Unloading / Reloading Unprocessed 8x10 Polaroid

[Richard Fenner]

I've discovered the (expensive) fun of 8x10 polaroids, and would like to do some while away from home. Has anyone tried unloading the exposed, unprocessed negative, boxing it, then reusing the film holder and so on, getting home later and then re-loading the holder for insertion into the processor? I'd like to take a box of film away, but without needing to buy 15 holders as well. Polaroid say it's impossible - that in loading the holder, the neg must be in the original envelope or you can't load it properly. I guess dust is also an enormous issue while the neg is unprocessed.

[Ralph Barker]

I suspect Polaroid is correct. I can't envision a way of getting the exposed film back in the original black envelope. The only alternative to multiple holders is to process in the field - either using the hand crank on a Polaroid processor, or buying the Calumet field processor.

[Bill Jefferson]

Richard, I routinely take the Polaroids in the field, and use the processor running off a voltage converter. The converter must be able to handle over 3.5 amps.

[Richard Fenner]

Thanks Ralph and Bill. Unfortunately, I want to use it for transfers, so field use is more difficult. I'm booking into a hotel for two weeks, so I might consider taking the basic equipment needed to do it after all. You have to try these things! And I certainly can't afford either the purchase price or the baggage excess of 30 polaroid holders.

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

For what ever it is worth, I highly recommend the Calumet portable 8x10 processor. I have taken it "into the field" with me, and have even done transfers far from home; all you really need is some paper, a tray, some water, a flat surface, and a roller. A hair dryer helps, but is not essential.

[Richard Fenner]

Impossible? Oh no it isn't! I played around with a negative in daylight to see how it would go back into the holder, and realised it's quite simple. So, after exposing another sheet, I set up a changing tent, put the holder and exposed sheet in, opened the polaroid holder, took the sheet out (imagining I was putting it into a box for safe - and dark - keeping), then replaced the sheet in the holder, gently feeling around the edges (esp the end) to make sure it was placed properly. I closed the holder, took it out of the tent, and put it into the processor with a positive. No problems! There was nothing to indicate any wrong alignment etc. Remember, it doesn't need to go back into the envelope, just the holder. The negative is very fragile though, so gently gently...

This also means that you don't need to take positives into the field. Hope this helps someone.