Simple question about using Polaroid film for medium format.

[Daniel Lawton]

Hi everyone. I've been pondering the idea of trying some type 55 with my mamiya 645. It may be a stupid question but when using the polaroid backs, is there some way to get more than one exposure per 4x5 sheet or is it a one shot per sheet deal. I'm just curious because at about $65 per 20 sheets it seems a little wasteful to only use a fraction of the emulsion area. I didn't know if maybe the mamiya polaroid backs had some mechanism to allow more full use of the sheet. Thanks for any info.

Dan

 

[Elox]

I'm sure that the Mamiya back uses the pack film rather than the 4x5 film. You would be using the 665/667 pack films.

 

[Alex Hawley]

The polaroid 405 holder is the one adapted for MF cameras (works on 4x5 too) and it uses the 66* series pack films. 665 is a lot less expensive than Type 55. Check out the prices at Adorama or B&H and you'll see the difference. Don't be afraid to buy expired Polaroid B&W film on e-bay. That can save some bucks too.

 

[boc]

Just a note on expired Polaroid. I bought some expired 690 (color) and it all had a pinkish hue to it. Not sure if it was due to being expired or not but I've stayed away from expired Polaroid since then. It may be perfectly fine for B&W but I thought I'd mention it.

 

[Daniel Lawton]

Ah yes it is much more clear now. I had no idea how the polaroid backs/film compatability issue applied to medium format. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Helen B]

You can get two 4.5x6 exposures on one sheet of 6xx (664, 690 etc 3¼ x 4¼) Polaroid. I'm not familiar with the Mamiya version of the holder, but the usual way is to pull the first (white tab) sheet out part way - so that the tip of the tab is 2½ inches (62 mm) from the slot in the holder. This assumes that the first exposure was made in the right place. Some holders have a wire frame that shows you how far out to pull the tab. No doubt someone with a Mamiya back will add better information.

Best,
Helen

 

[df cardwell]

Expired Polaroid works great until the reagent dries... then it is dead.

I would say ... be afraid. There really isn't a way to know unless you try a specific batch.

BTW, it doesn't go bad litle by little... it's good today, dead tomorrow.

 

[Elox]

My experience with expired Pola film has been that refrigerated film is good for about 2 years after the listed date and non-refrigerated film for 8 to 12 months. After that, it can be very hit-or-miss. I have used 5 year-old 665 that worked fine and I had one pack that was 2 years past that was useless.