Teens Hooked On Instant Film

**Andrew O'Neill** · 14-Jun-2010, 20:57

I walked into my classroom the other day and a few of my film students had an SX70 camera loaded with new film made by the impossible project. They were taking random shots in and around the school. I saw their images. Not bad.
Today in another class (my Japanese language class), one boy had a new Fuji instant film camera and was taking pictures of classmates. Others crowded around in awe. The lesson was pretty much screwed from that moment on.
It's like a new found technology that never existed before for them. Made me pretty happy.
I do hope that the impossible project one day comes out with film for my 545 holder...Type 55 hmmmmmm. Impossible?

**Vascilli** · 14-Jun-2010, 23:03

I'm a teenager myself and quite frankly, it sounds like your school is full of hipsters. Weird stuff. I'm not interested in low-fi images, which is why the only film I'll be bothering with is at least non-lomography medium format. I myself have several friends with Polaroids and whatnot. The only Polaroid I have is a Miniportrait 253. I can out-instant them if Type 55 is made again..

**Andrew O'Neill** · 15-Jun-2010, 15:05

To each his own Vascilli, to each his own.

**domaz** · 15-Jun-2010, 16:55

It makes sense. Polaroids are the one thing that analog photography can do that Digital really can't (at least not practically)- Instant printed output.

**Ben Syverson** · 15-Jun-2010, 17:47

There's a guy working on recreating type 55, but Impossible doesn't have the machines for it. They have the gear to make SX70, 600 and Spectra integral film. But they did buy the machine to make 8x10 instant film, so there is hope for that format!

**awldune** · 16-Jun-2010, 11:04

Originally Posted by Ben Syverson

There's a guy working on recreating type 55, but Impossible doesn't have the machines for it. They have the gear to make SX70, 600 and Spectra integral film. But they did buy the machine to make 8x10 instant film, so there is hope for that format!

I think the New 55 guy has given up on producing a type 55 equivalent after some very rigorous cost analysis. His current plan seems to be to devise and share a reagent formula that allows regular sheetfilm to be field-processed in a single bath.

**Don Dudenbostel** · 16-Jun-2010, 11:28

There was a system in the 60's that used one bath to process & fix 35mm film in the cassette. When I was in high school in the mid 60's a good friend had one of the little tanks and chemicals. Seemed like it worked OK.

**ethics_gradient** · 16-Jun-2010, 11:38

Originally Posted by domaz

It makes sense. Polaroids are the one thing that analog photography can do that Digital really can't (at least not practically)- Instant printed output.

I've got a Dell Wasabi - it prints on Zink paper (no ink to buy, it's stored in the paper) can run off a battery, and lets you direct print via a digital camera's USB connection. It fits in a back pocket, I shot with it "tethered" at a local bicycle race and printed stuff out on the fly. Works pretty well, it's nice being able to choose the shots you want to print, instead of wasting the paper on known duds.

**Daniel_Buck** · 17-Jun-2010, 00:22

isn't the impossible project film really expensive? wonder how students got that stuff, haha! It would be wonderful if this stuff was cheap, I'd would get an instant camera for sure if the film was cheap!

**JRFrench** · 17-Jun-2010, 00:49

Originally Posted by Don Dudenbostel

There was a system in the 60's that used one bath to process & fix 35mm film in the cassette. When I was in high school in the mid 60's a good friend had one of the little tanks and chemicals. Seemed like it worked OK.

http://www.japanexposures.com/shop/p...roducts_id=187

Still two bath tho.