any news from polaroid film ?

[prado333]

i would like to know the last news about polaroid film after the failure polaroid-ilford.
any one knows if 665 and 55 come back again from another manufacturer?

[Pat Hilander]

I heard a rumor that some place in China may pick up production, but that's just a rumor so I wouldn't buy into that just yet.

[BrianShaw]

I didn't exactly hear that -- I heard that some place in China bought some of the equipment. I never heard if it was destine to a recycling plant, or a manufacturing plant. I also heard (but can't remember where) that osme of the Polaroid coating equipment made its way into a plant taht manufactures solar cells and is being used to coat those devices.

Personally, I've given up the dream of T-55 ever coming back and will be displaying my old T-55 negs in the display case right beside the dagerreotypes, ambrotypes, and ferrotypes.

[Kin Lau]

Anyone have any idea what http://www.polapremium.com is about?

[BrianShaw]

"opening in 538,095 seconds"

I can't wait to find out. Maybe I'll retract my statment that I have given up hope.

[bsimison]

Anyone have any idea what http://www.polapremium.com is about?

Where did you hear about this site?

[BrianShaw]

"opening in 529,419 seconds"

Now I'm REALLY getting excited!

[Kin Lau]

Where did you hear about this site?

Just from another online forum, but no info there either from the other poster.

[Gordon Moat]

Fuji just announced selling Instax film and cameras in North America. These should be in stores soon. I think this gives a little more hope of Fuji increasing their product offerings in North America.

I seriously doubt any positive/negative peel apart film will appear again. I still have one pack of 665, though now I am unsure whether to use it, or even what to shoot with it.

Ciao!

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

[Wallace_Billingham]

Anyone have any idea what http://www.polapremium.com is about?

Information here http://polanoid.net/div/premium_invitation if you are a member of Polanoid.

"We are very proud to inform you about the fact that we could persuade the Polaroid management to produce an outstanding amount of breathtaking film, before closing down their factories.
Many of these films are completely new products, never produced before, high quality material, hand assembled during the last production runs in Mexico (last packfilm factory) as well as in Enschede (last integral film factory). All these film as well a a wide selection of Polaroid cameras, books and accessories will be presented and celebrated at www.polapremium.com, the new home of Instant Photography."

[Ash]

Fuji have no plans to make more instant film range than their current staple, but they have no plans to cut down on what they have available. That's why any instant is Fuji for me.

Shame about the 55 though.

[Gordon Moat]

A little more digging and I find the Polanoid.net and Unsaleable.com (http://www.unsaleable.com/instant_photography/) websites involvement in this. It seems to be just final run of products, probably including something similar to SX70 Blend. With this and existing Polaroid materials already shipped, there is likely no more than a couple years of these films. A nice effort, but I am more inclined to continue buying Fuji Instant, since Fujifilm is still making these instant films.

Ciao!

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

[icefan13]

I have spoken to reps at both Ilford & Fuji about Type 55, and both said that they had been willing to take over production of the film (they'd even toured the Polaroid plant and offered to buy all the equipment). But Polaroid made things too difficult to make anything feasible, and so they abandoned those plans.

I have a bunch of Type 55 left, that I bought from the last runs. It all expires in January, (anyone know how long after that I should be able to still use it?)

It has become hard to use though. I put so much thought into not wasting any of it that it blocks my creativity. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing out there to replace it.

[arca andy]

I've given up on Type 55:( See my thread on 'Polariod Type 55 Clone' for sheet film alternative. Icefan I have just used my last box that was dated 2004 and it seemed fine.

[Allen in Montreal]

......

I have a bunch of Type 55 left, that I bought from the last runs. It all expires in January, (anyone know how long after that I should be able to still use it?)......

I have just wrapped up exposing my T 55 date 1993 and the success rate was around 80 percent or higher for properly stored film, about 30 percent for film I found in an old kodak readyload box that was not stored well.

Note the blemish on her right arm, the only defect on the film.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=17861&d=1223264540

I am currently shooting 1995 dated stock and I would guess the success rate is 95 percent.

[Jon Wilson]

The possible extended "life span" of the T55 film is encouraging in that I was able to purchase several orders from the last batch. I am storing in flat inside their original shipping boxes inside a fridge. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[icefan13]

I have been told that it should not be stored in a fridge: A cool place, yes. But not a fridge.

Does anyone have definative word on that?

[vinny]

I have been told that it should not be stored in a fridge: A cool place, yes. But not a fridge.

Does anyone have definative word on that?

yes. it says store in fridge on the box

[Helen Bach]

Ever since reading Tracy Storer's warning about orientation during storage I have switched to storing what remaining Polaroid sheet film I have on end (ie upright, on the short side). Since reading his comments in this thread (http://photo.net/large-format-photography-forum/00MIeK) on photo.net I have paid a lot more attention to that issue, and I've seen exactly what he described. It does appear to have something to do with climate, however.

Best,
Helen

[Allen in Montreal]

I have been told that it should not be stored in a fridge: A cool place, yes. But not a fridge.

Does anyone have definative word on that?

For right or for wrong (but clearly it has done well by me), I listened to what the Polaroid rep told me years ago.

Lay flat in the original packaging in the fridge, never the freezer due to the pod freezing. Do not try to save space and pack a few packs into one box as the pods may get damaged from the weight of too many above it. Standing vertically may amount to the same thing (but I have never tried), but do not stand them on their side.

I generally put mine in the crisper, the fruits and veggie are worth less and have a higher turn over than the T-55.

But then again, my fridge is well over 50 percent photo related. :(
Food comes and goes, Agfa Insignia will never come again!