Medium format instant film questions

robscomputer · Mar 12, 2010

Hello,

I'm interested in taking instant film with a medium format camera. I am waiting for a RB67 to show up and bought a cheap Polaroid back (after reading not sure if it's the right one). I never ventured down the Polaroid route, my only experience is taking some snap shots, and this was with the old 669(?) film where the camera squishes the developer from the little pack on the film.

So I'm wondering running the Fuji replacement on the RB67 would be a easy experience or met with frustration?

My goal is to have some fun with instant film, and have something ready to scan the same day. Also I never tried it before and like the low-res of the instant film look.

I'm guessing you load the film and treat it like any other back, except you remove film as you expose? Never worked on a large format camera so I'm not sure about using dark slides, and changing film.

Thanks,
Rob

Q.G. · Mar 12, 2010

Yes. You load the magazine, out the pack in, and after that it's a matter of exposing, pulling a tab to sandwich negative with positive, pull another tab to squeeze the sandwich through rollers, wait for a minute (or so), and peel the two apart.

And here's something different from the integral film that comes rolling out of the camera automatically: after separating the sandwich, you're left with a piece of paper covered in sticky, caustic goo. It will give you a terrible itch if you let it touch your skin, so you have to dispose of it carfully.

The dark slide ins and outs are the same as when using normal film.

photomem · Mar 12, 2010

The Fuji stuff works just like the old Polaroid in that it is a series of numbered paper tabs that you pull out, wait the required development time ( there is a chart on the box) and then the positive print peels away from the negative. Two things to be aware of, first is that the fp3000 is actually ISO 3200, but since you can set the exposure, you can work from that starting point. The second is that you want to keep the rollers clean on the Polaroid back, and when pulling the film out, use a smooth, quick motion. Otherwise you might end up with a white vignette around the image.

Most of all though, have fun with it! Polaroid film is a blast!

photomem · Mar 12, 2010

The Fuji stuff works just like the old Polaroid in that it is a series of numbered paper tabs that you pull out, wait the required development time ( there is a chart on the box) and then the positive print peels away from the negative. Two things to be aware of, first is that the fp3000 is actually ISO 3200, but since you can set the exposure, you can work from that starting point. The second is that you want to keep the rollers clean on the Polaroid back, and when pulling the film out, use a smooth, quick motion. Otherwise you might end up with a white vignette around the image.

Most of all though, have fun with it! Polaroid film is a blast!

robscomputer · Mar 12, 2010

Thanks!

I'm not sure if I bought the right back, since I don't have the RB67 in hand yet. It's a NPC version, but not sure if it has the mount of the back for the RB.

As for the film, would the paper's be something of a bother if I was shooting indoors? I didn't realize that peel apart was the developer chemicals removed from the paper backing. I guessed it was just a paper cover and under was the sealed photo.

Thanks, never knew that.

timk · Mar 12, 2010

Does the back say "Mamiya" on it? on the RB67 the back actually mounts onto the adapter that the revolving back plate mounts to. So the mounting lugs won't look the same as a standard film back. Remove the revolving adapter with the little silver lever on the bottom of the body.

One annoying thing (with my polaroid back at least), is that the interlocks don't work so you can take the dark slide out with the back not on the camera, and you can remove the back from the camera without the darkslide in it.

robscomputer · Mar 12, 2010

I think it does say Mamiya, I'll need to check once I get home. I do know that it has lugs, but I'm not sure if they are removable or not.

Voyager13b · Mar 12, 2010

I think the NPC Polaroid back made for the RB67 is the MF-3 model. I know the MF-4 is for the RZ67. NPC backs work fine though. They developed products with Polaroid when both were still alive, and they made backs for a wide variety of cameras. I bought a used Mamiya back for my RZ67 system, as I wasn't sure if the NPC back had a film speed dial and contacts to report it to the body when using an AE finder for macro or just lazy work. I still don't know the answer, but the RB system doesn't talk to the film backs anyway, so it doesn't matter. I also heard a rumor that the NPC back shoots a square frame a couple mm larger without a mask slide installed than the Mamiya back does when it's unmasked. Not much (I think my Mamiya back captures a 6.95 x 6.95 cm square image, and the NPC back a bit more at 7.4 x 7.4 cm), but every little bit extra helps if you plan on shooting instant film for keeper prints, and use the unmasked, square format for maximum impact. Polaroids shot on a Hasselblad look downright silly compared to a "mega-square" that adds over a full cm to each side. Sweet . Maybe an NPC back user can measure the true square image size and report it here.

Voyager

timk · Mar 12, 2010

just took a look at a polaroid print I have lying around, my back takes 71x71mm images. The back I have is a polaroid branded back and it has Mamiya printed on the top of it.

It's a pity they don't make the Medium format equivalent of Polaroid 55 any more (the one that you get a negative and a positive), as there isn't much to do with Polaroids other than use them for tests or happy snaps.

vdonovan · Mar 12, 2010

timk said:
just took a look at a polaroid print I have lying around, my back takes 71x71mm images. The back I have is a polaroid branded back and it has Mamiya printed on the top of it.

It's a pity they don't make the Medium format equivalent of Polaroid 55 any more (the one that you get a negative and a positive), as there isn't much to do with Polaroids other than use them for tests or happy snaps.

I beg to differ! Two of my Polaroids (Fuji Instant, actually) have been accepted into juried gallery shows.

photomem · Mar 14, 2010

I have to agree with Vince, I have sold a couple of my Polaroids as well. Also, with the FP3000B, you can actually clear the negative (Sodium Sulfite Solution, I believe) and then scan it and make digi enlargements. I do wonder though if you were careful if you could remove the negative after clearing and drying and use it optically in an enlarger, I mean it has to allow light to pass through it.. right?

Q.G. · Mar 14, 2010

photomem said:
I do wonder though if you were careful if you could remove the negative after clearing and drying and use it optically in an enlarger, I mean it has to allow light to pass through it.. right?

My memory of the Polaroid process is rusty, but as i remember it, not light, but chemicals pass through it, diffusing from the negative into the positive.

guyjr · Mar 15, 2010

1. I've been burned a few times with the lack of interlocks on the pola back I have for my RZ67 ProII. In the last year, I think I've had exactly one pack fully developed properly - just when I think I know the pitfalls, I find another one.

2. My back (Mamiya / Polaroid) takes prints very close to 7cm square. I totally agree about it making prints from Hassy pola backs look silly.

3. I recently archived all of the prints I took over the last year in a photo album in clear sleeves. It's actually a pretty neat effect - the sleeves themselves accept 4x6 prints, so I have all my instant pics aligned the same on each page. What ends up happening is you can see through to the part of the album where the 4x6's start, but it is blurry - sort of like shallow depth of field from the top. At any rate, it makes the instant prints stand out that much more against the backdrop of the inkjet printed 4x6's.

InTokyo · Mar 30, 2010

Just to add......there are backs out there that are marked M80 along the side of the adapter plate (long side). These are only for square format film not the current 3x4 pack film that is available from Fuji. They do fit a Press Universal (or RB with a P adapter) but just know that the film ain't going to be easy to find!

Medium format instant film questions

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