotten by many, repeated in “FED”, “Zorkie” and “Kiev”. In them, it was also enough to combine two “spots”, eliminating the duality of the image in the viewfinder-rangefinder.

In my opinion, the choice of such a scheme is not accidental. The fact is that due to the physical characteristics of macro photography as such, the use of conventional autofocus systems in this case is very problematic. In traditional photography, autofocus during macro photography is usually disabled, and focusing is performed by axial movement of the entire device.**

Another distinctive feature of Macro 5 is the ability to use publicly available Image integral kits for consumer devices with the same name.

Other cameras produced by Polaroid specifically for the police, such as the modular system for macro photography CU-5, use special professional kits, including the ability to obtain high-quality black-and-white negatives. But, firstly, they are significantly more expensive, and secondly, they need to be specially ordered, which is not always convenient, especially for the peripheral agencies of our vast country.

However, when working with Macro 5, the best results are achieved using Image-compatible professional 990” sets, with improved detailing and reproduction of human skin tones.

Special mention should be made of the special Polaroid Grid Film sets, each frame of which is factory-applied with a coordinate grid of square cells with 12 rows and 16 columns. Grid Film eliminates the need to use a scale ruler.

The equivalent cell size in the plane of the original depends on the selected shooting scale and is (Table 2):

Table 2

The Grid Film kit is advisable to use when photographing an object that is undesirable or completely unacceptable to touch even with a scale ruler, for example, for reasons of preserving the object itself, as well as when photographing an infected or decomposed biological object.

It should be noted, however, that in some cases the coordinate grid covers significant small details on the surface of the object, which are necessary for subsequent study, comparison and analysis. Here it is better to use the traditional method, placing the scale ruler next to the object.

But the true heart of the device is a system of two symmetrically located flash lamps. Both lamps are used for uniform shadowless illumination. Either lamp can be switched off to reveal the microrelief or texture of the object's surface. According to employees of peripheral internal affairs agencies, there have been cases when the Macro 5 device in the oblique lighting mode (one of the flashes is switched off) revealed a relief corresponding to a knocked-down number on a car body. It was completely invisible under normal lighting.

Flash lamps can be switched off completely. In this case, the device allows the use of an external pulse illuminator, connected to a regular PC contact on the back wall of the device.

But the real miracles begin when a special polarizing filter is installed on the camera, designed for shooting at scales of 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 (the automatic system takes into account the filter multiplicity). Without it, shooting glare originals turns into sheer torture. A special polarized filter not only eliminates glare in frontal lighting, but also significantly improves the tonal and color reproduction of the object.

But it would be unrealistic to expect that such a perfect device would not have any flaws.

First of all, the lack of a remote shutter release is surprising: a cable or a miniature infrared remote control, which are equipped with household video cameras and even some point-and-shoot cameras. Naturally, since the main work of the camera is performed with a flash, they are not needed. But the very presence of a tripod socket suggests stationary use of the camera, which means a cable or remote control is simply necessary.

A serious drawback of the camera, in my opinion, is the lack of long exposures or at least “B” (by hand) exposure. It is quite clear that the designers of the Macro 5 SLR set themselves the task of creating a convenient, reliable and maximally simple device for quick macro photography. And they successfully coped with it.

But when buying a professional camera for $1000, you want to have something more. Especially since in our age of flourishing microprocessor control, it is not at all difficult to do this, and the gain from such modernization is enormous. This is, first of all, the use of external light sources and not only pulsed ones: local point lighting using fiber optics, shooting “in transmission” and photographing luminescence in ultraviolet rays.

In addition, it would be very useful to equip the camera with a mounting thread or bayonet for installing additional filters or attachments on the lens at the operator's discretion.

In this case, the capabilities of the Macro 5 SLR as a single-lens reflex camera would be used to the fullest.

But, despite all of the above, the Macro 5 SLR deserves a very high rating.

Even an obvious “conservative”, a follower of traditional photography, who once tried working with the Macro 5 SLR, will be imbued with the most sincere respect for it. The main thing is to have a sufficient number of Image Polaroid kits in stock.