So, I am wanting to get an instant film back for the Tachihara and have been looking to get a PA 45 but I noticed that I could buy instant film for the PA 145 for about half the cost.The best I can tell I would loose about half an inch in width and a little less in length, if memory serves me. So what are the pros and cons of going with a PA 145 over a PA 45? Also I guess the PA 145 is not made any longer so I would be looking for used....
Thanks,
Dan
PA 145 takes Fuji FP100C and 100/3000B film which is about half as expensive (or less) than Fuji FP100C45.
Its feels like a much different aspect ratio to me as well.
I got my pa45 with my tachihara in 2004 and use it until now. You can easily get the film/paper as this is part of the passport machine. Also, the same film/paper set can be used for my Hasselblad.
I did find it quite annoying as it does not cover the whole 4x5 areaand hence can only used for checking exposure.
I finally get the 145 but found out that the film/paper is no longer available locally. Have to get it from the web/evil place. I would say that as I do not use this a lot as it is cheaper to develop your 4x5 B&W or even E6 slide than using this thing, I would use the 145 more as it give me what it looks like in the final product nearly instantly (90sec). You cannot spend too much to travel back to the place and take another picture, even if it is large format.
This is only true if you look at it as a tool in conjunction with 4x5 film.it does not cover the whole 4x5 area and hence can only used for checking exposure.
To me a polaroid is a media in its own right, and is just a cropped format, that can be used in the same way as shooting 6x7, 6x9 and 6x12 on a 4x5 camera.
Isn't the film for the PA-145 the same as the old Polaroid pack film for pack cameras such as the Model 195? This was the standard consumer-size Polaroid peel-apart film before the SX-70 ushered in no-peel instant film. I recall the size of that film was nominally quarter-plate, or 3-1/4 x 4-1/4, which was snapshot-size back in the day when drugstore prints from 35mm were 3-1/2 x 5. Polaroid film numbers similar to Type 667 come to mind.
The PA-45 film is closer to true 4x5. I missed the pack version of Polaroid 4x5 film, I guess. I always used sheet film in 4x5, and the pack film was the smaller size. That's why I'm curious. What years did Polaroid make 4x5 pack film?
Rick "who uses instant film for camera testing, and for checking exposure and composition, and not to create original works in their own size" Denney
I want to use, I think, the instant film to work on camera adjustments and focusing, I am not to worried about exposure. There is a used PA 145 back on ebay currently for half the price of a new PA 45 and I am tempted....
The film for the 145 is currently available correct? I am a little confused by dng88 comments, is it the smaller film that is used in passports?
Sorry I confuse the number. Let me start again.
PA-45 use the larger (full size 4x5) film/paper. The confusion is that BHPhoto has this PA-45 but use the smaller film pack which is wrong. Try to search for evil bay and you can find the two.
PA-45 only takes FP-100C45 color. (Wikipedia said that there are others. Never saw them unfortunately.)
It is good for adjustment and focusing as it covers the whole thing. But I cannot get this any more here in Hong Kong. Please check your local supply. I now got it from evil bay.
PA-145 is the smaller one. It takes 4 paper/film FP100C, FP100C (Silk), FP100B and FP3000B. The last 2 is black and white and the FP100B is a beauty onto itself. (Wikipedia said that there are more but I never saw them again and hence not sure.)
They are only good for exposure checking for 4x5 as it did not cover the whole frame. I have no objection to use them for my Fuji GX680 which is very close to its size, especially FP100B. But even on Hasselblad, 6x6 picture is too small for me.
If you are on 4x5 and find a local supply of FP100C45, I would recommend you stick to the PA45.
For this thread, I go to check evil bay listing and I found that PA-45 is at least 30% off when I bought mine just a few month ago. Hence, do check whether this is due to the availability of the film/paper. FP100C/Csilk/B/3000B have no problem as it seems everywhere, at least in Hong Kong. As it depends upon passport machine, asked those shop which instant film/paper they used and you can be sure you can have a supply for at least PA-145.
I have no experience of SX-70 but it takes 600 with some filter on the lens or on the pack. I thought it is not the same as these film/pack (different ISO 600 is 640). Not sure.
Sorry for the confusion.
As regards to Polaroid, I think if you can figure out which portion of the 4x5 is taken by the FP100B (PA-145), I guessed it may form a picture. But my mind is on the 4x5 frame I just did frame to the edge. Hence, any cropping factor is not something I want to handle. Hence, I did not like the smaller one and finally moved on. In fact to be exact, I did not take 4x5 these days much but mainly use my 8x10. As there is no 8x10 polaorid (I wish the Impossible Project would reach that size soon), I use a reduced back to use the Polariod. It is really crop and crop if I used my PA-145. I did not like it. No comment on the picture itself. But for medium format, some of my 680 instant photo is taken by the subject herself for whatever it is worth and also as I said I like the FP100C.
Thanks dng88, I think I have it now. I appreciate the clarification.
If there's any error on our site I am sorry. Please either use the "See any errors on this page?" link on every one of our product pages or email me so we can make the appropriate corrections. TIA.Originally Posted by dng88
Just did it and also quote example of Calumut photo page on pa-45 which has used the correct paper/film.
Cheers!
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