Black and White Fuji Instax Film

[Godfrey]

The impossible films are good and getting better, but <$1.00 per exposure is a nice thing.

I agree. Unfortunately, The Impossible Project doesn't have the vast resources of a huge parent corporation to work with that can subsidize development and spread out the cost of production systems.

Impossible has a very very small scale operation and are still struggling to make a profit. They didn't call the company "The Impossible Project" without reason! I'm fairly amazed at how much they've gotten done given the incredibly tight resources they have had to work with. 🙂

G

 

[marcr1230]

I use the SP-2 printer, really nice
look forward to B&W

it is small, but it has its moments

 

[sara]

it is annoying, but hold onto it.

1. 3000B and 100C packfilm are both still out there in abundance.

2. The Catlabs people are stepping up to the plate and will make packfilm.

I have my hopes pinned on that. The peel-apart stuff is some of my favorite film to use. I have a couple old Polaroids plus a back for my 4x5.

I wouldn't mind anyone just making these pack Polaroid films. I would buy them. Fuji should have known that people still buy them. - need to think of the bigger picture -

 

[Talus]

I could live with the format, but I cannot live with the cameras. You would say Fuji never made a decent medium format camera if you see and use those toys.

Lomography has a Kickstarter campaign going now for a new instant camera. Looks like a toy, but maybe it'll perform better ...

 

[Daryl J.]

Yes! That is very good news.

 

[jamin-b]

Same here. Instax wide printer would be nice to see.

Amen!!!!!!

 

[unixrevolution]

I could live with the format, but I cannot live with the cameras. You would say Fuji never made a decent medium format camera if you see and use those toys.

The Instax 210 Wide is decent enough, for a camera that sells for $64 brand new. You can't buy a lens cap for a Leica for that. (Okay, you can, but you get my point.) The basic-basic Minis are pretty cheezy, but they are cheap too. And I've tried the Instax 90 "Neo Classic", it's pretty slick. Nothing compared to the heavy brass-and-glass RF cameras we all love here, but temper expectations with prices and realize that these cameras do the work.

I really hate Mini polaroid prints. I just don't get it.

I love big prints, myself, but having a wallet-sized instant photo is just fun.

I agree. Unfortunately, The Impossible Project doesn't have the vast resources of a huge parent corporation to work with that can subsidize development and spread out the cost of production systems.

Impossible has a very very small scale operation and are still struggling to make a profit. They didn't call the company "The Impossible Project" without reason! I'm fairly amazed at how much they've gotten done given the incredibly tight resources they have had to work with. 🙂

G

First, let me start by saying the guy with the money in his pocket to buy film doesn't care what resources a company has or how big it is or is not. He just cares what he can buy, if it works, and what it costs.

That said, I love the impossible project, and try to support them, plug their stuff, and evangelize as much as I can. I have two (now three) Sx-70s and a 600, and I use Impossible film, in fact I dropped $200 on Impossible film packs this June to get me through the summer. Their color is getting better and better, and the black-and-white is already pure dead brilliant. But at $3 a shot, I can't "Play" with it like I can the Fuji Instax products. The Instax line lets me play, and shoot like crazy, relatively speaking, because it's so much cheaper. That, and Impossible's old products have me dreading getting a dud/flop whenever I click the "Three dollar red button" on my SX-70. The Fuji's just work. They. Just. Work. Push button, get picture.

I have plenty of room for BOTH in my camera bag, but the SX-70 with Impossible film is for decidedly more selective use and "Special" occasions. The Fujis are an everyday, everywhere sort of camera.

I wouldn't mind anyone just making these pack Polaroid films. I would buy them. Fuji should have known that people still buy them. - need to think of the bigger picture -

I too mourn the loss, and Hope the Catlabs people can get up and running soon. But I have to say, as much as I hate that Fuji discontinued the packfilms, Fuji would know better than we would if the production is viable. I am guessing Fuji's production of those films was dependent on a LOT more volume than they have nowadays, and scaling back is probably prohibitive.

Lomography has a Kickstarter campaign going now for a new instant camera. Looks like a toy, but maybe it'll perform better ...

I have the Lomo Instant that takes the Instax Mini films. It had great promise, but that thing is going on eBay. Vignetting all the time, no matter what, is not my style. Hipsters eat that up though.

Yes! That is very good news.

New film products are ALWAYS good news!

 

[Godfrey]

...
First, let me start by saying the guy with the money in his pocket to buy film doesn't care what resources a company has or how big it is or is not. He just cares what he can buy, if it works, and what it costs.

That said, I love the impossible project, and try to support them, plug their stuff, and evangelize as much as I can. I have two (now three) Sx-70s and a 600, and I use Impossible film, in fact I dropped $200 on Impossible film packs this June to get me through the summer. Their color is getting better and better, and the black-and-white is already pure dead brilliant. But at $3 a shot, I can't "Play" with it like I can the Fuji Instax products. The Instax line lets me play, and shoot like crazy, relatively speaking, because it's so much cheaper. That, and Impossible's old products have me dreading getting a dud/flop whenever I click the "Three dollar red button" on my SX-70. The Fuji's just work. They. Just. Work. Push button, get picture.

I have plenty of room for BOTH in my camera bag, but the SX-70 with Impossible film is for decidedly more selective use and "Special" occasions. The Fujis are an everyday, everywhere sort of camera.
...

That's fine, we all have different takes on what and why we use film cameras nowadays. I don't see the point of complaining about the cost of any film, however. For me and I suspect for most people, *all* film cameras today are for 'selective use and special occasions' ... I don't expect that Fuji or Impossible are seriously appealing to the masses with any of these cameras. Mass market snapshots are done with smart phones these days.

I don't shoot instant film every day or in huge quantities. It goes in batches for me: I buy a batch of film to work through, and work through it. If that costs me $200 or $1000, I don't care: that's what I bought the film to do. Obviously, I can only do such things once in a bit. Most of the time, I'll shoot 35mm or 6x6 if I'm shooting film ... More obviously, I have extremely good digital cameras that I use for the vast majority of my photography. Film is for specific projects and for my entertainment. So I budget my money and use film, even expensive film, when I want to.

Same for all film equipment. I just bought another lens for my Hasselblad (a 60mm f/4) ... I'll never use it enough to really be 'worth' what it cost me, but I'm going to enjoy using it. Why complain about it?

I'm psyched about the B&W Instax ... It might move me to acquire a Mini 90 or a MiNT instantTLR because I'd rather shoot B&W than color. But I make no bones about it: buying either of those cameras will cost a lot of money I'll never recoup from day to day use, I buy them because I want to use them regardless of what it costs. If I can't afford it, I don't.

G

 

[unixrevolution]

That's fine, we all have different takes on what and why we use film cameras nowadays. I don't see the point of complaining about the cost of any film, however. For me and I suspect for most people, *all* film cameras today are for 'selective use and special occasions' ... I don't expect that Fuji or Impossible are seriously appealing to the masses with any of these cameras. Mass market snapshots are done with smart phones these days.

I don't shoot instant film every day or in huge quantities. It goes in batches for me: I buy a batch of film to work through, and work through it. If that costs me $200 or $1000, I don't care: that's what I bought the film to do. Obviously, I can only do such things once in a bit. Most of the time, I'll shoot 35mm or 6x6 if I'm shooting film ... More obviously, I have extremely good digital cameras that I use for the vast majority of my photography. Film is for specific projects and for my entertainment. So I budget my money and use film, even expensive film, when I want to.

Same for all film equipment. I just bought another lens for my Hasselblad (a 60mm f/4) ... I'll never use it enough to really be 'worth' what it cost me, but I'm going to enjoy using it. Why complain about it?

I'm psyched about the B&W Instax ... It might move me to acquire a Mini 90 or a MiNT instantTLR because I'd rather shoot B&W than color. But I make no bones about it: buying either of those cameras will cost a lot of money I'll never recoup from day to day use, I buy them because I want to use them regardless of what it costs. If I can't afford it, I don't.

G

I'm not complaining about the cost of impossible, simply explaining the appeal of instax. And the Instax instants are more widespread than many think, especially in their home market of Japan. In 2014, Instax Mini film was the best-selling photography product on Amazon.

I don't shoot it every day either, but I do shoot the Fujis more often because of cost reasons. Knowing I'm not blowing $3 each time makes me more likely to experiment, or to just take the shot whereas with the Impossible I might hold off.

That said, my keeper ratio from the Impossible is higher, since I am more invested in the outcome.

Both for different purposes. And I know I won't ever make a dime or recoup anything from my cameras; they are pure enjoyment for me as well.