Would instant film be difficult to make?

[donbga]

This is nice, but not likely. I hope I'm wrong.

Failing that, what would be nice is if Ilford or somebody would just source the type 55 film as sheets. Screw the pack and pods. That would be a film folks would buy. If I could have purchased it as just plain film, I would have.

I think that could actually happen. Where the hell did that film come from? Did Polaroid make it? Or did Big Yellow? Or someone else? Where was it coated? Are there master rolls left? These are questions really worth looking in to.

You describe my sentiments Jason. I would love to get the N55 film alone. Who did make the film. My spider senses tell me that Kodak made the film but may be legally held to some kind of non-disclosure.

 

[Steve Smith]

Who did make the film. My spider senses tell me that Kodak made the film but may be legally held to some kind of non-disclosure.

From what I understand from reading the biography mentioned earlier, Kodak initially made the film then Polaroid coated their own.

Edwin Land didn't seem to be the type of person who would pay somebody to do something if he could do it himself.



Steve.

 

[donbga]

From what I understand from reading the biography mentioned earlier, Kodak initially made the film then Polaroid coated their own.

Edwin Land didn't seem to be the type of person who would pay somebody to do something if he could do it himself.



Steve.

Well, who makes the film?

 

[crystalclear]

Not to get off the subject here, but I just found a new product that combines the Zink printer and a digital camera in one.

http://zedomax.com/blog/2007/12/04/zink-camera-and-printer-together/

Now I'm no fan of digital, and I don't really like the looks of this one, but I'm afraid that its probably gonna be the kind of camera that Polaroid will endup replacing theirs with. I'm really surprised that they want to market that mini printer first instead of replacing their system with an all digital camera.

 

[crystalclear]

I did a search on type 55. I couldn't find anything on who is the exact producer of 55, or whether the base product is still made. I did however find out that Kodak produced Polaroid's film from 1963 to 1969. I haven't been able to track down the exact year that 55 was put into production, but if it was within that time period I would assume that Kodak was the original producer. If so, then either Polaroid took it in house by 1970 or possibly Kodak produced the base product for them even after that. If either is true, than it probably doesn't exist in any form other than the final batch because Polaroid has abandoned all film and Kodak only produces a limited range.

Just a guess though. Maybe somebody else knows more about the product history.

CrystalClear

 

[crystalclear]

I stand corrected on my earlier statement. Polaroid is planning on releasing a digital instant camera sometime after their printer. Both Fuji and IBM have patents listed as being digital instant cameras as well. Some of these patents go all the way back to the early 1980's.

Also, heres an interesting article I just ran across. Check it out.

Dead Link Removed

 

[crystalclear]

Just a note about Fuji instant film. I read online yesterday that fuji is discontinuing fp-100b45, not the fp-100b though. People are getting concerned that fuji may pull out of the instant business too. There are no plans to sell fuji instax cameras in the US and they have no plans to produce any of polaroids products, and as I said before, they've already discontinued one of their own peel aparts. According to asian users though, theres no sign that fuji will cutback over there anytime soon. I'd say it'll just be a matter of paying more for shipping to get it from overseas. One of these days though, Hope somebodys got a plan!

CrystalClear

 

[Dani]

I know I'm bringing back to life a very old thread but has anybody experimented doing something like this? http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-instant-film-at-home-polaroid-55-/ the instructions are not that clear but seems like it can be done.

 

[Jeff Bradford]

If you can make it work, I have a business proposition for you taking pictures of kids on ponies at the carnival...

 

[frank]

Would instant film be difficult to make?

It's almost an impossible project.

 

[AgX]

And they did not know either...

 

[Photo Engineer]

The example shown is a bare bones approach and the quality will be low. There are many changes that suggest themselves to me after having read this article from top to bottom, but to what point?

PE

 

[Dani]

There are many changes that suggest themselves to me after having read this article from top to bottom, but to what point?

PE

Mostly for fun I'd say. I know you're a very busy person and wouldn't dare to ask you to tell use the changes you'd suggest but just one quick question, is there anything at all that you find crucial to change or modify from those steps? I'm seriously planning on getting the materials and giving it a go.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The original material was the invention of Agfa, and finally refined by Polaroid (Land). I suggest that you look at patents by Edith Weyde (sp) and Land. However, the thoughts that occur to me are that the pH is too low for rapid action and there are no silver nuclei present in the system that would give better imaging.

I should add that I never worked on a B&W instant material, only color, so my knowledge of this system is more academic.

PE

 

[Dani]

Thank you! I'll start my research then.

 

[AgX]

Correct spelling. It was indeed Edith Weyde from Agfa. But also André Rott from Gevaert.
They discovered the current process independantly at the same time. Both were commonly reckognized for that.

That was about 1938.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Thanks. I had forgotten Rott, but I met Dr Weyde once very long ago.

PE

 

[Qebs]

Howdy everyone,

Has anyone made any progress in DIY polaroid film?

Did anyone ever try that instructables.com example method?
I would love to make some for ultra large format photography!

Hope everyone is well!

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[ic-racer]

Maybe less interest now that Instax is around. Instax film exposes through the back (no mirror needed) and is not a multiple-component system (no cartridge needed). So it can be exposed in any camera and uses simple squeeze-rollers for processing. This is my version of 'home made' 8x10 polaroid. Each piece of the 8x10 was processed in the instax camera after exposure in the 8x10 camera.

 

[Darian J Martyniuk]

Maybe less interest now that Instax is around. Instax film exposes through the back (no mirror needed) and is not a multiple-component system (no cartridge needed). So it can be exposed in any camera and uses simple squeeze-rollers for processing. This is my version of 'home made' 8x10 polaroid. Each piece of the 8x10 was processed in the instax camera after exposure in the 8x10 camera. View attachment 232693

How did you do that? Remove film and load on film holder, then reload into original film holder thing and run through the instax camera?

 

[ic-racer]

How did you do that? Remove film and load on film holder, then reload into original film holder thing and run through the instax camera?

The white on the 8x10 film holder represents two-sided tape that was used to position the nine pieces of Instax film in the film holder. After exposure in the 8x10 camera, the nine pices were loaded back into a Instax cartridge (with the little light trap removed) and processed in the camera. If you open and close the back after each 'exposure' the flash won't go off. Just do that nine times in the dark and it spits out the nine images. Then you can turn on the lights and watch them develop.

 

[Darian J Martyniuk]

Thanks, I may have to try that myself.

The white on the 8x10 film holder represents two-sided tape that was used to position the nine pieces of Instax film in the film holder. After exposure in the 8x10 camera, the nine pices were loaded back into a Instax cartridge (with the little light trap removed) and processed in the camera. If you open and close the back after each 'exposure' the flash won't go off. Just do that nine times in the dark and it spits out the nine images. Then you can turn on the lights and watch them develop.

 

[Nicholas W]

TLDR; yes.