PDA

View Full Version : Polaroid phasing out pos/neg film?



Sitron
19-Jan-2006, 10:44
I saw a post on another site that mentioned Polaroid was phasing out it's 665 pos/neg film this spring, and was wondering if it was also planning on doing that with the type 55. I use that all the time for the instant negs with their beautiful edges, and would hate to go back to sheet film. Has anyone else heard this was happening?

Bill Jefferson
19-Jan-2006, 10:50
T-55 is still in production

Jack Flesher
19-Jan-2006, 10:56
It is time to face the facts -- money drives corporate decisions and it is clear there simply is no longer a large enough user-base to support many emulsions and sizes currently being manufactured. Digital is winning this war big-time.

But FTR, I am NOT saying "Film is dead" !!!

However, I think we are seeing film dying... And at the end of the battle it will be relegated to a specialized artist's medium like oil and canvas. We can only hope that the biggies keep a few of their more popular emulsions and sizes available for the foreseeable future. The good news is 4x5 is still used in many commercial applications and is also probably one of the most popular "artist" choices, so I suspect it will remain readily available until a truly viable digital solution emerges at a realistic price-point.

My .02 only and not looking to start a flame war,

Michael S. Briggs
19-Jan-2006, 13:51
Polaroid specifically states on their webpage about 665 that the discontinuation of 665 is unrelated to Type 55: from link (http://www.polaroid.com/global/detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441760025&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302028651&bmUID=1137703415616&bmLocale=en_US):





"Please be advised that Polaroid will be discontinuing 665 film within the first 6 months of 2006 due to the phasing out of components used in the production of this film.
The discontinuation of 665 does not impact the supply or manufacture of 55 film, an alternative to 665."





But really, how many of us use the smaller pack films? (And print-only pack "films" continue to be sold by Polaroid.) Don't complain about the discontinuation of a film that you don't buy! I imagine that the sales of the 4x5 sheet films that use the 545 holder are much higher.

Ted Harris
20-Jan-2006, 00:17
I rwecollect seeing that they were phasing out ALL of the smaller pack flavors. I also recall from the last time I went to their web site that they no longer listed the 405 holder for these films ... not certian but that is my recollection.

Michael S. Briggs
20-Jan-2006, 01:01
Ted, if you would have clicked on the link to Polaroid's webpage for 665 that I provided, you would have found that it suggests other 3 ¼ x 4 ¼ in. (8.5 x 10.8 cm) pack "films" (really instant prints) as alternatives: 664 and 672. So this seems good evidence that these aren't discontinued. Polaroid's website (link below) lists other varities with no notice of discontinuation. So it seems that Type 665 is a special case, due to some specific components needed in its manufacture. That page also has a link to the 405 Holder, which is still for sale from Polaroid: 405 3 ¼ x 4 ¼" Pack Film Holder for 4 x 5 Cameras (http://www.polaroid.com/global/detail.jsp;jsessionid=DQT9wUa5CqlpmRTGbLHsFAoxmTHGc1Zo8IKvIgpfq8tV1JHl3Pht!-904089448!-1979950377!7005!8005!-1187407395!-1979950386!7005!8005?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441759971&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488338434&bmUID=1137742717672&bmLocale=en_US).





Even the smaller 3.25 x 3.38 pack film seems still in production -- see the Polaroid Packet Films (http://www.polaroid.com/products/product_list.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302028649&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441760025&bmUID=1137743412792&bmLocale=en_US&sc=Packfilm) for both sizes. What has been discontinued -- listed in the middle of the pages -- is the 4x5 size pack film that used the Model 550 holder. This occured some time ago -- see http://largeformatphotography.info/lfforum/topic/501700.html, but in this case I understand that Fuji makes a product in this size and sells it in the US.





And the 4x5 and 8x10 sheet films -- which are probably by far the most popular with the users of this forum -- remain in production: Polaroid sheet film (http://www.polaroid.com/products/product_list.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302028649&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441759971&bmUID=1137743860965&bmLocale=en_US&sc=Sheetfilm).





What we don't need are rumors or misstatements.