Is It Time To Forgive Polaroid?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 лют 2024
- It’s been a long road for Polaroid V2.0 to get where they are now and I for one am happy with the current films offered. But I do think that Polaroid owes longtime users, especially those of us who have stuck with this process since the very beginning. And in the bigger picture, reinvention of films usually proves incredibly difficult if not impossible. Can we finally learn the lesson that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone and stop discontinuing films?
Hoping 2024 sees new emboldened relationships between artists and these companies which in the end will only make each other better.
@PolaroidOfficial @Kodak #film #analog #photography
The Fuji chemistry is obviously better but there is definitely something about Polaroid that I prefer. Photos have more character than Fuji’s cold look. It’s good to shoot the original format that we grew up with and the print itself has a higher quality feel to it than Fuji prints. Also, Polaroid cameras are better than Fuji. Fuji couldn’t care less about their wide format, so I’d rather support a company that are committed to this genre of photography.
Polaroid's B&W is amazing.
Yes, I "forgave" when at last real blacks returned to Polaroid photos about two years ago. I wish they would master and bring back the bigger Image/Spectra format or even introduce 4x5 (Fuji offered integral instant 4x5 in 1984). 8x10 may be niche but it IS a pro format which is what you are asking for. It is sold out most of the time anyway. Fujifilm discontinuing peel apart was really bad. The big companies should care for small markets. Fuji's Instax once was small , too. Fujifilm mastered that very complicated process to perfection and it's a shame to let that fall into oblivion. I would be a peel apart 4x5 shooter since Polaroid and Instax Wide I find too small. Only now would peel apart come into its own after being mistreated for decades as proof format for negative shooters.
I worked for decades with peel apart film- nice but a pain on location. Instax is great but remember it benefited from the V1.0 Polaroid technology- time will tell but I am happier in 2024 than I have been in a very long time!
The last time I tried Polaroid film was two years ago. Even with fresh stock, the results were underwhelming. I'd rather shoot regular film or digital, as I know I will get great results from these formats.
Sorry Polaroid, I'm out.
I don't know if I subscribe to the idea Polaroid is not catering to photographers like you or me. Reclaimed Blue, for example, is some niche stuff. Same for the Duochrome releases. But, devil's advocate, as far as actual apologies go, I'd accept a price decrease if we're truly never going to get 10 shots in a pack again.
The big problem is that a lot of the companies view a product that is not seeing growth in the market as an unnecessary weight, when it often is just something that will bring in a very steady revenue stream. Lets not forget that stock owners demand increased profits and that a lot of CEO's are willing to sacrifice anything in order to satisfy the owners; and that's what's hurting the people who depend on such materials.
You are right on! I do know how difficult it has been for Polaroid (the Impossible Project) to start up a great process again. The chemistry can't be used like the original for environmental reasons, I understand this. Your point is well taken that most of us who have purchased so much of this film, hoping it will succeed and then to be tossed aside does hurt. I still am hoping for a Type 55 film to return! I want a consistent 8x10 peel apart. It looks like maybe that will happen, so there is hope. So if anyone from Polaroid listens to your video, please understand that you have a base of dedicated photographers who want you to succeed, we have proven this by helping fund your work over the years. Just don't forget about us.
I think the biggest problem is that the film isn't "instant." They say 15 minutes to full development, but it's more like 1/2 hour. Waiting takes the fun out of it. You take a pic of someone and hand them the photo. The pic is grey and isn't doing anything and that person basically loses interest, or puts the photo down and forgets about it. The idea of instant film was to see the results right away. I can shoot an RA-4 reversal and have it developed completely in 6 minutes, which isn't "right away" but is a lot faster than a Polaroid picture. How does Fuji do it? 3 minutes. How did Polaroid do it in about a minute with Time Zero film? I'll be more enthused with Polaroid film when it can truly claim it is instant film.
What film are you using? Mine are pretty much done in 10 minutes.
Oh, and they have some new things coming (hint: it’s faster developing, and no opacifier problems).
@@ianbakke i-type with a manufacture date of last summer. B&W has around a 10 minute development time, and colour develops 80-90% in 15 minutes, but doesn't develop out fully until at least 1/2 hour or more. Even 10 minutes is too long. The idea of "instant photography" is to see results right away so you can retake the photo if it didn't turn out the way you wanted. Time Zero film developed in a minute. That's instant film. Of course, I'm old school and remember the good 'ol days. Most people shooting Polaroid don't know what it was like.
If they can improve their opacifier so you don't need a frog tongue and the film develops fully in a minute (even 2 would be nice), I'll change my tune about Polaroid film.
@@hackaninstant Only Time-Zero film developed in 1 minute. Film before 1980 took about 5 minutes. And the original SX-70 film took 10 minutes according to LIFE magazine in 1972.
The Polaroid 600 film was about 3 minutes if you read Polaroid’s documentation.
I agree with a lot of what you said. But disagree with they only focusing on new photographers. The fact the I-2 exists and that they still make 8x10 film shows us they still care about us long time polaroid shooters. It might be a small fraction of their energy, but is a higher proportion of the energy other companies are giving us.
The i2 was a necessary camera for them to make to help to fill the gap in harder to find SX70 systems. The 8x10 is a very niche product at this point -
I just sold everything . I’m strictly just Fuji now
Fuji is a solid bet if you like the look-
Hard pass on Polaroid. They're the Phoenix 200 of instant film, over-priced and inferior quality.
I just shot a pack of fresh Polaroid over the holiday. It's still not worth it. I cannot imagine dropping the money to buy that new camera of theirs.
I find your view on beta-quality Polaroid film versus Instax mature film oddly inconsistent with your opinion on beta-quality Phoenix 200 vs other mature CN film.
It boils down to the fact that Harman/ Ilford has a long history of making good film- even chromagenic BW film so I think they should be expected to make something better out the door or at least at a less $$ price. Between 2017 and 2019 I was getting very frustrated with Polaroid / Impossible but the new films are a dramatic improvement- still not perfect but better. Fuji has been in the Instax game for a long time and if they released something like Harman did I would be very disappointed- Polaroid does need to fix a few more things and I hope they can- time will tell- and just to be clear I am hopeful that Harmans next color film with be a big success.