Polaroid transfers? Still doable?

[JBrunner]

Been a while since I used to do this, and I haven't kept up on it. Do the materials (not talking old stock) to make transfers still exist? Is the Fuji doable? Anyone still doing it?

 

[BrianShaw]

I don’t believe it has been possible for quite some time. I miss that art form.

 

[wiltw]

The issue is finding the peel-apart type of film equivalent to the original Polaroid film

The Impossible Project (now called 'Polariod') makes only the SX-70 style cameras and film that instantly spits out a positive print, as I understand it.
But if you buy their 600 packs, that appears to be the traditional peel-apart film that pros often used as an instant proof before shooting on medium format transparency. You shoot and peel, and press the 'negative' against ordinary blank paper until the image transfers

 

[JBrunner]

That sucks....

 

[Oren Grad]

The instant films currently offered by both Polaroid and Fuji are all integral materials.

As for peel-apart:

You can still buy some of Florian Kaps' "One Instant" packfilm assembled from left-over Polaroid 20x24 materials. Price is 10 euro per exposure. Not clear how much stock they have remaining.

Sam Hiser ("Famous Format") is still intermittently producing and selling batches of New55 Pos/Neg B&W film in both 100 and 400 speeds. But that gives you a final print and a transparent negative directly, and AFAIK is not useful for transfer purposes.

 

[BrianShaw]

It seems possible to do emulsion lift with the current materials, though. I never did these in the past but it might be worth considering as an alternative.

 

[Oren Grad]

I know that some people have experimented with disassembling Instax prints but AFAIK, so far nobody has reported a method for extracting something that can be used for transfer prints. I'd expect "emulsion lift" is a non-starter because of the way the integral films are constructed. But if somebody knows otherwise I'd be interested to hear.

 

[BrianShaw]

Emulsion lift was a second “transfer” technique in the old days and is reported possible with current materials. No personal experience, though... I only used peel-apart and “traditional “ Polaroid transfer technique. When that ended I lost hope...

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&channel=iphone_bm&source=hp&ei=MC37X8XuAuXv9AOY9aWQBQ&q=polaroid+600+emulsion+lift&oq=polaroid+600!emul&gs_lcp=ChFtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1ocBABGAAyCQgAEMkDEBYQHjIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKABMgUIIRCgAToCCCk6BQgpEMkDOgUIKRCgAToICAAQsQMQgwE6BQgAELEDOgsIABCxAxDHARCjAjoICAAQxwEQowI6AggAOgUILhCxAzoICC4QsQMQkwI6DggAELEDEIMBEMcBEK8BOggIABCxAxDJAzoFCAAQyQM6BggAEBYQHkoFCAgSATFQpR9Y7nhg0IEBaAJwAHgAgAHvAYgBvhKSAQYxMS40LjOYAQCgAQGwAQU&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-hp

 

[Oren Grad]

Thanks, Brian - lots of good links there about what can be done with various versions of the recent Polaroid integral materials. Just ran a similar search substituting Instax, and on a quick glance that seems less promising. But perhaps there's a useful needle hiding somewhere in that haystack.

 

[BrianShaw]

As I approach retirement, perhaps I should put this on my list of things-to-do!

 

[removed account4]

hey jb
not sure if you are adverse to using ink jet media but there are ways to transfer those images ...

 

[wiltw]

The instant films currently offered by both Polaroid and Fuji are all integral materials.

Oren,
So although these fit traditional backs, the result is an 'instant print' , one that is not peeled apart after the appropriate processing time has elapsed?

 

[BrianShaw]

hey jb
not sure if you are adverse to using ink jet media but there are ways to transfer those images ...

Do tell...

 

[Oren Grad]

So although these fit traditional backs...

Not sure what you mean by this. The integral films cannot be used in the Polaroid and Fuji holders designed for peel-apart and P/N films. The integral film comes loaded in a pack or cassette that's inserted directly into a compatible camera. After exposure, the individual sheet is ejected through rollers built into the camera, which spread the development chemicals.

With a bit of fussing, it is possible to load individual sheets of Fuji Instax films into double cut-film holders normally used for sheet film. However, the exposed film has to be taken into the darkroom and run through the rollers in a compatible instant camera to be developed. Maybe someone out there has the dexterity to put the sheets back into the cassette in a changing bag and run it through a camera in daylight while blocking the lens so that the film isn't re-exposed.

 

[JBrunner]

Do tell...

Not here. I'll start a thread on the right side. er.. left side... er... other side... here... https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/inkjet-transfers.180756/

 

[wiltw]

Not sure what you mean by this. The integral films cannot be used in the Polaroid and Fuji holders designed for peel-apart and P/N films. The integral film comes loaded in a pack or cassette that's inserted directly into a compatible camera. After exposure, the individual sheet is ejected through rollers built into the camera, which spread the development chemicals.

With a bit of fussing, it is possible to load individual sheets of Fuji Instax films into double cut-film holders normally used for sheet film. However, the exposed film has to be taken into the darkroom and run through the rollers in a compatible instant camera to be developed. Maybe someone out there has the dexterity to put the sheets back into the cassette in a changing bag and run it through a camera in daylight while blocking the lens so that the film isn't re-exposed.

Thx for enlightening me a bit...
So my Polaroid-compatible backs for my 4x5 monorails or for my Bronica ETRSi would not work with the 600-pack currently offered by the new 'Polaroid' company.
So it is highly unlikely that the current stuff would fit at all on my Bronica (no compatible mount) but something might work OK in the classic 4x5 sheetfilm holder standard?!
Or their films work ONLY in their cameras/packs, and they are nothing but an instaprint camera and film company which ignores past medium format Polaroid backs or large format Polaroid backs of the past?! (Their web site is woefully insufficient on describing products they offer...an 8x10 pack works how?!

 

[Oren Grad]

So my Polaroid-compatible backs for my 4x5 monorails or for my Bronica ETRSi would not work with the 600-pack currently offered by the new 'Polaroid' company.

Correct.

So it is highly unlikely that the current stuff would fit at all on my Bronica (no compatible mount)

There are a variety of DIY hacks and small-run products out there for using Fuji Instax Mini or Instax Square film with various medium format cameras, but I'm not aware of any for Bronica.

but something might work OK in the classic 4x5 sheetfilm holder standard?!

If you want to try Fuji Instax Wide on a 4x5, the simplest way to do it will be to preorder the forthcoming LomoGraflok 4x5 Instant Back:

https://shop.lomography.com/en/accessories/backs/lomo-graflok-instant-back

There is another 4x5 back already offered by Mercury Camera, but it is much more expensive.

Or their films work ONLY in their cameras/packs, and they are nothing but an instaprint camera and film company which ignores past medium format Polaroid backs or large format Polaroid backs of the past?!

This is uncharitable. The Polaroid pack-film manufacturing equipment was destroyed when the company went through one of its reorganizations, so there was nothing available for the Impossible Project to acquire even if they had had funding. It is simply not economically viable to recreate it.

(Their web site is woefully insufficient on describing products they offer...an 8x10 pack works how?!

The current Polaroid 8x10 film, which is only intermittently available and is very expensive ($18 per sheet), is an integral film but requires one of the existing Polaroid 8x10 processor units for development. Their FAQ for the product is here:

https://support.polaroid.com/hc/en-us/sections/115003367887-8-x-10-Format

 

[fabulousrice]

Using an Instax back on a ETRS

https://www.dpreview.com/articles/2...a-bronica-etrs-to-shoot-fuji-instax-mini-film

 

[Nicholas W]

Been a while since I used to do this, and I haven't kept up on it. Do the materials (not talking old stock) to make transfers still exist? Is the Fuji doable? Anyone still doing it?

You can do emulsion lifts with the new Polaroid film, not with Instax though. Negative transfers are no longer possible though, without using original Polaroid packfilm

 

[lecarp]

Yes they are, if you planned ahead.

My Precious!

When B&H photo received their last shipment from polaroid I stocked up.

 

[Bronson Dugnutt]

Nice! All you need is a bigger one of these

 

[Nicholas W]

Yes they are, if you planned ahead.

My Precious!

View attachment 308776
When B&H photo received their last shipment from polaroid I stocked up.

I have 2 boxes of this wonderful stuff left. If you’d ever like to sell any…. Let me know. I’m working on my thesis at USC using expired Polaroid film.

 

[doogle]

Hi new poster chiming in here. Lots of great info so thank you all for posting. This is a bit of a related topic but maybe a bit off topic as well; feel free to delete if this is against the rules about posting.

topic, and rather than post a new thread I thought that someone might know if the Polaroid 600 film will work with the Vivitar Instant Slide Printer or the Polaroid Daylab Jr? If not, are there any other options that I can get more conveniently rather than looking for old supplies of Polaroid or Fuji film?

Cheers

 

[Nicholas W]

Hi - modern Polaroid integral film will work with the Daylab, provided you have the Time Zero / SX-70 film base for it. Unfortunately, if you don’t, these are fairly rare - I’ve been looking for one for several years now, with no luck. The modern film will not work in units with a 3x4 packfilm, 4x5 sheet film, or 8x10 sheet film base.

If you do have the Daylab Time Zero base, I would probably use SX-70 film rather than 600 film given the difference in ISO. I can’t remember for certain if the daylab is calibrated for a particular one or not, however modern SX-70 film is much closer in ISO to Polaroid Time Zero.

I don’t think Vivitar ever made a slide printer which is compatible with Polaroid integral film, only Polaroid Packfilm - though again, I could be wrong. I haven’t looked into them too much.

The only modern film which could be used in slide copiers with Packfilm bases (rather than integral as I was discussing above) is Supersense One Instant - though again, if there is a base iso of 100 you’re supposed to use, you’re limited to the 100iso Color film as the B&W film is 400 iso. Unfortunately both are currently sold out, though I’m sure they’ll return eventually. Sign up for stock notifications on the Supersense website if that’s something you’re interested in trying.

 

[doogle]

Nicholas, thank you for the info! It sounds like without the Time Zero / SX-70 film base, the Daylab Jr is essentially useless manufacturing of an appropriate cartridge resumes, or I find some very old (and usually expensive) stock.

And pretty much the same for the Vivitar Instant Printer.

Perhaps the newfangled iPhone / Polaroid printer is an option that will fit within my budget, but from what I have seen it doesn't look as good as the older process. I thought I could transfer the slides to the iPhone, then try printing from there. As much as I loathe to involve digital tools, it seems to be worth investigating until someone manufactures some more usable cartridges.