What to use in place of Polaroid 54

[ckruvand]

I have been using Polaroid 54 to check exposure and composition before shooting transparencies. What is being used in place of the Polaroid?

Thanks,
Charles

[jasonjoo]

Fuji has a few 4x5 instant films in both color and black and white. I'm not familiar with either instant films (only shoot 667, 669 and 690) but I believe the Fuji instant films are pack films and not useable as single sheets.

Jason

[Gene McCluney]

I have been very pleased with the Fuji 4x5 color pack-film Fuji FP-100c45. It fits in Polaroid or Fuji 4x5 pack film backs that will work with all graflock back 4x5's, and will also slide under the ground glass on many modern-ish 4x5 cameras. The film is color, has an ISO of 100 (which matches the transparency film I use) and produces far better looking prints than the old Polaroid Type 79 which was my previous standard. And, the 10 sheet packs at $37.50 are about the same price per sheet as Type 79 was. I'm glad I switched, and I wish I had known about this film years ago, but it hasn't been distributed very widely except in the last few years here in the USA. I use my old Polaroid 4x5 pack film back, and while a bit thicker than the individual sheet back, is still functional as a slide-in back on my Sinar-P.

[ckruvand]

Thanks for the information. I use a Sinar F 4x5.
Do you think the pack film holder will work well without stressing out the springs that hold the back in place? If the back is thicker than the standard Polaroid 545i, there might be a problem.

Thanks,
Charles

[Gene McCluney]

Thanks for the information. I use a Sinar F 4x5.
Do you think the pack film holder will work well without stressing out the springs that hold the back in place? If the back is thicker than the standard Polaroid 545i, there might be a problem.

Thanks,
Charles


I have shot hundreds of shots sliding the back under the ground glass on my Sinar with no weakening of the springs. If it worrys you, just remove the ground glass back and use the graflock sliders to attach the back. There is no problem for me.

[branki]

I'm not sure I got it right... and my excuses if this has been asked before, but is there anyone using this Fuji Instant pack film on a Polaroid back?

The fuji backs seem to command higher prices...

thanks,

Juan

[Gene McCluney]

I'm not sure I got it right... and my excuses if this has been asked before, but is there anyone using this Fuji Instant pack film on a Polaroid back?

The fuji backs seem to command higher prices...

thanks,

Juan


Yes, ME!! The Fuji 4x5 pack film fits and works perfectly in the 4x5 Polaroid pack-film back. I don't know the model number, but it has to be the 4x5 pack-film back, not the 4x5 back for the individual sheets. The film-packs hold 10 exposures. Polaroid used to make 4x5 pack-film, but discontinued it several years ago... With the pack-film from Fuji (or previously Polaroid) you actually get a larger image (closer to true 4x5) than you got with the individual sheet Polaroid 4x5 film such as Type 79. The Pack-film backs work perfectly with all modern 4x5 cameras that have graf-lok backs, and many that don't.

[Ash]

I use Fuji FP100C45 in a Polaroid back.

The Polaroid one was the only brand I could find, so I bought it along with some Fuji packfilm. No problems in the fair few months I've been using it. These backs are cheaper from dealers than from auction sites. I think I paid £100 with 5 or so packs of outdated film. The back alone appears to be worth that.


The model number is Polaroid-550.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/lfpf/69d0_1.jpg

[Gene McCluney]

I use Fuji FP100C45 in a Polaroid back.

The Polaroid one was the only brand I could find, so I bought it along with some Fuji packfilm. No problems in the fair few months I've been using it. These backs are cheaper from dealers than from auction sites. I think I paid £100 with 5 or so packs of outdated film. The back alone appears to be worth that.


The model number is Polaroid-550.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/second-belated/lfpf/69d0_1.jpg

Thats the one. Works beautifully with modern Fuji materials.

[Gene McCluney]

Just to state once more...the Polaroid 550 back illustrated in Ash's post above works with current Fuji 4x5 pack film just fine. It has a darkslide (those 2 blue tabs) and can be slid in under the ground glass just like a double dark slide on most 4x5 cameras made in the last 40 years. It can also be attached in place of the ground glass if your camera has a graf-lok back. (Notice the ridges) Very old 4x5 cameras that have those visible brass springs on the outside of the ground-glass back may or may not have enough clearance to slide the film holder in. This back is not much thicker than a grafmatic, though.

[ckruvand]

I ordered the Fuji PA-45 back from Calumet.... They had the lowest price of $130.
I use the Fuji Ready loader with Velvia and like it very much. Hopefully, this Fuji will be good too.

Thanks for the help,
Charles