Polaroid films and Equipment ??

There have been some changes in the availablility of some polaroid films. So, this is the main reason I am looking for up to date comments. I have viewed the below site, but it doesn't help much.

I'm wanting to do some emulsion lifts and I am curious as to what everyones opinions are about what would be the most practical route as far as equipment and film. I guess I am kind of torn between a Polaroid SE or a slide printer.

The reasons I am interested in those is because I do a lot of street photography and I travel a lot and I am just not ready for LF. I know there is other 4x5 folders available. If there are some noteworthy ones, please let me know.

Any opinions?

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the easiest IMHO is to use slide film and a daylab. Then you can use a variety of size films to create the lift, from 669 film , 59 or 809.

Using 59 would mean haviang a film holder and 4x5 camera. However, for street work, you may find something smaller faster.
You need not limit yourself to 35mm slide film as there is a daylab head that will accept 120 film so a nice folder that uses that size film would be helpful

Daylab also has several other peices of equipment that will allow you to copy prints to the proper film for doing lifts, so you may want to check their website for specific information. (i don't work for them , so i have no dog in this thread)

Thanks ann.... You very well could be right. For my needs anyway.

If you are only doing 35mm, there are also Polaroid printers that were made by Vivitar and Sunpak. I think the DayLab versions are slightly better, though I do quite well with an old Sunpak.

The easist film for emulsion lifts is type 669, though you might experiment with some other pack films. After doing many emulsion lifts, and exhibiting the results, I have mostly switched to emulsion transfers. Doing transfers instead of lifts is something you might find tougher or easier, though it really is down to practice.

http://www.polaroid.com/creative/index.jsp?bmUID=1174670868150&bmLocale=en_US

Hopefully that link takes you to the creative section of the Polaroid website. While it possible to use type 554 B/W film to do lifts, it requires hotter water and still does not work quite as well. When starting out, you might want to go with the smaller pack films. Then when you get better at it move up to the 4x5 or 8x10 films. Some people find Polaroid manipulation easy, while some find their first efforts involve wasting lots of film.

Fuji also make instant peel apart films, though they do not respond well to attempts to manipulate them. The base material is different and it seems that they attach the emulsion differently than Polaroid. You might also want to search through APUG, since there have been several good discussions of Polaroid manipulations in the past. Best of luck.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
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I usually shoot MF now... But, it would give me an excuse to use all the damn 35mm gear I have collected..... Why, oh why do we do this to ourselves??

Anyway.. I did send out for one of Polaroids creative photography CD's that I think outlines everything. I will watch it again and make the distinction between the two.

Anyone have a daylab for sale??

watch ebay, and check other areas ; i.e. scanners and printers, sometimes folks list them as a printer that falls into the scanner printer area.

fuji 100 will lift, and does so easily, however, it won't stick to anything.

when the image dries, you have a lovely dry piece of emulsion floating around on the surface of the paper, etc.

you can also try 679, it will lift and transfer as well, has a different color tone and sharpness look.

The easiest way to remember which films will do these "tricks.
they end in the number 9.

ann said:

The easiest way to remember which films will do these "tricks.
they end in the number 9.

Click to expand...

haha, good to know....... What would stick to glass the best?? I have a set of old windows I want to utilize......

have used all verison on pottery etc. any should stick, just not the fuji stuff.

I have done a few emulsion transfers to glass, all done with type 669 so far. One of those got an award at a juried exhibit, so I guess maybe it is cool to do more of these. If you have a big enough water tray, and enough patience, they are not that tough compared to using paper.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
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a great device for controling the water temp. a cheap electic skillet.

be sure it is only used for the process.

Very cheap at the usual places. target, wal-mart, etc.

the one i am using can handle without diffiuclty an 8x10 piece of film.

the real trick is to find a tool to handle the floating emulsion. try a resturant supply house, or a chinese resturant supply house for very large cheap spatulas' much cheaper and do the trick .