New formulations from Impossble

[adelorenzo]

Impossible announced that they are launching a Dead Link Removed and are working on a new B&W. This forum won't let me embed the tweets but here is a screenshot from today:

 

[EdSawyer]

Its about time. Most of their product has not been nearly as good as original sx70 film.

 

[Fixcinater]

Each iteration does get better...some of them have been big improvements. The Color Protection series is now arguably better than any of the expired original Polaroid film you may find, unless it has been stored impeccably.

I'd say they are doing a fine job for having to completely reverse engineer something that complex.

 

[bsdunek]

Agree with Fixcinater. As an engineer, I am amazed that they are doing as well as they are. Looking forward to the new film.

 

[TheToadMen]

I visited the factory in Enschede, The Netherlands. It was quite impresive to see how they managed to get all the old machines from the 1970's up and running.

 

[darkosaric]

Film quality now is good, only thing is price: 20 euros for 8 pictures - while fuji instax wide is around 1 euro for 1 picture.

 

[sandholm]

SX 70 image area 7.9 x 7.9 = 62.41 cm(2)
Fuji instax image area = 4.6 x 6.2 = 28.52 cm(2)

SX 70: price per image/cm(2) = 2.5/62.41 = 0.040
Fuji instax: price per image/cm(2) = 1/28.52 = 0.035


So the price difference between the two image format is not that far apart.

 

[AgX]

The Instax size you give is for the Instax Mini format.

"Large" Instax Wide is 6.2x9.9cm = 61.38cm²
Price per Instax image /cm² = 1/61.38 = 0.016

 

[darkosaric]

I support impossible project - I got a pioneer status long time ago. What they have and fuji does not are B&W film and cool cameras. I use instax, instax mini and impossible films.
But if fuji decide to introduce new instax wide camera that will look cool (like new beautiful instax mini 90) - and if they introduce B&W instax film -then impossible project will have no future.

 

[Brac]

Well Fuji do still sell one black & white peel apart instant film, so must have the know how to do a B & W instax film if they chose. However as apparently they couldn't make a profit from their excellent Neopan 400 35mm film, I can't see them introducing a B & W film in instax formats. So I don't think the Impossible Project have anything to fear.

 

[Prof_Pixel]

Well Fuji do still sell one black & white peel apart instant film, so must have the know how to do a B & W instax film if they chose.

Two completely different technologies. The B&W peel apart is based on Polaroid technology; the integral picture unit Instax is based on Kodak Instant Film technology.

 

[adelorenzo]

The one thing I take away from this is I'm really glad to hear that IP is committed to improving their product. They've come a long way but obviously still a lot of room to improve. The test shots they posted from the new 600 film do show a lot better colour than the old stuff.

 

[mweintraub]

Well Fuji do still sell one black & white peel apart instant film, so must have the know how to do a B & W instax film if they chose. However as apparently they couldn't make a profit from their excellent Neopan 400 35mm film, I can't see them introducing a B & W film in instax formats. So I don't think the Impossible Project have anything to fear.

Yeah, I think Fuji makes more money with their FP series because they are the only ones doing it and the Instax arent selling as much. At least they released a new mini cam. Maybe that'll spark some interest.

 

[RattyMouse]

Yeah, I think Fuji makes more money with their FP series because they are the only ones doing it and the Instax arent selling as much. At least they released a new mini cam. Maybe that'll spark some interest.

Instax has to be selling waaaay more than the FP film. You can find Instax film in stores all over China. It is EVERYWHERE. It is almost like the old days in that you can just pop into a store and grab some film on the fly.

Even in the camera malls there are maybe one or two stores with a few boxes of FP film in stock. It's not even close.

 

[mweintraub]

Instax has to be selling waaaay more than the FP film. You can find Instax film in stores all over China. It is EVERYWHERE. It is almost like the old days in that you can just pop into a store and grab some film on the fly.

Even in the camera malls there are maybe one or two stores with a few boxes of FP film in stock. It's not even close.

I'd be lucky to find any FP in local stores here. I've actually seen them in two local photo speciality stores. One is pretty much film gear only (used mostly). I have seen some mini Instax in stores like Target, but I think might have stopped carrying it. So I don't thik they are selling that well in store fronts. I think the more hardcore shooters order online.

 

[darkosaric]

Here in Germany and in Poland you can find tons of Instax mini films and cameras in "Saturn" store and in some other shops as well. Other instant films - only fotoimpex.

 

[AgX]

Have not been at Saturn lately, so I don't know.. Other than that Instax film is hard to find for me. And where it is offered it keeps sitting on the shelves.

Never ever saw anybody usiing Instax cameras.

 

[fencer]

Here in Germany and in Poland you can find tons of Instax mini films and cameras in "Saturn" store and in some other shops as well. Other instant films - only fotoimpex.

Not true, at least here in Poland. Finding fp100c is not a big problem. I've seen some Impossible Project films, too - but "Impossible Pricing" would be a better name.

 

[darkosaric]

Not true, at least here in Poland. Finding fp100c is not a big problem. I've seen some Impossible Project films, too - but "Impossible Pricing" would be a better name.

Last time I was in Saturn in Zlote Tarasy couple of months ago in Warsaw they had a lot of Fuji Instax mini films and cameras, but of course on allegro you can find everything. I agree about prices of Impossible films, but that is as it is .

 

[Ektagraphic]

Hope I don't sound stupid for asking this but…Does this film need to be shielded from light when it is ejected from the camera like the others did?

 

[AgX]

No Instax film in the local Saturn over here.

 

[adelorenzo]

Hope I don't sound stupid for asking this but…Does this film need to be shielded from light when it is ejected from the camera like the others did?

I'm not sure which film you are talking about?

The Impossible color film hasn't needed that for a while now, and the latest improvements to that were more related to improving the color.

They just (today) released the new black and white:

With newly developed chemistry, the latest edition to the Impossible family of films boasts faster development time and significantly improved stability, contrast, and overall performance.

I'm not sure if it still needs to be shielded or not, it doesn't mention anything.

 

[Terry Christian]

Hope I don't sound stupid for asking this but…Does this film need to be shielded from light when it is ejected from the camera like the others did?

Supposedly the new "Color Protection" films from Impossible doesn't need shielding, no. According to their website: "Thanks to the innovative color protection formula there is no need to immediately shield your photos from direct light."

 

[AgX]

"no need to immediately shield"

Well, that could be interpreted as the necessity to shield them nevertheless. Though with some tolerance concerning the immediateness.

 

[adelorenzo]

AFAIK since they went to 'color protection' with the color film (last generation) you didn't have to immediately shield it when it came out of the camera and the new color formula is the same. I shot a pack of the older stuff and never did that. But you are supposed to let it develop in the dark for the 30 minutes, in a drawer or a pocket or whatever.

Per the Impossible blog the newly released black and white still needs to be shielded:

But you still have to shield it from light when it’s ejected from the camera, right?

The light sensitivity of all of our film materials is created by classical silver halide emulsions. When the picture comes out of the camera, the siver halide crystals in the negative are still light sensitive, despite some protection by what we call an opacification dye in the paste.