Polaroid Petition

[HerrBremerhaven]

Just ran across this through a couple Polaroid artists I know on MySpace.

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/save-polaroid-film.html

Supposedly there is also a petition to go to Fujifilm to urge them to either take up producing some Polaroid films, or expand their product line. If anyone knows where that might be, please include it in this thread.

I use Polaroid films, and Fuji FP100C, for proofing. I also have used SX70 films, and type 669 and 690 Polaroid films to make Polaroid manipulations. My art endeavors are break even at best, but I would hate to loose the ability to produce this unique work. Fuji Instant does not manipulate.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

 

[nighthawkjw]

Petition

Good luck to all who hope to change Polaroid's discontinuation of film. I tried with Kodak when I found they had disconintued HIE-135 infrared, but several hundred emails made no difference. The fact is that film has a very limited future. My best suggestion is to try to buy up all you can.

Just ran across this through a couple Polaroid artists I know on MySpace.

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/save-polaroid-film.html

Supposedly there is also a petition to go to Fujifilm to urge them to either take up producing some Polaroid films, or expand their product line. If anyone knows where that might be, please include it in this thread.

I use Polaroid films, and Fuji FP100C, for proofing. I also have used SX70 films, and type 669 and 690 Polaroid films to make Polaroid manipulations. My art endeavors are break even at best, but I would hate to loose the ability to produce this unique work. Fuji Instant does not manipulate.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

 

[Eric Rose]

Good luck. Really I mean that. But unfortunately I think Polaroid materials have an even smaller market than film.

 

[ann]

the film doesn't last as do others, so buying up large amounts is not very productive

 

[HerrBremerhaven]

My personal opinion on this is that Polaroid will not alter their decision. They have made it known they would be willing to license the technology. If the petition makes any difference, it would be to encourage another company to make Instant films. The most likely company to do that would be Fujifilm. However, Fujifilm already make four types of instant films, so they might not have any incentive to produce more.

Regarding IR films, I think the market for those was never anywhere near the market for Polaroid films. Just take a look at Polanoid, and you can see a huge following. I seriously doubt if any IR film ever had much of a following . . . in other words, no comparison. Instant photography has been in the consumer realm, and in the enthusiasts realm.

I think at the end of 2008, there will be no more Polaroid films produced, even under license. That would leave a few Fuji Instant choices to fill any needs. Regardless whether I am right or wrong on that, there is no harm in the petition. I have no romantic notions of some revival . . . if it all goes as I think it will, I will just move on to other choices.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

 

[Jim Noel]

Perhaps if you can get 50,000 -100,000 committed orders you might convince Polaroid to stay around for a short while. A few hundred signatures aren't enough to pay the people who run the coating machine.

 

[snowblind]

I've signed it simply because not doing so is the same as not voting in my opinion. I never had much to do with instant film but, since it is film, I want to support those who use it in these times when users of any kind of film are looking at an uncertain future. Despite having signed the petition, however, I do agree with the above comments -- Polaroid will not change their mind. Also, I don't expect Fuji will take it on in their place since I already saw a question answered on their site, choose-film.org, asking them to produce one of the lines that Polaroid previously discontinued. They said that Polaroid would not have dropped it without good reason so they would not take it up either. They also cited patent problems and that brings me to the saddest part of it all: if Polaroid (or Kodak, for that matter) intend to no longer manufacture certain (or all) products, it really makes no sense to me that they won't let someone else have a go. They could always edict that the licensees hand it all back if they ever decided to start up again.

 

[keithwms]

Signed.

 

[Ray Heath]

this is all quite non-sensical

you've got people signing petitions to keep up the production of materials they don't even use

materials that are going out of production because they are not being used

gee, maybe the producers know these petitions are BS

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

I cant remember a time when an online petition changed an international company's decision - but, signed. If only to show support for the product I use. I never used HIE, but I've bought plenty of Polaroid film - and I'll be investigating fuji's offerings.

EDIT
Just saw this after I signed:

Popular Petitions:
Save Spongebob Squarepants
Reinstate Hank Williams
KEEP NEIGHBOURS ON THE BBC
Save Invader ZIM!
Keep 'The OC' Running...
Supporters Of Clay Aiken

We're in the same boat as spongebob.

 

[HerrBremerhaven]

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/instant_photo/fp100c.html

This is the one Fuji Instant I use the most, at least for proofing. It falls somewhat between Polaroid 669 and Polaroid 690 in colour response. You can find links to their other instant film products on that page. One nice choice in FP100C is the slightly larger FP100C45, which fits in the Polaroid 550 pack film holder; this is nearly full 4x5 film size, so excellent for proofing uses.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography

 

[JBrunner]

.... The fact is that film has a very limited future. My best suggestion is to try to buy up all you can.

I think that is a little bit too inclusive. Polaroid was a small niche inside what is becoming a niche market. I don't doubt that we will lose a few more products, as a once giant market consolidates, but it is important to remember that the film market was measured in tens of billions of dollars just a few years ago. It has now fallen to a few billion dollars. It is no surprise that marginal products will be discontinued, and that unsound companies will close, but I believe many films will be available for the foreseeable future. JMO. There was a guy on here two years ago that adamantly predicted that color film would be unavailable by now. I bet him a beer. He lost. I truly lament the loss of Polaroid products, but I don't think anybody is overly surprised, and it certainly shouldn't call for Chicken Little.

 

[jgjbowen]

Forget the petition, open your wallet and buy some polaroid. $$ talks, all else is BS. Only if you show your commitment to the product by actually BUYING the product will you convince Polaroid or Fuji or ?? to actually continue producing the stuff.

By the way, I LOVE polaroid, but in 20+ years of LF photography, I've probably exposed about 200 sheets of 4x5 polaroid...not exactly enough to keep production rolling. I purchased some old polariod 450 cameras and pack film for my kids for christmas and have a box of 59 I purchased for a fall trip to VT in '06 and a couple boxes of 72 to check exposures/compositions. The film will likely go bad before I actually shoot it. Sad, very sad.

 

[copake_ham]

I agree that signing a petition is meaningless if you are not a user of the film format.

I'm not, so I didn't sign.

I do hope that at least most Polaroid users will find equivalent options from Fujifilm.

 

[donbga]

Signed.

For those of you signing the petition how much Polaroid film did you purchae in the past year? Past 2 years? Past 3 years?

 

[keithwms]

For those of you signing the petition how much Polaroid film did you purchae in the past year? Past 2 years? Past 3 years?

Alright.

I bought *and used* about 10 boxes of type 55, used another ~5 or so of 665 and am using 5 out of my fridge now and some 669 to teach a traditional b&w photography class. Some of my best negs were taken on 55, I adore the stuff. I also bought and used several boxes of 64 and have another half dozen boxes on the shelf which I am experimenting with for transfers, though I prefer the fp100c for "true colour" transfers so far.

As for the other (non pos/neg) polaroid b&w material, I stopped using that in favour of the fuji materials (fp100b, 400b and 3000b) about a year ago. I have repeatedly said that I suspect Fuji's QC is better than Polaroid's ever was.

I also bought a polaroid 8x10 processor about a half year ago and purchased two fresh boxes of 809 for that but await spring light to take that up in earnest.

Total, I would estimate I spent about $1000-1500 last year on instant film. So yeah, I'm a little bitty small fry in the grand scheme, and I'm stupid because I signed a goofy petition. So sue me.

Why anybody who doesn't care to sign the petition would take the time to jump into this thread and be a naysayer is beyond me. I mean, use your time and energy on an enema or something.

 

[donbga]

Why anybody who doesn't care to sign the petition would take the time to jump into this thread and be a naysayer is beyond me.

My point Keith is that I used to be a regular user of PN 55 until the price rose to an unreasonable level for me and that is true of Polaroid's other products, way over priced, IMO. And of course SX-70 film bit the dust which was also favorite with me.

I mean, use your time and energy on an enema or something.

What? Someone can't express a contrary view point without receiving an insulting comment? I guess that tells me where your mind is at.

 

[SuzanneR]

I bought, I think, 5 or 6 boxes of Type 56 (the sepia kind) over the past year, and was having a blast with it. Admittedly, I didn't include it in any of the portrait options I offer to clients, and it's really been something for me to use and just play with a 4x5 camera. It seems, just when something starts to have appeal to me... it gets discontinued. And since I'm not really set up to process or enlarge 4x5 it's been the perfect fit whenever the mood strikes to break out that camera.

I'm very bummed about this, and I hope someone will license it, but I'm not holding my breath. I've been a fairly casual user, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. And, well... it's just fun to use. I wish it wouldn't go away...

I'm might sign the petition... after all, I'd still buy it if I could. Even the 600 stuff that I get for my kids!!

 

[keithwms]

Let's see, Don, you decided it was too expensive for you, so you stopped using it, and now you are ridiculing people who do still use it for wanting to sign a petition. Nice.

Some us place a higher value on the film products we consume than the price that's on the box. Some of us consider that we might actually be among the last blessed few to actually shoot a polaroid frame and we see some value in that! Some of us remember when Land and Eastman owned this field and will spend a fair amount of money for the pleasure of mere nostalgia, while others have genuine artistic aspirations related to a vanishing medium.

The value of polaroid work, and of film-derived work in general, is going up now; we are a talking about a novel recording medium that will likely be gone within our lifetimes except for very special purposes. Applying financial arguments makes no sense at all right now: of course it's vanishing, and so it's a matter of keeping the production of these distinctive and individualistic materials alive as long as we can and getting the most out of them while we can.... and encouraging other companies to pick up the patents and try to keep them alive a bit longer if possible. Hello! We're talking about the survival of a means of expression. Not how many dollars it costs to shoot a frame. If you want to apply that logic then sorry, film probably isn't for you any more... and hasn't been for many years.

This thread is leaving the same bitter taste in my mouth as the HIE thread. Now, I personally don't use HIE but I sure as heck respect the earnest attempts by other apuggers to try to get a few more fresh batches off the line. I wouldn't barge into that thread and ask people how much HIE they are using and basically blame people for not shooting enough HIE to keep it alive.... what possible purpose would that serve?

 

[copake_ham]

As a film photographer, there are days when I feel like I am on a leaking life boat in the middle of the ocean.

Reading this thread is one of those days.

 

[donbga]

Not how many dollars it costs to shoot a frame.

Keith,

Your logic totally escapes me. The cost of a product certainly affects it's consumtion. If you don't care to admit that then that's your choice.

 

[donbga]

and now you are ridiculing people who do still use it for wanting to sign a petition. Nice.

BTW, I never ridiculed anyone.

 

[Colin Corneau]

I signed. I'm late coming to the Large Format party but am keen all the same.

My reasoning was that Polaroid's decision, barring some incredible development, is final. However, a strong petition result could make it more likely that another company will buy up the product license and re-release the product line, ESPECIALLY Type 55.

Taking 20 seconds of my time to at least try encourage some other company seems like a pretty positive thing to do.

 

[IloveTLRs]

I believe people petitioning Fujifilm here in Japan got them to keep producing 8mm film. I think you can still buy color and B&W.

I only got into Polaroid a few weeks ago. I bought two Polaroid cameras but have only bought 2 packs of film so far seeing as how expensive it is (essentially $1 per shot.) I was thinking of getting a 3 pack since it's slightly cheaper that way.

I also got a Polaroid back for my RB67 but was dismayed to learn that Polaroid didn't make film for it anymore. Luckily Fuji's FP-100 (I think it's called) fits and works great. As long as Fuji keeps making that film, I'll be okay.

Others can do as they please, but I'm not going to bother to sign the petition. What does Polaroid care about me?

 

[aldevo]

I signed. I'm late coming to the Large Format party but am keen all the same.

My reasoning was that Polaroid's decision, barring some incredible development, is final. However, a strong petition result could make it more likely that another company will buy up the product license and re-release the product line, ESPECIALLY Type 55.

Taking 20 seconds of my time to at least try encourage some other company seems like a pretty positive thing to do.

I went ahead and signed it because it cost me nothing to do so.

However, because these petitions cost one nothing, they are usually regarded as nothing. I wouldn't expect anything to come of it.