Current state of instant film?

[Bob Salomon]

Good to know Neal.

I see from your link Mercury also offers a 2X3 back, but Instax image area is 2.4X 3.9". So perhaps a cutoff area. The 2X3 back may fit a Mamiya RB67 and MAY have a wider image area on that specific camera's gate.

I like that both Mercury backs are now available.

The other issue is Fujifilm. On B&H they have a low supply of FUJIFILM INSTAX Wide Monochrome Instant Film (10 Exposures, Expiration 09/2019) ...more coming...

Further, B&H sell monochrome Instax only in 10 packs at a higher price than color. Color Instax the more you buy the better the discount. 100 are 40% per sheet cheaper than B&W.

Fujifilm makes one worry about product availability.

Interesting to see the Mercury name come back. I used to own one of the second versions of the Mercury half frame 35mm cameras made by Univex.

[Duolab123]

The days of 4x5 or even pack film are gone. The suppliers have moved on. Fuji has moved on. Without a 100 million amature photographers snapping away it's too expensive to enjoy the miracle that was Polaroid. Too bad. It really was a miraculous technology.

[Nodda Duma]

I talked to Sam Hiser last year and gave him a couple suggestions that led him to solving the issue that stopped production of New55 pack film. Technically I think he's closest *and* importantly, properly scaled his production to what the demand would be. But, I haven't talked to him recently to have insight into what he needs the investment dollars for above and beyond the (significantly lower cost than they originally thought) equipment to make the chemical pods.

Regardless, I tend to agree with Oren that he's probably closest to a solution, since the largest hurdle is investment dollars and he basically needs less than the other groups working on it.

-Jason