Has something happened recently with polaroid film quality?

maevery · Nov 22, 2021

The past few months I've noticed (at least 600 speed film) polaroid film has had horrendous quality. Most pictures ending up severely color-shifted or being very washed out and dull.
While new-polaroid was never as good as in the past, I still never had a situation where an entire pack of film looks terrible.
Anyone else having these issues or am have I just been getting unlucky batches?

Helge · Nov 22, 2021

I don’t see why anyone is still bothering with this crap?
They’ve been faffing about in the same quagmire for about 10 years.
10 shots per pack, much better QC, and at least when we can’t have Instax quality then just an attempt to match it, is the very, very least we could expect as customers by now.

Unless the above is satisfied, I’m never going back to Polaroid

My bet is Polaroid is going to be sold off or go under within five years.

foc · Nov 22, 2021

Instax has set the new standard for instant film quality (like it or not) and unfortunately, Polaroid appears to be lacking in that area.
Some of the Polaroid cameras look great and have that retro look that can be important in marketing.
Their biggest asset is the name. Polaroid means instant photos to everyone. Some people with Instax cameras call the film Polaroid Instax or the Fuji Polaroid.

foc · Nov 22, 2021

Instax has set the new standard for instant film quality (like it or not) and unfortunately, Polaroid appears to be lacking in that area.
Some of the Polaroid cameras look great and have that retro look that can be important in marketing.
Their biggest asset is the name. Polaroid means instant photos to everyone. Some people with Instax cameras call the film Polaroid Instax or the Fuji Polaroid.

Helge · Nov 22, 2021

Sell off Polaroid to Fuji Film.

halfaman · Nov 22, 2021

I know nobody who has ever been really satisfied with Impossible/Polaroid image quality, but they are still the only hope to maintain the instant photography for Polaroid cameras and so they will maintain some support from the community as long they keep it running.

Nvertheless, it seems that this time the result is worse than usual.

Helge · Nov 22, 2021

halfaman said:
I know nobody who has ever been really satisfied with Impossible/Polaroid image quality, but they are still the only hope to maintain the instant photography for Polaroid cameras and so they will maintain some support from the community as long they keep it running.

Nvertheless, it seems that this time the result is worse than usual.

Is it really that important to maintain those old fuckers?
They were never made to the same standard as “real” cameras anyway.
Pack film was the only format that had decent quality.
SX 70 and 600 film was always soft, fuzzy, ten lines per centimeter crap.
Edwin Land would have gone on to much better basic technologies in the 80s, if he had been at the helm.

miha · Nov 22, 2021

maevery said:
The past few months I've noticed (at least 600 speed film) polaroid film has had horrendous quality. Most pictures ending up severely color-shifted or being very washed out and dull.
While new-polaroid was never as good as in the past, I still never had a situation where an entire pack of film looks terrible.
Anyone else having these issues or am have I just been getting unlucky batches?

Polaroid is quite temperature sensitive, it shouldn't freeze or be exposed at too low temperatures. But yes, the new Polaroid, even when performing doesn't come close to the original, still it's the only option for my SX-70 camera.

Aviv · Nov 22, 2021

If I've ever had bad experiences with the new polaroid film, it's primarily due to my camera not exposing it properly or the temperature at which the film is exposed. I have had that washed out look occasionally with hot weather.

With the right light, I think it can look quite nice. I primarily use a SLR 680 which doesn't seem to be easily fooled by difficult light. Though the film isn't what it used to be, it looks good for my purposes. Wouldn't do anything serious with it though.

perkeleellinen · Nov 22, 2021

My experience has been positive which I am pleasantly surprised with. I shot Instax around the New Year and it was ok, but a bit high contrast. I got an Impulse AF cheap and got a box of Polaroid to try, expecting it to be awful, but it wasn't. In fact, I much prefer the colours and general look. I've never had any quality problems, always buy direct from Polaroid.

halfaman · Nov 22, 2021

Helge said:
Is it really that important to maintain those old fuckers?
They were never made to the same standard as “real” cameras anyway.
Pack film was the only format that had decent quality.
SX 70 and 600 film was always soft, fuzzy, ten lines per centimeter crap.
Edwin Land would have gone on to much better basic technologies in the 80s, if he had been at the helm.

Current Instax cameras are not better, I would say they are worse than classic Polaroids, but the film is nice and light years ahead of what Impossible/Polaroid delivers. They sell 10 million units every year so no crappy business at all...

removedacct1 · Nov 22, 2021

foc said:
Instax has set the new standard for instant film quality (like it or not).

I just wish the Instax cameras didn't look so much like Fisher-Price toys.

Andrew O'Neill · Nov 22, 2021

I shot quite a bit of the new Polaroid, particularly the SX-70 colour and B/W stuff. The colour stuff was nothing like old Polaroid SX-70. The yellows were pretty washed out. Didn't like it. The B/W was better, but still not satisfied. Prefer Instax.

Helge · Nov 22, 2021

halfaman said:
Current Instax cameras are not better, I would say they are worse than classic Polaroids, but the film is nice and light years ahead of what Impossible/Polaroid delivers. They sell 10 million units every year so no crappy business at all...

A Wide with a manually scale focused triplet, no flash, but a hot shoe would be an instant success with a huge segment not addressed by Fujis current Teletubbi 90s designs.
Fuji or Mint is missing a huge chance here.

The rangefinder Mint did was just ridiculous. Great in ways, but way overkill and fucking square format.

Wide or bust.
Wide is just teetering on the acceptable image size and resolution as is.
Going smaller is an insult to everyone.

Helge · Nov 22, 2021

Old Gregg said:
Try it at a party and watch people's faces.
That's why.

Try Instax.

Paul Ozzello · Nov 22, 2021

The Instax film is very nice but really high contrast -and because the cameras are such crap it’s almost impossible to get a properly exposed image. But Instax film works GREAT on the Lynk Printers that let you print from a phone.

The Mint modified SX-70 is a fantastic camera and the Polaroid films can look pretty decent when properly exposed.

It would be amazing if Fuji produced Instax in 8x10 or larger - then you could use it in the darkroom and make prints from transparencies..

gone · Nov 22, 2021

Helge said:
Is it really that important to maintain those old fuckers?

Well, if they could eventually get the films right, it's a great way to take photos. I had a Polaroid I Zone camera, a tiny thing, and it took small, beautiful photos! The aspect ratio was very nice, and unfortunately, the photos came out so good that everyone I took a shot of wanted the photo, so I have no photos to show.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3137475784...2375642056&abcId=9300697&merchantid=427097671

The problem w/ any and all of this is that you only have one or two film suppliers, and if those films aren't working right, you own a door stop. There must be a way for us to DIY this, because it's crystal clear after watching this stuff over decades, that we can't trust the film makers to do it properly or consistently.

Helge · Nov 22, 2021

momus said:
Well, if they could eventually get the films right, it's a great way to take photos. I had a Polaroid I Zone camera, a tiny thing, and it took small, beautiful photos! The aspect ratio was very nice, and unfortunately, the photos came out so good that everyone I took a shot of wanted the photo, so I have no photos to show.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/313747578432?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr=1&amdata=enc:1wrOY7x6fSvW2wQkjS2c2BQ77&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=313747578432&targetid=1262375642056&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9030244&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1262375642056&abcId=9300697&merchantid=427097671

The problem w/ any and all of this is that you only have one or two film suppliers, and if those films aren't working right, you own a door stop. There must be a way for us to DIY this, because it's crystal clear after watching this stuff over decades, that we can't trust the film makers to do it properly or consistently.

DIY instant film‽ X’-D
The closest you’ll get to that is making a single exposure on RA4 and then reverse develop it right away.

Brian B Bednarek · Nov 24, 2021

maevery said:
The past few months I've noticed (at least 600 speed film) polaroid film has had horrendous quality. Most pictures ending up severely color-shifted or being very washed out and dull.
While new-polaroid was never as good as in the past, I still never had a situation where an entire pack of film looks terrible.
Anyone else having these issues or am have I just been getting unlucky batches?

I have found that the batches are erratic and when i get a good one, I love the results ... sometimes, I feel that the film is to sensitive to the environment and looks crummy because of weather ... wish it was more like classic stuff, but i don't see that happening soon!!!

Instax is higher a quality and more stable ... just try the SQ stuff in a Mamiya RB67 with an Instax back ... wow!!! lack of good glass is the problem with all instants since the 80s!!!

Helge · Nov 24, 2021

Brian B Bednarek said:
I have found that the batches are erratic and when i get a good one, I love the results ... sometimes, I feel that the film is to sensitive to the environment and looks crummy because of weather ... wish it was more like classic stuff, but i don't see that happening soon!!!

Instax is higher a quality and more stable ... just try the SQ stuff in a Mamiya RB67 with an Instax back ... wow!!! lack of good glass is the problem with all instants since the 80s!!!

Crazy thing is, it wouldn’t take much to make a huge improvement.
Replace the omnipresent zoom duplets with a normal triplet.
Save money on the flash, the zoom motor and tele finder.

Caleb Hauge · May 31, 2022

I wasn't around for the original Polaroid film so I'm not sure if this is normal, but I've noticed the newer film fades shockingly fast, so that's another quality issue they seem to have. I've got pics taken a year ago that have faded to green so much that they look like some cheap stuff from Fuji (Not that Fuji is bad, I just don't like my pics looking green and cheap Fuji stuff tends to look green) but even worse because everything gets darker too. My oldest pics are about 4 years old and they've almost disappeared. They're not kept in sunlight either, these are photos that got forgotten in dark desk drawers for ages.

madNbad · May 31, 2022

I used a first generation SX-70 from 1977 till it was getting hard to find film for it. I always liked the slower film and tried a 600 camera a couple of times but felt the results from the SX-70 with a flash were better. I gave the Polaroid to Goodwill somewhere around 2011 or 2012, Impossible introduced their version about the same time. I tried a SLR680 but was less than impressed with the film, so I sold it. Recently, a gift arrived, a SX-70 Alpha 1. Ran a pack of B&W through it then dropped it off at a local shop for a cleaning. I couldn’t see spending hundreds of dollars for the upgrade to use the mediocre 600 film and at twenty bucks for eight exposures, how often would it be used. I have the first picture taken with my then new SX-70. It was of my friend sitting at a kitchen table in August of 1977. It still looks just like the day I took it.

chriscrawfordphoto · May 31, 2022

I bought a Polaroid SX-70 camera that had been modified to use 600 film a couple months ago and have gotten really great results. I don't think the film is quite as good as the 600 film that the old Polaroid company had made, but it is not bad. I've been having a lot of fun shooting with it; my only complaint is that I've spent a fortune on film!

These are recent ones I have done; I'm pleased with how they came out.

Nicholas W · Jun 23, 2022

maevery said:
The past few months I've noticed (at least 600 speed film) polaroid film has had horrendous quality. Most pictures ending up severely color-shifted or being very washed out and dull.
While new-polaroid was never as good as in the past, I still never had a situation where an entire pack of film looks terrible.
Anyone else having these issues or am have I just been getting unlucky batches?

Did you buy it directly from Polaroid? I have been getting good results from the fresh batches. It is unfortunately unstable before shooting though, and thus must be bought from a retailer who refrigerates it. I prefer Polaroid themselves as they have the best prices

Has something happened recently with polaroid film quality?

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