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View Full Version : any word on 8x10 polaroid?



franklphoto
14-May-2008, 08:44
any news?

Gene McCluney
14-May-2008, 09:12
All polaroid materials are done.

Pete Roody
14-May-2008, 10:58
Heard a rumor that Fuji is purchasing Polaroid and may spin off 8x10 B&W to Ilford. I didn't believe it.

franklphoto
14-May-2008, 11:01
i just hope someone makes it.

Oren Grad
14-May-2008, 11:43
Heard a rumor that Fuji is purchasing Polaroid and may spin off 8x10 B&W to Ilford. I didn't believe it.

Harman Technology (Ilford) looked into the possibility of taking over the Polaroid B&W professional sheet film products but concluded that it's not commercially viable:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum172/49871-statement-regarding-ilford-photo-polaroid.html

Ash
14-May-2008, 11:58
Fuji reps came to uni a few weeks ago, I asked and they said there were no plans to buy up pola products

Gene McCluney
14-May-2008, 12:20
FUJI already makes enough variety of materials in 4x5 and smaller pack sizes to cover the professional "testing" market, and Photo ID cameras. Perhaps with the demise of Polaroid products Fuji will get enough boost in sales of their Instant Films to continue for a good long time. I would not expect any materials in 8x10 ever again.

BarryS
14-May-2008, 12:22
The market for 8x10 instant film is so small, I can't see how anyone would pick it up even if it were licensed for free. The market for Type 55 is still small, but a lot bigger than 8x10 materials and Harman/Ilford declined to take over production. It's disappointing, but I think Fuji will continue with their current product line and who knows how long it will even be viable.

Ash
14-May-2008, 12:46
I have the feeling that within 3 years somebody will have worked out a homebrew method or emulsion. That way (at a huge cost) you will be able to do it yourself or with a kit with no guarantees.

cyrus
14-May-2008, 12:50
I have the feeling that within 3 years somebody will have worked out a homebrew method or emulsion. That way (at a huge cost) you will be able to do it yourself or with a kit with no guarantees.

Yes - its called DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY:p

John Bowen
14-May-2008, 12:52
Do any of the Fuji products work with a Polaroid 545 holder? If so which Fuji products work?

Thanks,

David A. Goldfarb
14-May-2008, 12:59
Do any of the Fuji products work with a Polaroid 545 holder? If so which Fuji products work?

Thanks,

No, none of the instant films do (Quickloads will work in a 545, but they're not instant). The current Fuji 4x5" films are pack films.

Ash
14-May-2008, 13:02
No Cyrus, I mean a real traditional method. People still Bromoil print when the effect can be made in photoshop, etc. I'm sure there will be a devoted minority group for (homebrew) instant prints.

John, Quickloads will work in a 545 holder (but not perfectly). Fuji instants need a pack film holder.

John Bowen
14-May-2008, 13:04
David & Ash

Thanks

Ron Marshall
14-May-2008, 13:36
Do any Fuji instant films fit the Polariod 405 holder?

Frank Petronio
14-May-2008, 13:43
I haven't been up to speed but a quick look at B&H says that Fuji makes a 100 ISO color and made a 3000 ISO B&W that has been discontinued.

So 100 ISO color pack film for ID cameras and medium format type backs, the 405 back, etc. is going to be it?

Right now Type 52 is over $4 a sheet. I really need to ween myself off the stuff anyway... it's ridiculous. i used to go through a 20 sheet box on one shot back in the day.

cyrus
14-May-2008, 14:55
So basically my 545i holder is ... trash?

cyrus
14-May-2008, 14:57
[QUOTE=Ash;349104]No Cyrus, I mean a real traditional method. People still Bromoil print when the effect can be made in photoshop, etc. I'm sure there will be a devoted minority group for (homebrew) instant prints.
[QUOTE]

Yes Ash I was joking. I have the polaroid emulsion lift kit to prove it but now, my 545i holder is mere trash.

Gordon Moat
14-May-2008, 15:42
Hello Frank,

B&H are wrong with their listing. Fuji currently make ISO 100 colour and B/W Instant, ISO 500 colour (Japan only), and ISO 3000 B/W films. All of the regular varieties of these fit the Polaroid 405 holder, or the Fuji PA-145 holder.

Fuji also make FP100C45 and FP3000B45 which are larger pack film versions of the smaller packs. These fit the Fuji PA-45 holder, or the older Polaroid 550 pack film holder. FP3000B45 has only been available in Japan, though might be coming to North American markets.

Fuji is investigating individual sheet 4x5 films, but it is unknown whether there is enough of a market to alter their production. They have no need to purchase any Polaroid formulations, and (in my opinion) produce instant films that perform better than Polaroid products.

Word has also reached me from a 20x24 shooter I know about Fuji considering special runs of very large instant films. However, it would greatly surprise me if that happened. Anyone who understood the previous Polaroid 20x24 ordering would know this involves a large sum of money and a wait, so if Fuji even decide to offer such a thing, it would also be quite expensive . . . in other words I really doubt it will ever happen.

Getting 8x10 instant is a completely different thing. Fuji do not currently manufacture individual sheet instant films, so they are not set-up to produce these films. It would require dedicated equipment, which would not technically be difficult. Once again though, if they dedicated the equipment, they would likely want to recoup their expenses quite soon into production, meaning that the likely cost would be higher than Polaroid 8x10 products. Considering the possibly much higher selling costs, I would doubt there would be much market for 8x10 instant films . . . probably less of a market than some B/W ULF films now enjoy.

Manipulating Fuji Instant films is possible, but much tougher. What made many Polaroid products easy to manipulate was that they were really not that well made. Fuji make quite good instant films, which works against easy manipulation. So partially some of this art form (which I practice and sometimes exhibit) will diminish. I expect to do some Fuji manipulations, though probably not at the same level as I did Polaroid manipulations. Despite some feelings to the contrary, this is not really something possible with PhotoShop; the randomness is not present. Every Polaroid manipulation is a one-off; even attempts with a Polaroid print can produce similar results, but every single manipulation is slightly different, and unique . . . this is why they have value in the art world.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)