This appears to be the last nail in the coffin of the "NO THUMB ZONE." Even if instant film survives, that fat-part of the pull-out type Polaroid film pouches where thumbs were prohibited will pass on as only a memory... I'll miss the NTZ...but on to the new stuff...

I just bought a pack of Fuji FP-100 B45 black & white 100 ASA, 4x5 instant "pack film" at Samy's in Santa Barbara. I set up my Cambowide (1/60, f22, 65mm) and shot a sheet of Polaroid 54 (Pro 100) from my dwindling stash (out of date, 2008) and then a sheet of the FujiFilm B45. I'm using an ancient Polaroid 550 holder (Fuji's PA-45 Holder is still being made)

First impressions:

The Fuji and Polaroid seem to both be within a fraction of a stop of 100ASA maybe 1/10 faster for Fuji (closer than most films from two different manufacturers). (I metered with a 'DigiRoid' – which means I shoot the scene on my Nikon D300 at 100 ISO, and look at the Histogram.) The Fuji seems a little more contrasty, and the Fuji smells completely different when pulled, so it's not identical in chemical makeup, also the gray print backing is a different shade, but seems to be the same thickness. Same recommended processing time/temps though. The midtone exposure around 18% seems the same, and the dark shadow detail seems the same as well. The white on the Fuji seems brighter and that's where I perceived the higher contrast. (This could also be a factor of the 2008 expiration date of my P54.)

Other bits:

The image on the Fuji B45 print is slightly larger than the 54 Polaroid because the borders are slightly thinner on the Fuji. The exact image size is 4 21/32 inches Wide X 3 17/32 inches High for the Fuji (vs. exactly 4.5 X 3.5 inches for the Polaroid). Virtually the same height but over 1/8" wider for the Fuji. The box is printed completely in English, not Multi-Lingual so this seems to be the official "Export" packaging, although the foil pack inside is still multi-lingual. That doesn't make a bit of difference to me but you might want to know...

At $4.00 a sheet I will now only be using it to check the first exposures of the day, and make sure everything is working when I take the camera out of the case. But I won't be using it to check every exposure like I did with 54 Polaroid when it was plentiful.

I did realize that the "10 pack" film format will save a little space in my case since I don't need to store the Polaroid holder AND a bunch of separate sheets of 54 (which I kept in a separate Tupperware box). The 550 holder holds the 10 pack safe inside and takes virtually the same space in the case than my old 545 Polaroid holder alone ( Polaroid 550 is shorter but thicker). And the film inside the 550 holder is protected from kinking, folding, and getting squeezed in the "No Thumb Zone."

My 2 cents so far, I'll miss the NTZ, but the Fuji will work for me, but I sure hope the price comes down a bit from $40+ per pack. Anyone want to buy a 545 holder, it makes a great doorstop.