Instax Wide vs FP-100c

[mrak]

Hello,

So I want to try out instant film but I am not sure with which one I should go.

How do they compare? (Also considering the cameras they are used with. For the FP-100c I would get a Polaroid Land Camera).

I know that with FP-100c you can also get a negative but how practical is it? The scans i've seen all had stains. Is it not possible to get it completely clean? Does it offer a lot more detail than the print or only a bit? It would be nice to have an instant image and a detailed negative for archival purposes and to make bigger prints.

The Instax 210 and the Polaroids all have small apertures. Can they still be used in low light (without flash?)

Thanks

 

[RattyMouse]

Hello,

So I want to try out instant film but I am not sure with which one I should go.

How do they compare? (Also considering the cameras they are used with. For the FP-100c I would get a Polaroid Land Camera).

I know that with FP-100c you can also get a negative but how practical is it? The scans i've seen all had stains. Is it not possible to get it completely clean? Does it offer a lot more detail than the print or only a bit? It would be nice to have an instant image and a detailed negative for archival purposes and to make bigger prints.

The Instax 210 and the Polaroids all have small apertures. Can they still be used in low light (without flash?)

Thanks

Cameras that shoot INSTAX film are toy cameras and as such, have very little in the way of control over exposure. Most will fire off the flash automatically, without the ability to turn this off. More professional cameras that use Fujifilm's peel-apart film would be what you want I think.

 

[wblynch]

You could also make optical enlarger prints from the FP-100C negatives.

 

[emmef2]

There are clear difference between the two mediums:

The FP-100 print looks like a coated print while the Instax is an integral film so it has a thicker and glossier look.
Consider also that the lens on a land camera and the one on an Instax have a quite different rendition in terms of sharpness and color
My girlfriend gave me a beautiful Polaroid 250 for Christmas and I really love the pictures it makes
Instax film is 800 iso while the FP-100 is 100, if you want to shoot low light handheld, a Polaroid model 180 or 195 or using B&W FP-3000 film on a land camera is better

 

[Oren Grad]

There's another option. Alpenhause (http://alpenhause.com/) has offered Polaroid 110B cameras converted with an Instax Wide back. This provides a much better lens that the one in the Instax Wide cameras, full manual control of exposure and versatility to handle a much wider range of lighting conditions effectively without flash.

He won't always have these in stock, so you'd have to contact him to see whether one is currently available or how long it would take to make one.

 

[GarageBoy]

With leftover FP3000B, you can get away with no flash shots
FP100C - no way- slow aperture and 100 ISO film makes shots in the shade difficult
To get the negative, you have to bleach it (Fp100C-) hence the stains left over
The Instax 210/300 does not offer flash off

FP100C seems to be a bit higher resolution and I like the color palette more, but instax is truely point and shoot

 

[wjlapier]

I've seen the "negatives" cleaned of stains. There are videos on youtube on how to do it. I considered it. I found a Polaroid land camera cheap local but too fiddly and too much work for me.

I did buy an Instax camera and it's best used in great light. The flash is weak on the camera I forgot which one it is. Still have two "rolls" left to shoot.

 

[vdonovan]

It's really a matter of style. With FP-100c, you can shoot with beautiful vintage cameras, like the Polaroid 250. There are a zillion other interesting compatible cameras and devices - I've got a Polaroid passport camera that uses FP-100c and is great fun to take to parties. You can also shoot it in a 4x5 camera with a special reducing back. You can do emulsion lifts and/or bleach out the negative, but these are alternative processes, so don't expect 100% perfection.

I like the look of the Instax film okey, though I think the 100c is a little richer, but with Instax film you are mostly limited to shooting the Fuji Instax camera, which I don't like as much. As another poster mentioned, there are more and more Instax backs and adapters being made for interesting cameras.

Instax film is easier to find overseas, especially in Asia. FP-100c is almost impossible to find anywhere, except specialty camera stores and over the web.

 

[VTHokiEE]

There's another option. Alpenhause (http://alpenhause.com/) has offered Polaroid 110B cameras converted with an Instax Wide back. This provides a much better lens that the one in the Instax Wide cameras, full manual control of exposure and versatility to handle a much wider range of lighting conditions effectively without flash.

He won't always have these in stock, so you'd have to contact him to see whether one is currently available or how long it would take to make one.

That's pretty cool, I didn't see one listed on his website. Has anyone had this done or know what the ballpark price is?

 

[Lee Rust]

Instax integral film is excellent, with good colors and higher resolution than FP100c prints, but the cameras are quite limited. Nevertheless, you can get fine image quality when you shoot under the conditions for which the Instax cameras are designed. Any adaptation of Instax film backs to higher-grade manual exposure cameras is a worthy pursuit.

I've spent many, many hours learning how to wash and bleach Fuji FP100c negatives in a reliable and repeatable way. Good resolution and broad tonal range are attainable from these negatives if you don't mind muted colors and plenty of grain. The most important thing to remember is that the proper exposure for a strong instant print will generally yield a weak negative because most of the dyes transfer from the negative to the receiver sheet. Underexpose FP100c by about two stops if you want a strong, contrasty negative to work with.

 

[Fixcinater]

It's fiddly and slow but if you aren't trying to shoot a bunch of film you can load Instax into a 4x5 camera's sheet film holder. You might be able to get away with a 3x4 or 2x3 Graphic which would come very cheap compared to the 4x5.

I've shot a few "rolls" through my Speed and the Instax film is quite sharp and a better product than using the cameras would have you believe.