Polaroid Type 51 - any new expiriences?

[Janko Belaj]

There are (here and rest of web) just a few comments about Polaroid Type 51 positive-negative material... I'm not interested in positive, rather in negative. I have worked several months with Type 55 and that was really fine experience (specially scanning that negative later). Type 51 might give 1 ev more, and that is what I like, but what he looks like? Grain? Density? Contrast curve?



And, btw, what is "The accompanying re-usable negative"?
(sorry, but english isn't my 1st language and something "re-usable" just isn't clear enough to me... normal negative is the one you can use for enlargements as many times as you want. or need. so, if that is normal, if that isn't something what should be noticed with 24pt bold letters, what does "re-usable" mean? hope not something like "re-writable" cd.... ;-)))



tnx,
Janko

[Richard Schlesinger]

Don't worry. Your English seems fine. Re-usable just means you can use something again. With the polaroid negative, it is a bit redundant (look that one up!). Just go ahead and use the negative - as you have found they are terrific!

[Will Strain]

Like you I have been shooting and loving type 55.

The extra speed would surely be welcome (portraits come to mind)... provided there are no major complications.

Anybody shooting this stuff? Thoughts?

[Jay_5543]

Actually after testing there is NO speed difference between the two films despite what Polaroid claims.

In fact, T55 is a far better film in my experience. My tests have shown that T51 is just not worth the effort. The speed is the same and the negatives are not nearly as smooth.

[Janko Belaj]

"there is NO speed difference" ...to bad for that. As Will have noted, extra speed would help in portraits or, as in my case, in outdoor macro work. Whatever I do, in almost 50% of my shots I'm ending with time of 2 seconds and I would really like to have 1. It is much easier (it IS on shutter) than those 2 seconds... (I'm talking about 40-50 ASA and sunny day). On the other hand, Type 55 have not so huge difference in positive/negative speed - I'm using those overexposed positives for my record book and film is (almost) perfect.