Help!!!!! Instant Film For 4x5

[Eduardo TOCA]

HELLO, need your help, I`m currently living in Mexico, in a city called guadalajara, and there is not much variety when it comes to 4x5 film.

At the moment I`m looking for instant film(for proofing), I`m using a Toyo filed 45All, I want to buy a instant film holder for it. I`ve heard about the polaroid 545i, that one hold the fP-100C45 right?? Can it hold the fp-100C ?

To my bad luck, the only instant film that is possible to get in mexico is the fp-100C, which film holder do I have to buy to use it? would be compatible for my toyo?

Hopefully what I wrote is not too confusing.

Thank you for your help, as you can see I`m starting in the LF world.

[Joseph Dickerson]

Ola!

All the currently available instant films (Fuji) are pack films, not individual sheets. So the 545 and 545i holders are obsolete, except they will work with Quickloads, although film flatness is an issue.

You'll need either a current Fuji pack film holder or the Polaroid equivalent.

If I remember correctly the Polaroid holders are the 550 and 450. Please double check the numbers, I'm working from memory. I looked at the one that I have (550?) and there is no number on it.

The 550 uses 4x5 packs and the 450(?) uses 3 1/4x 4 1/4 pack film.

Fuji no longer sells b&w instant films as of a year or so ago. Even the color is sometimes hard to find.

Hope this helps.

JD

[monsta]

hiya eduardo, the polaroid back for fp100 is the polaroid 405. cheers, john

[Ari]

The 405 back will work with the Toyo, it may require removal of the back to access the Graflok back, or you might be able to slip it under the ground glass.

[Eduardo TOCA]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, I have a few questions again.

polaroid 405(is it a sure thing I can use it with the toyo field?) Is it easier to find film for this polaroid back?

Or you would recomend to buy the 550 polaroid back to use the fp100c45? is there no B&W in this size anymore?

Thank you!

[Helen Bach]

The remaining supply of FP100c45 will not last long, so stock up on it if you want it. Fuji has stopped production and will not restart. Some stores still have stock of the EI 3000 B&W FP3000b45, but I don't think there is all that much left now. The smaller FP100c (and the only remaining Fuji instant B&W film in production, FP3000b) should be available for longer, because there is greater demand (MP4s etc).

Best,
Helen

[Fred L]

helen,

This is news to me, when was this announced or are they keeping tight lipped about it and hoping we don't notice ?


thx

fred

[Marc B.]

There are two sizes of Fuji, pack film, still commonly available here in the USA,
from suppliers such as B&H Photo, Adorama, Freestyle, Samys, etc...

The smaller 3.25in X 4.25in usually costs under $10.00USD per pack of ten shots.
The larger 4 X 5 is usually more then $26.00USD per pack of ten shots.

The backs required for the smaller 3.25 X 4.25 pack film is either the Fuji PA-145, or the Polaroid 405.

The backs for the larger 4 X 5 film is either the Fuji PA-45, or the Polaroid 550 back.

Backs for the smaller film usually sells on the used market for about $50.00USD.
The larger backs normally go for more than $125.00USD, and film for these backs may not be available much longer.

The smaller film availability may last longer, due to this film still being used in Passport ID type cameras.

Marc

[Helen Bach]

Fred,

Apart from the B&W announcement a while back, I don't know of any announcement about the colour 4x5 pack film. It is fairly important to us because we still shoot 4x5 reversal film and we use the instant prints for laying out pages and discussing composition. I finally managed to speak to someone at Fuji and got what I hope are accurate answers.

We may switch to the smaller format instant in the long run and simply use less of the 4x5 film area, rather than try to stock up with a few year's supply of the FP100c45 - so I got a refurbished PA-145 to give it a go. As an aside, I was pleasantly surprised by the Fuji EI 3000 B&W stuff - better than the old Polaroid 57.

Best,
Helen