jan normandale
Film is the other way
Apparently the stampede has begun. Anyone using polaroid film and I know a few here at RFF do..
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/02/14/polaroid-film.html
Polaroid enthusiasts rush to capture fleeting film stock
Last Updated: Thursday, February 14, 2008 | 10:40 AM ET The Associated Press
When Jerry Conlogue heard Polaroid will soon stop producing its instant film, he worried about his mummies.
Conlogue uses Polaroid film when he travels deep into the Peruvian jungle to take X-ray photographs of ancient mummies so he doesn't have to lug cumbersome developing chemicals. Now he and other enthusiasts who use the film for art or specialized industrial photography are left wondering where they'll go to stay stocked.
"We're incredibly despondent," said Conlogue, co-director of the Bioanthropology Research Institute at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., where researchers frequently visit remote sites to capture X-ray images of mummies.
"I don't really feel that there is going to be a replacement for it, which is a real problem."
Film factories closing in U.S., Mexico, Netherlands
Concord, Mass.-based Polaroid Corp. announced last week it plans to close factories in Massachusetts, Mexico and the Netherlands that make film formats for industrial and consumer uses.
Polaroid instant film will be available in stores into next year, the company said. Meanwhile, Polaroid — which stopped making instant cameras over the last couple of years — is seeking a partner to acquire licensing rights, in hopes another firm will continue making the instant film and keep limited supplies available.
Polaroid introduced its first instant camera in 1948, just as the baby boom began and parents were looking for new ways to take photos of their kids. Film packs contained the chemicals for developing images inside the camera and photos emerged from the camera in less than a minute. Now, some camera buffs who still use Polaroids for fun are trying to buy as much as they can.
Joe Howansky, a 23-year-old professional photo technician from New York City who has shown Polaroid shots at art galleries, said he bought $800 US worth of Polaroid film at a discount warehouse club after he learned Friday that Polaroid planned to stop producing its film.
"I expected it was inevitable," Howansky said. "But I went right out to stock up."
Howansky now has enough to snap 800 Polaroid shots. While he also uses digital cameras that can yield an image within a second after snapping a photo, Howansky likes Polaroid film because he finds its nostalgic quirkiness gets his creative juices flowing.
"It has an intangible quality that fits with walking down the street and I see something cool and snap a photo of it," he said.
Doctors, photography teachers still favour film
Although Polaroid instant film may seem an anachronism in an age of digital photography, it's still widely used for industrial applications. For example, in medicine, dermatologists use Polaroid film printed with grid patterns to help measure shrinkage in scars over time, said Michael Phelan, a sales manager at Calumet Photographic in Cambridge who works with industrial photography customers.
'We will keep the inventory until the bitter end because there are people who want it.'
—Jay Callum, retailer"There is no substitute for it and there is no other product out there that is a viable alternative," said Phelan, who added his store has received several calls in recent days from customers worried about Polaroid film supplies.
In medicine, he said, people resisted going digital in some fields, because it is so much more convenient to just snap a Polaroid.
"It's easier than having to worry about files and downloading.… Anyone can pick it up and use it and walk away with an image in a minute," he said.
At EP Levine, a photography store in Boston, business from both instant film and regular film has shrunk with the advent of digital photography. But there's still demand for instant film, especially among photography teachers who require large-format film, said Jay Callum, the store's president.
"We will keep the inventory until the bitter end because there are people who want it," he said.
"But it's hard to imagine the photo business without Polaroid being a part of it."
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/02/14/polaroid-film.html
Polaroid enthusiasts rush to capture fleeting film stock
Last Updated: Thursday, February 14, 2008 | 10:40 AM ET The Associated Press
When Jerry Conlogue heard Polaroid will soon stop producing its instant film, he worried about his mummies.
Conlogue uses Polaroid film when he travels deep into the Peruvian jungle to take X-ray photographs of ancient mummies so he doesn't have to lug cumbersome developing chemicals. Now he and other enthusiasts who use the film for art or specialized industrial photography are left wondering where they'll go to stay stocked.
"We're incredibly despondent," said Conlogue, co-director of the Bioanthropology Research Institute at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., where researchers frequently visit remote sites to capture X-ray images of mummies.
"I don't really feel that there is going to be a replacement for it, which is a real problem."
Film factories closing in U.S., Mexico, Netherlands
Concord, Mass.-based Polaroid Corp. announced last week it plans to close factories in Massachusetts, Mexico and the Netherlands that make film formats for industrial and consumer uses.
Polaroid instant film will be available in stores into next year, the company said. Meanwhile, Polaroid — which stopped making instant cameras over the last couple of years — is seeking a partner to acquire licensing rights, in hopes another firm will continue making the instant film and keep limited supplies available.
Polaroid introduced its first instant camera in 1948, just as the baby boom began and parents were looking for new ways to take photos of their kids. Film packs contained the chemicals for developing images inside the camera and photos emerged from the camera in less than a minute. Now, some camera buffs who still use Polaroids for fun are trying to buy as much as they can.
Joe Howansky, a 23-year-old professional photo technician from New York City who has shown Polaroid shots at art galleries, said he bought $800 US worth of Polaroid film at a discount warehouse club after he learned Friday that Polaroid planned to stop producing its film.
"I expected it was inevitable," Howansky said. "But I went right out to stock up."
Howansky now has enough to snap 800 Polaroid shots. While he also uses digital cameras that can yield an image within a second after snapping a photo, Howansky likes Polaroid film because he finds its nostalgic quirkiness gets his creative juices flowing.
"It has an intangible quality that fits with walking down the street and I see something cool and snap a photo of it," he said.
Doctors, photography teachers still favour film
Although Polaroid instant film may seem an anachronism in an age of digital photography, it's still widely used for industrial applications. For example, in medicine, dermatologists use Polaroid film printed with grid patterns to help measure shrinkage in scars over time, said Michael Phelan, a sales manager at Calumet Photographic in Cambridge who works with industrial photography customers.
'We will keep the inventory until the bitter end because there are people who want it.'
—Jay Callum, retailer"There is no substitute for it and there is no other product out there that is a viable alternative," said Phelan, who added his store has received several calls in recent days from customers worried about Polaroid film supplies.
In medicine, he said, people resisted going digital in some fields, because it is so much more convenient to just snap a Polaroid.
"It's easier than having to worry about files and downloading.… Anyone can pick it up and use it and walk away with an image in a minute," he said.
At EP Levine, a photography store in Boston, business from both instant film and regular film has shrunk with the advent of digital photography. But there's still demand for instant film, especially among photography teachers who require large-format film, said Jay Callum, the store's president.
"We will keep the inventory until the bitter end because there are people who want it," he said.
"But it's hard to imagine the photo business without Polaroid being a part of it."
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Andrew Sowerby
Well-known
This morning I was wondering whether Polaroid would license other companies to make the film.
jan normandale
Film is the other way
Andrew, I am also wondering why they wouldn't. Reading that article there is a demand for the product for professional use even more than regular photographic use.
I think someone will buy the rights from them. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone in Asia or Eastern Europe negotiate with Polaroid for the rights.
I think someone will buy the rights from them. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone in Asia or Eastern Europe negotiate with Polaroid for the rights.
hughjb
Established
I'm sure Fuji will step-up to the plate, problem is they don't the complete range.
http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductsInstant.jsp
http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductsInstant.jsp
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bmattock
Veteran
"A demand" does not necessarily translate into "enough demand to justify the costs of production."
Polaroid was sold long ago after it went bankrupt to The Petters Group, which is basically a marketing company. They own clothing lines and sporting goods and that sort of thing. The only thing they were interested in for Polaroid was the name - which they took and licensed to various companies to place on their schlock goods.
They apparently kept the production lines humming for old-style polaroid film as long as it was economical for them to do so and made them a profit. Petters Group are not photography enthusiasts, they care for nothing but profit (which by itself I have no argument with).
The fact that they are shutting down the lines and calling it quits means to me that they have stopped making a profit on it.
I will venture a guess that no one else is going to want to get into a business that a pure-profit oriented company like The Petters Group can't make a buck from anymore.
Demand? Perhaps. The problem is - not enough demand to justify supply. That's why Petters is out.
Polaroid was sold long ago after it went bankrupt to The Petters Group, which is basically a marketing company. They own clothing lines and sporting goods and that sort of thing. The only thing they were interested in for Polaroid was the name - which they took and licensed to various companies to place on their schlock goods.
They apparently kept the production lines humming for old-style polaroid film as long as it was economical for them to do so and made them a profit. Petters Group are not photography enthusiasts, they care for nothing but profit (which by itself I have no argument with).
The fact that they are shutting down the lines and calling it quits means to me that they have stopped making a profit on it.
I will venture a guess that no one else is going to want to get into a business that a pure-profit oriented company like The Petters Group can't make a buck from anymore.
Demand? Perhaps. The problem is - not enough demand to justify supply. That's why Petters is out.
venchka
Veteran
good grief
over 600 boxes of Type 55 have been sold by Polaroid this week. The price will go through the roof.
On Monday I had two boxes of Type 55 in the shopping cart at Polaroid. I decided to use that $150+ for 4x5 Tmax 400 & Xtol.
over 600 boxes of Type 55 have been sold by Polaroid this week. The price will go through the roof.
On Monday I had two boxes of Type 55 in the shopping cart at Polaroid. I decided to use that $150+ for 4x5 Tmax 400 & Xtol.
Dektol Dan
Well-known
I've always used Type 54 to zero in on exposures before shooting Velvia on my 4X5. I'm not alone. Reciprocity is a big thing when shooting large format, and while there are calculations, bracket exposures are time consuming and expensive. However, a box of Type 54 is now at $65 for 20. Polaroid has failed before, maybe this is just another time of failure. I can live without it, but I surely won't like it.
fbf
Well-known
I still have some old stock films and it's probably going to last for a year or two as I don't shoot as much as I used to. I hope fuji can step up and give us some surprises though I highly doubt about it. It's a digital world and film lovers are certainly the minority, but polaroid? man, I don't even know how to put it.
chris91387
Well-known
surely they could sell/license the patent to someone else and let them do all the hard work.
jan normandale
Film is the other way
Bill, does that mean Petters Group has the rights to the film and technology and can sell it or did they only have a licence from Polaroid. I haven't kept up on these things.
bmattock
Veteran
chris91387 said:
Let's think about that. A company that cannot make a profit on it using equipment that is bought and paid for decades ago licenses the rights to make it to a company that now has to build a production line, hire workers, get EPA approval, etc, etc.
I understand why they made the announcement that they'd love to license the tech - just in case some lunatic investment group decides to throw a last fistfull of bucks at them as they close the door on Polaroid - but really - it's probably not going to happen, in my opinion.
If anyone could buy a license and make a go of it, it might be Fuji, since they make a similar product. But I also imagine they can simply make more of what they currently make and to heck with calling it Polaroid for a bunch more money.
http://www.fujifilmusa.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/proPhotoProductsInstant.jsp
hughjb
Established
Dektol Dan,
There is an old gralock tyoe adaptor made by Polaroid that you can probably find on ebbay.
The adaptor holds a 10 pack instant film (I'm using fujifilm) and gives you the same functionality that a 545 sheet of film a a lower cost.
Hugh
There is an old gralock tyoe adaptor made by Polaroid that you can probably find on ebbay.
The adaptor holds a 10 pack instant film (I'm using fujifilm) and gives you the same functionality that a 545 sheet of film a a lower cost.
Hugh
bmattock
Veteran
jan normandale said:
I did a white paper on Polaroid a couple years back. They went bankrupt in 2001 and went without a buyer for a number of years. Petters group bought the entire company, lock, stock, and barrel in 2005 for 425 Million USD.
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2005/01/03/daily66.html
Petters Group evolved out of a drugstore chain - they are strictly a marketing firm. They don't 'do manufacturing' so to speak. They kept the lines open because they were a small cash cow - and now they aren't. Sadly.
Incitatus
Member
Anyone interested in a Daylab paperweight?
venchka
Veteran
Reading between the lines:
1. US real estate occupied by the present film plant is worth way more that the profits from film.
2. Ditto the Eurpoean property. Probably.
3. Mexico plant should be worth more making film. A hunch.
4. Zero dollars generated from not producing film. Therefore, unless the bean counters stupidly and stubbornly prevail, Polaroid could "donate" the licensing fees to Fujifilm or someone else.
It ain't going to happen. It should happen. Stay tuned.
1. US real estate occupied by the present film plant is worth way more that the profits from film.
2. Ditto the Eurpoean property. Probably.
3. Mexico plant should be worth more making film. A hunch.
4. Zero dollars generated from not producing film. Therefore, unless the bean counters stupidly and stubbornly prevail, Polaroid could "donate" the licensing fees to Fujifilm or someone else.
It ain't going to happen. It should happen. Stay tuned.
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hughjb
Established
Fujifilm already makes the film 
venchka
Veteran
The 550 holder
The 550 holder
The Polaroid 550 holder takes the Fujifilm 4x5 color & B&W products. Polaroid stopped making those products a long time ago. I have a Polaroid 550 holder. Any offers?
The 550 holder
hughjb said:
The Polaroid 550 holder takes the Fujifilm 4x5 color & B&W products. Polaroid stopped making those products a long time ago. I have a Polaroid 550 holder. Any offers?
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venchka
Veteran
Fujifilm doesn't do negatives
Fujifilm doesn't do negatives
Fujifilm doesn't make anything like Type 55 P/N material. The Type 55 negatives are the crown jewels in the Polaroid crown.
Fujifilm doesn't do negatives
hughjb said:Fujifilm already makes the film
Fujifilm doesn't make anything like Type 55 P/N material. The Type 55 negatives are the crown jewels in the Polaroid crown.
rogue_designer
Reciprocity Failure
I only have 4 boxes of type 55 left.. I'll have to see if I can track some down. I love that stuff.
This makes me sad. I hope hope hope someone picks up the lines.
This makes me sad. I hope hope hope someone picks up the lines.
jan normandale
Film is the other way
r_d.. based on the analysis of Mr Mattocks it's a toss up at best.