I want to shoot Instant Film

Theo Sulphate · May 26, 2016

mike c said:
Just got an advertisement form Freestyle, they will be selling a camera made by the Impossible film people that uses 600 and SX70 Polaroid film that they make.

If their film isn't stable, why spend lots of money on their camera?

I'm tempted to ignore Impossible and stay with Fuji pack film until the Impossible film is improved and becomes stable.

I'm considering Instax as well.

Peter Schrager · May 27, 2016

Impossible b+w is already great...not a waste of money. ..
Best Peter

EdSawyer · May 27, 2016

Fp100c was about $0.89/shot or less up until recently. (Adorama finally shipped my last backorder of that just yesterday, at $24.99/pack... ouch!). I'd still buy FP100c if it was available, but I can't morally bring myself to buying instax, given Fuji's asshattery with FP100c.

Impossible would be tolerable even at the price if it had the color stability of the old polaroid and most importantly, the post-shot physical manipulability, but sadly it has neither.

Peter de Groot · May 28, 2016

Always nice to see people bitching and complaining about companies that try to bring back a film that was lost. If you expect that a company can bring a film back to market without anu flaws that you have been living under a roch. You clearly have no clue how complicated the proces is. The film of TIP is getting better and better. It would be able to exist if the haven't been selling film for the past years. If you don't like that is fine and I really get it. But stop bitching and complaining. It does no good. It does not help make the film any better. The economics of bringing an analogu instant film have changed greatly since it was first invented. Ah well that is my take on it.

Arctic amateur · May 28, 2016

RattyMouse said:
Is there any reason why SX-70 film is such a low ISO value compared to 600 series film? I really struggle to understand this.

Probably because the older SX-70 camera was made for the slower film and couldn't be configured to use a faster film? That's the impression I get from http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Polaroid_SX-70 at least.

Theo Sulphate · May 29, 2016

Peter de Groot said:
... You clearly have no clue how complicated the proces is. ...

I have a bit of a clue, since I'm an engineer and have been developing products for over 30 years. True, I'm not a chemical engineer, nor a photo engineer. However, I do grasp the complexity of instant film.

... But stop bitching and complaining. It does no good. It does not help make the film any better. ...

Yes, actually it does. That's how products improve or new products by competitors arise. Good companies react to customers' complaints or desires.

My main point is that a film that is not stable is of little value to me.

Bill Burk · May 29, 2016

RattyMouse said:
This is true of the 2.0 film?

Well, Impossible HAD to make the new SX-70 film work in the original SX-70 camera which does not have a film speed selector. That camera was designed to work with slow "film".

As for expense, Polarioid was always that way. I could only afford a couple packs at a time... On one trip, when Polaroid film was still available for it, I brought an SX-70 to the trailhead of a long backpacking trip. I shot the whole pack the first day before we set out, and I sent off "Postcards" to folks back home. The shots were soft and impressionistic. Creeks, trees, rocks, that sort of stuff. Some people thought they saw a bear in one of my shots but it was just a funky shadow.

Anyway, since it weighs a couple pounds I left it at the trailhead and shot 35mm film for the rest of the trip.

You have to think of the result as miniature works of art. One time I saw a wall of SX-70 photos on display at a candy shop in Northern California. The photos were all original and had reasonable prices (I think around $25).

I always was envious of Andy Warhol, because he was provided (and he consumed) a practically unlimited supply of Polaroid pack film. Though I thought what he did with the "Big Shot" camera was odd, endless ugly pictures of celebrities...

(around 3:25)

RattyMouse · May 29, 2016

Well, I just won an SX-70 on eBay. I guess I am now getting my wish. It was only $75 so I guess the risk is low. We'll see.

Jeff Bradford · May 30, 2016

Instax Wide is sustainable and not too small. A Polaroid 100 and a pack of FP100C would still be obtainable, but you will run out of film before anyone produces a new batch. SX70 and Impossible is obtainable and sustainable, but the most expensive per shot with a certain "mystery factor" added in.

skorpiius · May 30, 2016

There's always this, if you can stomach the price.. gulp

http://www.polaroidconversions.com/instax/

Theo Sulphate · May 30, 2016

skorpiius said:
There's always this, if you can stomach the price.. gulp

http://www.polaroidconversions.com/instax/

Considering the money saved by using relatively inexpensive Instax film, that option isn't too bad - especially if you have an older Polaroid camera with real exposure controls.

GarageBoy · Jun 1, 2016

Yes, TIP charges that much because they're definitely making billions yearly...

They gotta work with what they got. When companies fold, a lot goes down the drain. Someone went over to Fuji after the discontinuation of fp100c to discuss taking over the product. They were politely declined. Fuji would rather take a product to the grave, than to let someone else make it.

Now imagine what happened post Polaroid

Theo Sulphate · Jun 1, 2016

Since I have a few integral-film Polaroid cameras, Impossible Project film is worth the extra expense - but only if the image is stable. If the image isn't stable, then I'm not interested at any price.

I will have to conduct my own tests.

Peter Schrager · Jun 1, 2016

theo sulfate you are so wrong..the B+W is just fine...heat dependent..warmer the better but a beautiful product NOW!!
have a nice day!!
peter

RattyMouse · Jun 2, 2016

Peter Schrager said:
theo sulfate you are so wrong..the B+W is just fine...heat dependent..warmer the better but a beautiful product NOW!!
have a nice day!!
peter

The color film is not stable. $3 a shot and the colors will fade very fast!!!

Fixcinater · Jun 2, 2016

Here is how I see it:

Instax is weak due to the cameras, but film is reliable and plentiful and cheap.
Impossible is weak due to the ongoing film development, but has reliable and plentiful cameras that are good enough for my purposes (SLR 680, SX70)

Support whoever you wish to bring better products to market. For me, I buy IP when it's on sale or really want to shoot the SX70 and I buy Instax when I've forgotten how much I dislike the Instax Wide camera.

RattyMouse · Jun 2, 2016

Fixcinater said:
Here is how I see it:

Instax is weak due to the cameras, but film is reliable and plentiful and cheap.
Impossible is weak due to the ongoing film development, but has reliable and plentiful cameras that are good enough for my purposes (SLR 680, SX70)

Support whoever you wish to bring better products to market. For me, I buy IP when it's on sale or really want to shoot the SX70 and I buy Instax when I've forgotten how much I dislike the Instax Wide camera.

Well, I picked up an SX-70 so will get a first hand experience what that is like when it gets here, hopefully today. I like the square format of the Impossible film and the fact that you can get it in black and white. The cost is obscene though and if it does not come down in the future, I dont see myself using this camera very much at all. I agree with you that Fujifilm cameras for INSTAX are not that great. I'm always hopeful that they will FINALLY bring out a good one. Perhaps this will be the year at Photokina. If Fujifilm did so they could destroy the Impossible project. Fujifilm INSTAX film has amazing quality all across the board.

skorpiius · Jun 2, 2016

skorpiius said:
There's always this, if you can stomach the price.. gulp

http://www.polaroidconversions.com/instax/

Theo Sulphate said:
Considering the money saved by using relatively inexpensive Instax film, that option isn't too bad - especially if you have an older Polaroid camera with real exposure controls.

And really is the camera that satisfies most wants.

darkosaric · Jun 2, 2016

RattyMouse said:
The color film is not stable. $3 a shot and the colors will fade very fast!!!

I took those in 2012 - and colors look the same as 4 years ago to me.
Later color films are only better than those from 2012.

edit: those are iso 600 films

SafakOncu · Jun 3, 2016

I am very satisfied with both Instax and Impossible Project films. Instax for fun (cheaper) and my SX-70 for pleasure. I do not mind film is in development because what I like is I do not know what will I get. There is a surprise factor (due to age of the camera and film development both) and this is the reason I use it. If I were to get perfect colours or stability I would shoot film.

Another factor, I love my SX-70 camera. It looks awesome and magnificient piece of engineering older than me.

darkosaric · Jun 17, 2016

Here are 2 examples of impossible films that I have on my work desk - they look good to me.
RattyMouse: I know impossible films are very expensive and can be disappointing - but maybe you should give it another try? Or we write petition to Fuji to start production of B&W Instax wide ?

RattyMouse · Jun 17, 2016

My Impossible shots look NOTHING like yours. If I got results like that, I'd be fine with it. What I get, my wife calls pure crap. Total garbage. She's NEVER that vocal about my photography, not even once!

Dinis Figueira · Jun 17, 2016

+1 For the petition.
It's increasing the number of people that use instax and want b&w.

RattyMouse · Jun 17, 2016

Dinis Figueira said:
+1 For the petition.
It's increasing the number of people that use instax and want b&w.

Even if the quality were similar, INSTAX film is 1/3rd the price of Impossible film so hopefully Fuji will come out with a monochrome version. This year is a Photokina year so keep your fingers crossed! Maybe they bring that as a surprise product announcement!!

darkosaric · Jun 17, 2016

Dinis Figueira said:
+1 For the petition.
It's increasing the number of people that use instax and want b&w.

Now lets get serious - how and where those things are done? For sure there are some web sites where we can start petition, and then share on social medias?

I want to shoot Instant Film

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