Is anyone frustrated with Instax and hopes for the resurrection of FP100c?

[farlymac]

To me, Instax is somewhat like using the SX-70 back when they were new, which is what got me to reinvest in a 35mm SLR back in '79. I even gave the SX-70 away as there was no need for it as far as I was concerned, so I can't see a reason to buy into what Fuji is offering now.


PF

 

[zuiko85]

I got my Kickstarter backed Lomo Metropolis film no issue.

Then again I backed the Reflex 35mm camera. That looks gone, even though they are still trying to plug away at it.

If Lomography ran a KS campaign for something I was interested in I would feel safe backing it. When a established company like them use KS they are going to make the product and are using crowdfunding only to gage what the market is. No use guessing they can sell 5K units and after making that run find out the market was only good for 2K units. This way they know exactly how many they need to make plus they get the money up front.

 

[robert blu]

The packaging of multiple frames of pack film is definitely beyond what a small outfit like Impossible Project or any other startup can handle ... the custom machinery required is simply too laborious and expensive to develop even for the niche market that would be delighted to buy it at a high price.

However, there is an effort underway to build a reduced version of pack film, a version with just one frame per pack. It's called "One Instant" and is indeed a Kickstarter that is a half year behind schedule on delivery of product.

Yes, I have a pledge on that one too. I enjoy the hopeless and impossible causes, you see. And if it seems a fairly heedless way to fritter away money, well, I don't do a lot of other things that are basically just ways to fritter away money and keep yourself amused. So I'm okay with it. 🙂

A One Instant pack film basic pledge nets six three-packs of film at the breathtaking price of $18 per exposure. What I've seen from their updates looks quite entertaining and so, presuming that they achieve shipping product soon, I intend to have some fun making a one-time project out of shooting my last 18 exposures of pack type instant film. I've sourced another Polaroid pack film camera to do this since I sold my last pack film camera a couple of years before this project surfaced. (And I still have a compatible pack film back for my Hasselblad ... but I just can't see using these precious frames in that...)

Pack film is dead, dead, dead unless Fuji decided to open up that production again, other than weirdo little things like this.

G

I received yesterday my One Instant pack films from Superense. I'll use them as a special "homage" to that beautiful adventure which was made possible by Edwin H. Land a visionary genius.

Yes, they are expensive but it's the last chance we have to experiment with the land cameras! And it is once in a while !

Now I have to think about a special mini project to be completed with 18 shots, some of which will be probably not techincally perfect...

 

[valdas]

I still have around 30 packs of FP100 and maybe 10 pack of FP3000. And when it's gone it's gone. I will put my pack film camera on the shelf (it is converted Polaroid Pathfinder). Or I will use for some experiments. I recently used Polaroid SX-70 film in my Pathfinder - it was really a cumbersome process, but it worked. I removed one film sheet of SX film from the pack (in the changing bag, of course) and put it in the empty pack film cartridge then put the cartridge in the Pathfinder, made a shot, removed the film sheet from the cartridge, put it back into SX 70 cartridge and inserted the cartridge into my old Step One camera. Step One ejects the first sheet (assuming it is a protective darkslide), it gets developed and voila - SX-70 shot with Polaroid pack film camera 🙂

 

[taemo]

I'm fairly happy with Instax in general, wish that they made a slower version though (100 or 200) but I understand why they went with 800.

I have the RF70 that I shoot Instax Wide on and get great result. My only qualm is that instax cant handle extreme highlights..it basically turns black.
But the film IMO has a nice color palette.

We are also making an Instax Mini photo album of our daughter and it is great for that purpose.
I wish they made an Instax Wide printer, I would buy one in a heart beat.

Slightly off-topic but to me, there is a different shooting and output experience using an instant camera vs using the instant printer. I regret selling our Instant mini camera and looking to buy another one.

Some instant wide shots
img780 by earl dieta, on Flickr

img783 by earl dieta, on Flickr

img793 by earl dieta, on Flickr

instax-011 by earl dieta, on Flickr

 

[Pál_K]

...
instax-011 by earl dieta, on Flickr

I really like that one. It's timeless.

 

[eli griggs]

I watched a youtube video recently that showed what looks to be Instax film, placed on shot at a throw, into a medium format (6x7cm) camera, which was exposed as if it was a cut film or paper negative, removed and dropped into an Instax camera which processed it.

That may well be the way to go, and if I can find an affordable Hasselblad sheet film back and frames, I would like to give it a try, but the other expense of buying an Instax camera, just to roll the dice on a long shot makes me hesitant.

I still have a few good packs of Polaroid 100 b&W film, iso 100, and an unopened box of Polaroid 56 (sepia) and 18 sheets or so of Type 55 that I could just shoot up just to beat time from turning these cold stored film's pods to dust, but until I line up several shots/locations to go after or in the case of the T-55, a pinhole board for my beat up Anniversary Speed Graphic, I am going to continue to be cautious about what I do with the 4x5" film.

I did take my Polaroid 100 out on a very cold day a week or two ago, to a location I've had to visit three times in the last two month, to get the shots I wanted, in the best light possible and I burned up almost half a pack of the Polarpan 100, before I realized the battery had bitten the dirt, leaving me diddly in the way of photographs, which, if I like a shot good enough to sign, mat, and frame, I will shot a few for sales, to people who buy my paintings, woodcuts, photos, etc.
I'll rig-up a trip-AAA pack and install it tomorrow, as I plan another outing.

I'm like a lot of us, and have hope some day we will have Polaroid/Fuji type films to shoot, but as far as my SX-70 Alpha, well, I have that up for trade in the 'Want to trade' section, as I am out of patience with the products we've seen to date.

If Instax, or some third party made backs for the Hasselblads, and other SLR medium format analog cameras we love, that sure would, IMO, boost their sales of film, and I'm just fine, at this time of the slightly out of focus product they offer now.

IMO.

 

[brbo]

I have the RF70 that I shoot Instax Wide on and get great result. My only qualm is that instax cant handle extreme highlights..it basically turns black.
But the film IMO has a nice color palette.

Solarisation was also a problem with FP100. But if solarisation is your only qualm with Instax then I envy you. I've reshot some scenes (that are easy to replicate) on Instax that I originally shot on FP100 and tossed the pictures right away. Not even close. Now I'm sorry I didn't keep the Instax frames to make a comparison, but I just can't force myself to redo them, so I can only show the FP100 ones...









Fuji comes up with stuff that is out of this world when they have to compete on quality and they go all out. With Instax it seems they went all out to create the cheapest stuff. Looking at the profit they make with Instax I guess they succeeded.

 

[Rotarysmp]

Nice photos you made there BRBO and TAEMO.

I am playing around with grafting an Instax wide back to my 100 Land camera.

Taemo, what is your RF70 like at wide open aperture? The camera seems so close to a great design, except that the internet photos seem to indicate the lens being horribly soft wide open. I can't face spending €700+ for that lens.

 

[taemo]

Solarisation was also a problem with FP100. But if solarisation is your only qualm with Instax then I envy you. I've reshot some scenes (that are easy to replicate) on Instax that I originally shot on FP100 and tossed the pictures right away. Not even close. Now I'm sorry I didn't keep the Instax frames to make a comparison, but I just can't force myself to redo them, so I can only show the FP100 ones...









Fuji comes up with stuff that is out of this world when they have to compete on quality and they go all out. With Instax it seems they went all out to create the cheapest stuff. Looking at the profit they make with Instax I guess they succeeded.

lovely shots. what instant camera did you use it on?
Also keep in mind that you are comparing ISO100 instant film vs ISO800. And no Instax camera with sharp premium lens out there.
Always wanted an Instax back on 4x5 or MF camera.

Taemo, what is your RF70 like at wide open aperture? The camera seems so close to a great design, except that the internet photos seem to indicate the lens being horribly soft wide open. I can't face spending €700+ for that lens.

RF70 is fairly soft wide open at f/5.6.
Havent shot with the RF70 in a while as I've been busy playing with other cameras but I will try to make some shots over the weekend.

Here's one at f/5.6
rf70-6 by earl dieta, on Flickr

and some more shots with the RF70, good at f/8, sharp at f/11
img795 by earl dieta, on Flickr

instax-016 by earl dieta, on Flickr

also one more imperfection for some photographers with the RF70 is the distortion on the lens.

 

[Godfrey]

I received yesterday my One Instant pack films from Superense. I'll use them as a special "homage" to that beautiful adventure which was made possible by Edwin H. Land a visionary genius.

Yes, they are expensive but it's the last chance we have to experiment with the land cameras! And it is once in a while !

Now I have to think about a special mini project to be completed with 18 shots, some of which will be probably not techincally perfect...

That's great to hear that they're shipping product! I wonder when mine will be delivered. 🙂

G

 

[Godfrey]

I looked hard at the prospect of making a Hasselblad V system compatible digital back using one of the Instant Magny 35 film processing units and decided it wasn't feasible. The Instax SQ film cartridge places the film plane almost 17mm behind the correct film plane for the V system and I could not find a solution where I could remove that 17mm of extra space without also destroying the film processing unit's mechanism. Which made no sense to me.

Unloading, firing one shot in a cut sheet back (for Hassy or Mamiya Press 23), then reloading a film pack and letting an Instax processing unit do the job ... well, it is possible but what a PITA it is! Nothing I'd like to undertake, really. I have the cut film back and film holders for the Mamiya Press 23 but have no desire to go this route.

My solution is to build an adapter to fit the Mamiya lens directly onto the film processing unit. This is easier than with a Hasselblad V lens/shutter since the Mamiya lens has a simple cocking lever and release rather than the paraphernalia needed to operate the lens/shutter unit in a integrated SLR body. I've got all the bits needed to build the adapter now (spare breech-lock mounting flange for the adapter, spare processing unit, lens/shutter unit) and just have to dimension and make the adapter. 🙂

Meanwhile, I disagree with the notion that the Polaroid Originals (née The Impossible Project) films render the SX-70 dead. I'm getting some excellent results with an original SX-70 as well as the SLR670a/m/x cameras, both B&W and color. The PO film has a chequered history, but they've really got it pretty close to the original Polaroid SX-70 now ... I'm happy enough to with it. These were all exposures direction out of an SLR670x in Fall 2019, except for the top one of me:

G

 

[Pál_K]

Do the latest Polaroid Originals require the ejected film be kept in the dark for a while upon ejection? Are they more resistant to fading over time?

Long ago, Polaroid made the 600 SE ("GOOSE") - a rangefinder camera with interchangeable lenses, film backs, and manual control over focus, shutter speed, and aperture.

Fuji needn't make anything that sophisticated, but manual control over focus, shutter speed, and aperture wouldn't be complex and the product would sell.

 

[Skiff]

I'm not frustrated with Instax at all ... the MiNT RF70 makes very good use of the wide version film, ....

Could you be so kind to give some more details about your experiences with the RF 70?
I am tempted to get one. But the pictures I have seen so far online mostly were not so impressive concerning sharpness: Most don't look much sharper than what I get from my Instax Wide 210.
But maybe that is due to losses because of scanning.

Therefore: Do get significantly sharper images with the RF70 compared to the Instax Wide 210 or 300?
Does the Rangefinder work properly?
Is the exposure meter accurate?

Thank you very much in advance for your reply!

 

[Godfrey]

Do the latest Polaroid Originals require the ejected film be kept in the dark for a while upon ejection? Are they more resistant to fading over time?

Long ago, Polaroid made the 600 SE ("GOOSE") - a rangefinder camera with interchangeable lenses, film backs, and manual control over focus, shutter speed, and aperture.

Fuji needn't make anything that sophisticated, but manual control over focus, shutter speed, and aperture wouldn't be complex and the product would sell.

The Polaroid 600SE was, essentially, a made-by-Mamiya camera ... a customized Mamiya Press 23 with a dedicated Polaroid film back, branded for Polaroid.

The latest edition Polaroid Originals film is much less light sensitive when initially ejected from the camera. Indoors, I treat it casually: just set it on the table after ejection. In sunlight, it's best to cover it as it slides out of the camera for about 10-15 seconds, after which time it's fine. The opaqueness factor of the reagent is improving but is an extraordinarily difficult thing to engineer ... and remember that even Polaroid started putting a "frog's tongue" blind on their cameras with the 600 speed film because they were having some difficulties with it in sunlight too.

My oldest Impossible/Polaroid Originals prints date from 2011. Some have faded a little, from the early generations. Most of them have not.

G

 

[Godfrey]

Could you be so kind to give some more details about your experiences with the RF 70?
I am tempted to get one. But the pictures I have seen so far online mostly were not so impressive concerning sharpness: Most don't look much sharper than what I get from my Instax Wide 210.
But maybe that is due to losses because of scanning.

Therefore: Do get significantly sharper images with the RF70 compared to the Instax Wide 210 or 300?
Does the Rangefinder work properly?
Is the exposure meter accurate?

Thank you very much in advance for your reply!

This is a search collection of all the RF70 images I have scanned and posted on flickr.com: GDG RF70 Set. I have many, many more that I haven't scanned or posted yet. Hundreds. 🙂

The rangefinder and exposure meter work well, but don't presume Leica-level precision. The lens is quite good when the focus is correct, and it performs best at one to two stops down from wide open (like most lenses). The film is better than the RF70 lens, for sure, and as my Leica M fitted with Instant Magny 35 demonstrates.

I can't compare the RF70 with the Instax Wide 210 or 300 since I've never used either of them. I find its output prints sharp, it performs well for the intended use, and is a satisfying camera in use. It cannot compete with a Polaroid SX-70 for critical focusing, the advantage of an SLR's TTL focusing is obvious.

G

 

[Skiff]

This is a search collection of all the RF70 images I have scanned and posted on flickr.com: GDG RF70 Set. I have many, many more that I haven't scanned or posted yet. Hundreds. 🙂

The rangefinder and exposure meter work well, but don't presume Leica-level precision. The lens is quite good when the focus is correct, and it performs best at one to two stops down from wide open (like most lenses). The film is better than the RF70 lens, for sure, and as my Leica M fitted with Instant Magny 35 demonstrates.

I can't compare the RF70 with the Instax Wide 210 or 300 since I've never used either of them. I find its output prints sharp, it performs well for the intended use, and is a satisfying camera in use. It cannot compete with a Polaroid SX-70 for critical focusing, the advantage of an SLR's TTL focusing is obvious.

G

That is helpful.
Thank you very much!

 

[Rotarysmp]

I looked hard at the prospect of making a Hasselblad V system compatible digital back using one of the Instant Magny 35 film processing units and decided it wasn't feasible. The Instax SQ film cartridge places the film plane almost 17mm behind the correct film plane for the V system and I could not find a solution where I could remove that 17mm of extra space without also destroying the film processing unit's mechanism.

I am up against the same issue trying to get Instax onto the film plane of a Polaroid 100. There you have the focusing mechanism in the way. I covered that in my first video of hacking them together. https://youtu.be/UHYeu-3LmRk

Looks like for my second prototype, I'll have to separate the rollers and move them above the focusing mechanism, where they will conflict with the viewfinder.

I'd really like to see pictures of your Mamiya to Instax camera.
Mark

 

[Godfrey]

Hi Mark!

I just watched your videos ... Great stuff! Creative and fun work!

My project is a heck of a lot simpler. I've got all the bits needed now for the basic camera except for the one piece I have to fabricate ... the mounting that will support the Mamiya Press lens mount onto the Instax SQ processing unit. You're inspiring me to get on with it!

thx!
G

 

[taemo]

Could you be so kind to give some more details about your experiences with the RF 70?
I am tempted to get one. But the pictures I have seen so far online mostly were not so impressive concerning sharpness: Most don't look much sharper than what I get from my Instax Wide 210.
But maybe that is due to losses because of scanning.

Therefore: Do get significantly sharper images with the RF70 compared to the Instax Wide 210 or 300?
Does the Rangefinder work properly?
Is the exposure meter accurate?

Thank you very much in advance for your reply!

the Instax Wide 210 is a fixed f/11 lens from what I recall.
th RF70 goes up to f/5.6, usable and good starting at f/8.

I've owned the Instax Wide 210 and it is a fine P&S Instax Wide camera, I went with the RF70 simply because I love the design of folding cameras and its operation is very similar to the Fuji GF670 which I miss shooting with.
With the RF70, you have full control with your exposure, shutter speed, aperture, focus and external flash.
Rangefinder works properly, however I find that for precise focus, it's best to focus to the closest distance first then focus to the subject. (learned from previous post by Godfrey)