Fuji PA-145 holder - unsharp shots

[noci]

Hi all,

using a Fuji PA145 holder I seem to get a consistent slight unsharpness across my shots.. :mad: Checking ground glass focus with a loupe, everything's fine, and later when scanning the images seem blurred a bit- it's not the scanner, I checked, and examining the polaroids with a high power loupe tells me that the scanner's right.. I've produced very sharp negs on this camera before (Shen TZ45IIB / Caltar II 90 4.5), with a Wista roll film holder, and fail to understand what I'm doing wrong. Does the film plane differ from the ground glass plane? I'm seriously bummed right now. Thank heavens I took all shots on 6x9, too; I'm guessing those will be sharp, but I'll only get the developed film tomorrow.

Thanks for any hints,

Max

[johnielvis]

yeah dude---the pack film is under pressure and is bowed--it don't sit straight like in a real holder because of the other film behind it.---stop it down for more depth of field...OR...since it's the film plane that's messed, use a LONGER lens so that there's bigger slop at the film plane.....

OR....maybe make some kind of polaroid glass plate for the film packs so the film is flat in the same place all the time.....

[Daniel Stone]

Polaroids have always had a problem with diffusion. You are technically exposing a negative, and part of that gets transferred to the receiver print material. Amazing technology, but it works.

I have had this problem myself, and just resolved to not shooting polaroids, unless absolutely needed ;).

Your results are fine, but Polaroids aren't an accurate way to test sharpness. And if you do, use the b/w material, the contrast helps give you more of a "sharp" feeling, letting you know if its in focus or not, well, a more accurate gauge IMO. Color doesn't work as well(at least for me).

-Dan

[noci]

Thanks for your quick replies; well, it seems that some combination of large-ish aperture and the color fuji material properties lead to the unsharpness, then.. what a surprise, I didn't expect this to happen. Guess that'll push me over the edge towards shooting "proper" 4x5 slides, then, as well as getting a 75mm lens on a recessed board to fit a wider field of view on roll film. Damn! :)