raid
Dad Photographer
I am just not sure where to use the camera with the COVID-19 issue around us.
I will think about it more.
I will think about it more.
Mackinaw
Think Different
Raid, I know you're in Florida, maybe it's different in my little town in northern Michigan. I just parked my truck by our local Arts Gallery and took a walk downtown. People are, by and large, staying home, so the odds of seeing anybody are minimal. Even if I do, it's no problem to social distance. And there's all sort of stuff to photograph. I'll be going out again, later today. Probably tomorrow too, since it sounds like a nice spring day.
Jim B.
robert blu
quiet photographer
You have to force yourself to use the remaining films knowing that when you have used all of them no more film is available but Lynn is correct at a certein point your precious films will no more work...
...I have the same feeling or problem...is this worthwhile to photograph with my last few packs...
...I have the same feeling or problem...is this worthwhile to photograph with my last few packs...
Oren Grad
Well-known
Jim -
Late to this thread, but I just wanted to add that the gentle tonality of this one is lovely. Thanks for sharing.
Mackinaw
Think Different
Thanks. This is actually a color polaroid pic converted to B&W in Photoshop. I drew a line around the image itself, converted to B&W, and played around with histogram to give me the image I wanted.
Jim B.
Oren Grad
Well-known
Thanks for the details... I didn't even think of that. Beautifully done!
Makes me think I should do some conversion experiments with Instax color. The Instax monochrome film is *very* contrasty. Although Instax color is punchier than Polaroid color, it's not quite so extreme as the Instax monochrome, and it might give me a bit of tonal manoeuvering room.
raid
Dad Photographer
I took out the Land 250, and I even watched a youtube video on its basic operations!
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Using the pack-film Polaroids is a limited time game, unless One Instant gets into real production and becomes available at a semi reasonable price. One Instant film will have one exposure per pack, three packs per box, at something like $20 a frame. So you have to be pretty darn picky about what you're doing to shoot.
I have a pledge in to get another pack film camera and 18 exposures of film. It will be fun selecting exactly what to make photographs of with it. Should be shipping very soon according to their notes.
It makes Polaroid SX-70 and 600 film seem economical, and Instax Wide or Square film downright cheap.
G
I have a pledge in to get another pack film camera and 18 exposures of film. It will be fun selecting exactly what to make photographs of with it. Should be shipping very soon according to their notes.
It makes Polaroid SX-70 and 600 film seem economical, and Instax Wide or Square film downright cheap.
G
raid
Dad Photographer
I may switch to Instax or Instax Wide.
It makes more sense to use such cameras than a Polaroid.
It makes more sense to use such cameras than a Polaroid.
lynnb
Veteran
Oren I've tried that and had pleasing results, although they're not anywhere near the ballpark of Jim's excellent Polaroid conversion. This is bw from Instax Mini colour. The light was too challenging for colour so I converted it:
Godfrey
somewhat colored
The Polaroid Land pack film cameras were quite nice although rather messy to work with. It's amazing that the film was around for so long considering that Polaroid basically superseded them with the integral film cameras in 1973! But the film was used in film backs for many other cameras over the years. I still have a pack film back for my Hasselblad system.
I have both Instax SQ and Instax Wide in addition to my Polaroids. IMO, the film is very good but the Fuji cameras are pretty much the same as a Polaroid OneStep box camera. A couple have a tiny bit more sophistication, but there's nothing from Fuji with the sophistication and quality of the Polaroid SX-70, never mind the updated SLR670 variants from MiNT.
All of my Instax cameras are from other vendors ...
- The MiNT RF-70 is a very sophisticated camera with a rangefinder, a decent manually focused lens, and full exposure control.
- The Lomo Instant Square gives you at least manual focus and a minimal amount of exposure control.
- The Instant Magny 35 works as a back to my Leica M4-2 and gives me complete control. Unfortunately, it's somewhat clumsy in use, and the images are left-right reversed.
I've made a lot of good pictures with all three, but I always go back to the SX-70/SLR670. The Impossible Project (nee Polaroid Originals, nee Polaroid) film is quite good now in its most current revision, the print image size is about the same as Instax Wide but in the square format rather than rectangular, the the SLR focusing system simply beats all the other for accuracy and quality. The SLR670x is a very complete and compelling camera.
If I could only have one, the SX-70 derivative in the SLR670x is the one I'd keep without question.
G
james.liam
Well-known
I took out the Land 250, and I even watched a youtube video on its basic operations!
You're a bold man not to sell that film and actually use it!
Probably pay for several nice cameras.
Ricoh
Well-known
Thanks to those who replied to my query, Godfrey and Lynnb (hope I haven’t missed anyone).
Currently I’m a little limited in where I can go with the virtual lockdown here in the U.K., but we’re allowed 1hr’s exercise each day and to visit shops for essentials, viz food and medicine. So I have some time to chew over what to do instant-wise. Having read other’s views maybe a good starting point for me would be the cheaper Instax (cheaper to purchase and cheaper to run) and move up later.
Scanning could be an issue for me without a flatbed, having only a dedicated 35mm Plustek (obviously useless in the circumstance) and a Beoon for camera scanning. I’ll have a play with this.
Currently I’m a little limited in where I can go with the virtual lockdown here in the U.K., but we’re allowed 1hr’s exercise each day and to visit shops for essentials, viz food and medicine. So I have some time to chew over what to do instant-wise. Having read other’s views maybe a good starting point for me would be the cheaper Instax (cheaper to purchase and cheaper to run) and move up later.
Scanning could be an issue for me without a flatbed, having only a dedicated 35mm Plustek (obviously useless in the circumstance) and a Beoon for camera scanning. I’ll have a play with this.
lynnb
Veteran
Ricoh, before you take the plunge have a good look at Godfrey's and Jim's pictures, and think about the image quality you want. As Godfrey said, the Instax cameras have similar IQ to the OneStep box cameras. He's spot on. If you're happy with that by all means go ahead, but if you want the sort of IQ Godfrey and Jim demonstrate with their Polaroids you're probably better off biting the bullet and getting a refurb SX-70/SLR670x. It's like the story about buying a tripod: you can spend $1000 or you can spend $2000 to get the same tripod, after you've bought some cheaper ones and discovered they can't do what you want them to do.
I bought Instax on price and have found I can make some nice pictures within its limitations. I call it my Impressionist camera. I can also use it to take snapshots of my wife and kids at reasonable (for instant film) cost. It's a lot of fun but it's not a Polaroid 250 (which I've used and loved) nor a SX-70.
Think about what you really want.
Cheers,
I bought Instax on price and have found I can make some nice pictures within its limitations. I call it my Impressionist camera. I can also use it to take snapshots of my wife and kids at reasonable (for instant film) cost. It's a lot of fun but it's not a Polaroid 250 (which I've used and loved) nor a SX-70.
Think about what you really want.
Cheers,
Ricoh
Well-known
Thank you Lynn, yes I’ll study Godfrey and Jim’s work and Robert Blu as well, plus your own of course.
Using the tripod example, yes it’s tempting to save a few (or many) $, but in the end you can become dissatisfied and end up spending even more to correct the original misguided purchase (although I’ve never spent anyway near that amount myself - my second hand sturdy tripod cost me about £60 ).
Cheers,
Steve
Using the tripod example, yes it’s tempting to save a few (or many) $, but in the end you can become dissatisfied and end up spending even more to correct the original misguided purchase (although I’ve never spent anyway near that amount myself - my second hand sturdy tripod cost me about £60 ).
Cheers,
Steve
Oren Grad
Well-known
The Lomo Automat Glass (Instax Mini) and Square cameras have lenses that are sharper than those on the rest of the low-end Instax cameras. And if one can afford an SLR 670, one can afford an Instax Mini, Square or Wide camera converted with a medium format or view camera lens. There are pros and cons to that, of course - some will still be happier with the SLR 670 and Polaroid materials. There are also other, more exotic ways of putting a good lens in front of Instax film (e.g., Mercury Camera's backs). But the bottom line is that there are indeed several different ways to shoot Instax with a high-quality lens.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
LOL! I'm building one too, my own custom. An Instax SQ processing unit from an Instant Magny 35 (I bought a spare one) combined with a Mamiya-Sekor 50mm f/6.3 lens and lens mount from a Mamiya Press 23 ... All I need is to build the adapter that holds them together now, but that has to be built fairly precisely.
It still will never be as convenient and useful as the Polaroid SX-70 or SLR670 model of your choice, but it will be a full control camera with manual focus and exposure. And interchangeable lenses too. Forget about light and compact to carry like the SX-70.
BTW, you can still find original Polaroid SX-70 cameras for less than $100 in perfect operating order. You have to be a little lucky, but they are out there. One of my best SX-70s is the original 1973 camera that my uncle bought new and gave to me in 2012 or so.
G
Oren Grad
Well-known
As always, looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
I've been tempted by Polaroid, especially the monochrome, but the cost per exposure and the instability of the developed image have put me off. But you're right, a plain SX-70 would be a much more affordable way to try it just for the experience; a latest-and-greatest rebuilt SLR 670 is nice but hardly a requirement.
