What use is a Poloroid 545 back?

[David Karp]

Chris,

Maybe you might try exposing the film and sending it out for processing. For black and white there are a few good places you could send your film. For example: http://www.4photolab.com/index.html. That way you could have the fun of using the view camera, and avoid the darkroom.

[Chris623]

That's certainly a possibility.

[EuGene Smith]

There are a number of labs the do B&W and Color LF processing, all sizes up to 8x10, where you can send it out as David Karp suggested.

I have used Photo Arts in Hattiesburg, MS and Collier Drug Store Photo Lab in Fayetteville, AR with good results. Probably everyone on this thread can name one or two others.

[Fabrizio]

Hi every body
anyone knows if with the polaroid 545 is it possible to use the fuji instant film (FP100C 4" X 5" GLOSS) as well?

Many thanks
Fabrizio

[Gene McCluney]

That's great news to my ears! Thanks.



That's super, though I'm not really wanting to consider using the resultant image as the finished item.

In light of this info, my next question is: would the quality of the finished Fuji positive be good enough to scan so I could then go digital for the rest of the work?

A properly exposed and processed Fuji color instant print would be as good as any color print -of that size- for scanning. Just remember print resolution is far below negative resolution for a given size. If your end result is to be an image of around 4x5 inches, then you are good to go. If you need a much larger final image, then you need to shoot on conventional film that produces a negative or transparency that you process in the darkroom. The Fuji material, in this case, should just be used for testing.

Never-the-less, if your intent is to "create" images that are unconventional, then scanning a 4x5 print may be just what you want. After all, people have been shooting Polaroid integral films (SX-70, Type 600) for decades and manipulating them, scanning them, enlarging them, etc., and achieving "art" but it is low-res art.

In my opinion, the Fuji peel-apart instant films in pack form, are more accurate and better color than the discontinued Polaroid materials, and have better gloss to the prints.

[Gene McCluney]

Hi every body
anyone knows if with the polaroid 545 is it possible to use the fuji instant film (FP100C 4" X 5" GLOSS) as well?

Many thanks
Fabrizio

The Fuji 4x5 instant films are only available in 10 exposure packs, not individual sheets, thus they require a pack-film back, either the current back made by Fuji, or the discontinued Polaroid pack-film back. These backs are thicker than the individual-sheet Polaroid back, but will work with most modern-era 4x5 cameras just fine.

[Mike11209]

Hi folks,

Pardon if this has already been answered elsewhere, but does Fuji make an instant film that fits the Polaroid 545? I ask because I came across this:

http://store.ultrafineonline.com/fupro4x520sh.html

The ad copy suggests it'll fit, but from what I gathered from this thread, they are apples and oranges.

Thanks!

[Alex Hawley]

In light of this info, my next question is: would the quality of the finished Fuji positive be good enough to scan so I could then go digital for the rest of the work?

Here's a lo-res scan of a proof shot made on Fuji FP-100B. Yeah, I think it is good enough for hi-res scans and further work. Please note that the scan shown below is larger than the original print.

[Ash]

Hi folks,

Pardon if this has already been answered elsewhere, but does Fuji make an instant film that fits the Polaroid 545? I ask because I came across this:

http://store.ultrafineonline.com/fupro4x520sh.html

The ad copy suggests it'll fit, but from what I gathered from this thread, they are apples and oranges.

Thanks!

That's a normal sheet film.

[Mike11209]

I've been away from LF for about 20+ years. When I first got into it, I just had to have a Poloroid back. As it turned out, I didn't really use it all that much........my guess is less than 10 packs of film! So now that I'm "considering" LF again, I notice that film is no longer available from Poloroid, and only available from other sources at "Gold Bar" prices. So what use is a perfectly good Poloroid 545 back in this day and age? (maybe a paperweight?)

Thanks--- getting back to the original question of this thread, it appears the 545 is indeed only good for use as a paperweight!