Polaroid Land 95A
Art Deco Credentials ⓘ
Cameras with the last traces of Deco styling
Limited: Minor and largely incidental Deco elements
- Produced after the main Art Deco period.
- Brushed aluminium on faceplate.
- Horizontal ruled lines on faceplate.
- Body constructed of cast aluminium
- Body covered in brown leatherette.
- Handle of real leather.
- Many chrome highlights
Specification
| Manufacturer | : | Polaroid |
|---|---|---|
| Produced | : | 1954 |
| Classification | : | Medium Format |
| Body Type | : | Folding Bed |
| Bellows Deployment | : | Sliding Rail |
| Construction | : | Cast Aluminium |
| Film Type | : | 40‑series roll film |
| Film Width | : | 82 mm |
| ImageSize | : | 2.5 × 3.25 inches |
| No. of Images | : | 8 |
| Lens Type | : | 3‑element triplet |
| Focal Length | : | 130mm |
| Focus Type | : | Variable |
| Focal Range | : | 3.5ft - inf. |
| Aperture Type | : | multi‑hole Waterhouse wheel |
| Aperture | : | f/9 - f/35 * |
| Shutter Type | : | 5‑blade Leaf |
| Shutter Speeds | : | B, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50,1/150 sec * |
| Size Closed (w x h x d) | : | 130 x 245 x 60 mm |
| Size Open (w x h x d) | : | 130 x 245 x 200 mm |
| Weight | : | 1.925kg |
Description
The early Polaroid Land Camera 95A represents a transitional moment in instant‑camera engineering, combining the rugged mechanical design of the original Model 95 with refinements that shaped later Land cameras. This rare early‑production variant features the original I/B leaf shutter and Polaroid's unique 1–8 Waterhouse‑stop exposure system, where settings 1–4 share a wide aperture with progressively faster shutter speeds, and 5–8 maintain a fixed speed while stepping down through smaller apertures. At its heart is a 130 mm f/8.8 three‑element triplet lens, capable of surprisingly sharp central rendering and classic mid‑century character. Built with heavy cast‑alloy construction, polished metal trim, and a distinctive folding bellows, the 95A stands as both a functional photographic tool and a beautifully engineered artifact from the dawn of instant photography.
How to Use
The Polaroid Land 95A camera was designed to use Polaroid 40‑series roll film, a format that no longer exists today.
The manual for this camera is found here:- Polaroid Land 95A camera
This camera has a 1-8 position exposure system. The specification of the 8 positions are shown below. These values were measured on the particular camera shown. The higher shutter speeds were not particularly stable varying between 1/100s and 1/200s
| Exposure Setting | Aperture | Shutter Speed | EV (ISO 100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | f/9 | 1/11 | 7.4 |
| 2 | f/9 | 1/25 | 8.8 |
| 3 | f/9 | 1/50 | 9.8 |
| 4 | f/9 | 1/150 | 11.2 |
| 5 | f/13 | 1/150 | 12.4 |
| 6 | f/20 | 1/150 | 14.0 |
| 7 | f/25 | 1/150 | 15.0 |
| 8 | f/35 | 1//150 | 16.4 |