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View Full Version : Anybody shooting 8x10 Polaroid??



Gene McCluney
13-Dec-2007, 18:34
I keep seeing the holders and processors on ebay going for relatively reasonable prices. Polaroid still make some films in 8x10 size. I was wondering if anyone who reads this forum actually does any work in Polaroid 8x10? What are your experiences?

Walter Calahan
13-Dec-2007, 19:05
Haven't shot an 8x10 Polaroid since June. Not much call for it anymore. I love the creamy prints one gets.

Perhaps I need to shoot a few to promote them to clients. If we don't, Polaroid WILL stop making the stuff just like Type-55.

Colin Corneau
13-Dec-2007, 19:17
Alright...DID they stop making 55, or not?

I keep hearing conflicting reports.

Ted Harris
13-Dec-2007, 19:57
If we don't, Polaroid WILL stop making the stuff just like Type-55.

Walter, not denying that it is possible but what is your source for this? My technical contact inside Polaroid insists they are still making the film. Note, it may not show up as available right now because they have been moving some facilities. I sure hope you are wrong and I'll check again tomorrow.

Ralph Barker
13-Dec-2007, 20:20
I haven't shot a lot of 8x10 Polaroid, but I've done some - Type 804, mostly. Lovely tonality.

If you decide to jump into the pond, watch the film holders and processors to make you get compatible model numbers. Model 81-06 are the later holders, and work with the processors with trays. Although some people still use the 81-05 holders with success, many had problems with them, hence the redesign (one would assume).

The film is expensive, and even more so when shots are ruined by dirty rollers in the processor.

David A. Goldfarb
13-Dec-2007, 20:29
I do some. I look for deals on film and occasionally buy short-dated, but avoid past-date Polaroid, and I meter very carefully to keep the number of shots to a minimum.

I have three of the 81-05 holders, and they all work okay. The clips sometimes get bent, but aren't too hard to straighten.

809 is a beautiful film. This is from a few winters ago--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/temp/Pol809test.jpg

I haven't tried any transfers yet with it, but that's something I've been thinking of doing for a while.

Asher Kelman
14-Dec-2007, 02:11
David,

Thats beautiful. Don't worry about past dated! Several years old can be fine!

This picture of yours interests me, what's the story behind it. Have you scanned it or do you plan to make ink or silver gelatin prints of it.

Will Thompson has made his 8x10 processor totally portable. It runs on a drill motor! He he even has fitted the thing with the rechargable batteries of the electric drill and it works!

Mine has to be plugged into an AC outlet. He can keep his in his truck and process his pictures in the forrest if he wishes!

Asher

David A. Goldfarb
14-Dec-2007, 06:06
Thanks, Asher. I find that with past-dated Polaroid, the pods can dry out and produce undeveloped corners. Unless it's really cheap, it's not a gamble I'd want to take with 8x10".

That's the "view from the artist window" that I photographed for about four or five years in our last apartment. The view was lovely, but after Melchi was born, we needed more space and had to give up the view.

I've scanned that one for the web, but haven't planned to make more prints of it. I like the idea that a Polaroid is a unique object.

I have an electric processor. I've seen spring wound adaptations that I think were made for military use. Calumet makes a hand cranked 8x10" Polaroid processor.

Since I have three Polaroid holders, I could take Polaroids in the field and process them at home, but I haven't done that much. I guess whenever it occurs to me, I think that if I'm not processing them instantly, I might as well shoot ordinary film.

Phil
14-Dec-2007, 10:55
Polaroid also made a hand cranked version of the processor - mine is a Polaroid 81-12 8x10 Instant Processor - which has a small black cover on the side of the processor that you remove to insert the hand crank. It also has the electric motor, so you can use it either way. (There is still a listing on the B&H web site with a photo; they have it listed as a discontinued item.) The gearing of the crank spins the rollers almost as fast as the electric motor does.

Phil

Kirk Gittings
14-Dec-2007, 11:33
Walter, not denying that it is possible but what is your source for this? My technical contact inside Polaroid insists they are still making the film. Note, it may not show up as available right now because they have been moving some facilities. I sure hope you are wrong and I'll check again tomorrow.

Wasn't that announced at one point? or was it just rumor?

Asher Kelman
14-Dec-2007, 12:58
Wasn't that announced at one point? or was it just rumor?

What I have been told directly from Polaroid is all they have are drums of mixed chemicals and they wont make any more. They did not say how much they have!

I don't know who rolls the emulsion since I heard that that company was out of business or going that way.

There's a plant in Mexico for small format Polaroid. So perhpas that will go for longer.

Asher

alec4444
14-Dec-2007, 20:08
So can Polaroid 8x10 film be frozen and hoarded like regular film?

Yes indeed, stunning shot, David. It belongs in that thread of picture posts of great color shots that aren't highly saturated. Awfully refreshing.

--A

David A. Goldfarb
14-Dec-2007, 20:23
I don't think it's a good idea to freeze Polaroid. Just buy it fresh and use it while you can.

stevebeyer
15-Dec-2007, 19:44
Don't Freeze the Polaroid Film.... It will ruin it

Alex Hawley
15-Dec-2007, 21:35
So can Polaroid 8x10 film be frozen and hoarded like regular film?
You can refrigerate Polaroid film but don't ever freeze it. Freezing ruins the chemical pods.

David A. Goldfarb
15-Dec-2007, 22:39
I was working on a little still life project today and shot four tests on Type 809. It really is handy stuff, and there is no substitute in this kind of situation, where I want to see the effect of a classic lens at a particular aperture in the correct format, and to check the lighting and reflections from the exact position of the lens. A proof with a smaller format digital back or another camera just doesn't show you these things.

Helen Bach
15-Dec-2007, 22:54
We had a panic over LF colour Polaroid availability earlier in the week - a friend of mine uses 59 and 809. He uses 809 for proofing cover layouts. I phoned Polaroid, and the story was that there were no plans to discontinue 79 and 809, but 59 was 'being phased out', with supplies expected to run out in about 8 or 9 months. Meanwhile he bought 14 boxes of 59.

Best,
Helen

David A. Goldfarb
15-Dec-2007, 23:13
At $200+ a box for 809 (15 exposures), I don't think I'll be stocking up on it any time soon, so that's good news.

phil sweeney
16-Dec-2007, 07:06
calumet only shows type 803 at 252.99 today

David A. Goldfarb
16-Dec-2007, 07:10
B&H shows 803 out of stock, 809 in stock at about $215. 809 is popular for transfers, so I suppose it has a bit of a life outside of studio proofing applications.

Alex Hawley
16-Dec-2007, 16:49
---- but 59 was 'being phased out', with supplies expected to run out in about 8 or 9 months.

That sucks! Thanks for the heads up Helen. I'd better poocha a few boxes too.

david mcmahon
18-Dec-2007, 09:01
I used to do polaroid transfers with the 809 & it was beautiful. Its too expensive anymore.
I wish they made a pos/neg. in 8x10. That would be handy.

david mcmahon

Alex Hawley
19-Dec-2007, 17:38
[QUOTE=david mcmahon;301205]I wish they made a pos/neg. in 8x10. That would be handy./QUOTE]

Such a film was developed and tested. There was discussion about it here a few years ago. However, Polaroid chose not to market it.