Godfrey
somewhat colored
Polaroid SLR670a by MiNT
Polaroid Originals 600 B&W film
Scanned with Light L16
It's been a while since I did any shooting in the Guadalupe River Park. Yesterday I took the SLR670a loaded with a fresh pack of B&W film on my Saturday Morning bicycle ride and breakfast with the boyz in San Jose....
This is one of a set of five. Album here:
Guadalupe River Park 2019
enjoy!
G
Steve M.
Veteran
They look like lith prints. Way short on detail, tones and sharpness, but they have a wonderful look.
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Yes, indeed; thanks! Comparing the photos technically with any modern camera leads one down the path of "Why bother with this junk?"
But I love the way they look, little print jewels that have a life and an aesthetic all their own.
G
robert blu
quiet photographer
A good series Godfrey. Yes, the aesthetic we can have from the Polaroid is unique. If we desire sharpness or more details there are other tools. Love this shot, beautiful light!
robert
robert
Canyongazer
Canyongazer
Steve, Godfrey, Robert...well said by all.
In fact, if they DID have the tonality, sharpness, color etc. of a conventional camera, be it film or digital, THEN one might say, "Why bother?"
Appreciating them for what they are, unique as it is, is the justification, IMO.
In fact, if they DID have the tonality, sharpness, color etc. of a conventional camera, be it film or digital, THEN one might say, "Why bother?"
Appreciating them for what they are, unique as it is, is the justification, IMO.
farlymac
PF McFarland
I like the monochrome, wish they had made that back when it was still Polaroid. Some good looking shots there, Godfrey.
PF
PF
Prest_400
Multiformat
We had a film/analog only exhibition at the camera club and I put up 10 Polaroids I took during a holiday home in the Mediterranean.
Mix of BW & color. The former was IP and from your shots, the PO here looks quite similar to the older material. An interesting look.
They caught quite a bit of attention and in fact a lady asked me quite a bit about the process and wanted to try Polaroid. Disregarded Instax
Mix of BW & color. The former was IP and from your shots, the PO here looks quite similar to the older material. An interesting look.
They caught quite a bit of attention and in fact a lady asked me quite a bit about the process and wanted to try Polaroid. Disregarded Instax
RLG
Established
The former Polaroid had an "extreme monochrome" 600 film for some (short) time. It must have been late 90ties or early 2000 years. I only used 2, maybe 3 of the extreme monochrome films. That period there was next to the normal glossy color 600 also a color 600 "extreme mat" film.
robert blu
quiet photographer
Godfrey
somewhat colored
Thanks for the compliments!
I remember a few of the old Polaroid 'special' films, although I don't think I ever used any of them. Until 2010 or so, I only had original Polaroid SX-70s, never had any of the 600 film cameras, so most of the special films weren't available for m SX-70s without a bit of wackiness in fitting filters and such.
The Impossible Project and Polaroid Originals revisions of the films blend into one another ... They're continuing to improve the film with almost every order I put in. I buy in relatively small quantities now, made the mistake of buying a big load a few years back and most of it went bad on the shelf before I got to use it.
The B&W now is really good, IMO, with good tones overall and decent processing speed. The Color is still a bit inconsistent, although quite a lot improved over what it was a few years back and way way faster in processing speed. (I remember when it took about forty minutes before the image even began to appear!)
The fact that I can still use my uncle's original Polaroid SX-70 at all, at this late date in the digital era that obliterated so many films and camera, is something of a minor miracle and a testimony to just how well-made these cameras are. It is, after all, a forty-six year old camera that has never been serviced or handled with any particular care. And it still works perfectly.
I hope they are making enough money to keep the film production sustainable. To me, the Polaroid SX-70 was a rare example of technology that exhibited true genius in its innovation and implementation, and the photos it makes are simply unlike anything else any other camera has made before or since. (And, btw, completely different in feel from the also excellent MiNT InstaKon RF70 camera's photographs. The Fuji film is very very good, but it has a very different feel to its image rendering—both in B&W and color.)
G
I remember a few of the old Polaroid 'special' films, although I don't think I ever used any of them. Until 2010 or so, I only had original Polaroid SX-70s, never had any of the 600 film cameras, so most of the special films weren't available for m SX-70s without a bit of wackiness in fitting filters and such.
The Impossible Project and Polaroid Originals revisions of the films blend into one another ... They're continuing to improve the film with almost every order I put in. I buy in relatively small quantities now, made the mistake of buying a big load a few years back and most of it went bad on the shelf before I got to use it.
The B&W now is really good, IMO, with good tones overall and decent processing speed. The Color is still a bit inconsistent, although quite a lot improved over what it was a few years back and way way faster in processing speed. (I remember when it took about forty minutes before the image even began to appear!)
The fact that I can still use my uncle's original Polaroid SX-70 at all, at this late date in the digital era that obliterated so many films and camera, is something of a minor miracle and a testimony to just how well-made these cameras are. It is, after all, a forty-six year old camera that has never been serviced or handled with any particular care. And it still works perfectly.
I hope they are making enough money to keep the film production sustainable. To me, the Polaroid SX-70 was a rare example of technology that exhibited true genius in its innovation and implementation, and the photos it makes are simply unlike anything else any other camera has made before or since. (And, btw, completely different in feel from the also excellent MiNT InstaKon RF70 camera's photographs. The Fuji film is very very good, but it has a very different feel to its image rendering—both in B&W and color.)
G
farlymac
PF McFarland
Most of the Polaroids I took were done in a 110B roll film model. Now with that you could get lots of different emulsions, even an extremely high contrast positive B&W clear base. I quit using Polaroids for a long time, until the SX-70 came out, and then I only ran a few packs before getting rid of it.
Three years back I came across an SX-70 in the leather case for $10. Last year I was given a 600 model, so I ordered a pack each of the 600 Color and SX-70 B&W. Gave the pack of 600 to a neighbor, and haven't had the urge to dig the SX-70 out of the fridge.
PF
Three years back I came across an SX-70 in the leather case for $10. Last year I was given a 600 model, so I ordered a pack each of the 600 Color and SX-70 B&W. Gave the pack of 600 to a neighbor, and haven't had the urge to dig the SX-70 out of the fridge.
PF
Huss
Veteran
charjohncarter
Veteran
Those are really good Godfrey.
Red Rock Bill
Well-known
Godfrey, Those are wonderful photos.
Jamie Pillers
Skeptic
Godfrey,
Love the look of these! What is the size of the print area? And do you have any sense of the expected longevity of film production for these cameras? I've considered purchasing one of the MINT cameras, but have held back due to doubt that there will be film in the future (i.e.: is this just a short-lived fad?)
Jamie
Love the look of these! What is the size of the print area? And do you have any sense of the expected longevity of film production for these cameras? I've considered purchasing one of the MINT cameras, but have held back due to doubt that there will be film in the future (i.e.: is this just a short-lived fad?)
Jamie
Godfrey
somewhat colored
The Polaroid print is 107x88 mm in size. The print window is 79x72 mm (very near square but not quite, slightly tall).
I can't say how long the film will be in production, but MiNT is selling a good number of SX-70 refurbished cameras, Polaroid Originals is selling a decent number of new cameras, and there seem to be sustaining audience and profitability for the present. In the between years, when Polaroid had stopped producing new film and The Impossible Project hadn't started up yet, there were consistent and sustained sales of NOS SX70 and 600 film on Ebays and at specialist retailers, and when IP started, their first year and a half of existence was funded in large part by sales of original Polaroid film that they scavenged from all the various distributors and large retailers they could find that would sell it to them.
I think the evidence is there that the market for SX-70 and 600 integral film exists at a consistent and profitable level, just like the market for Fuji Instax films and cameras continue on at a profitable level.
I had no problem justifying buying three of the MiNT SLR670 models (a, m, and x) in addition to my original SX-70 that was my uncle's, bought new in '73-'74. They are wonderful cameras: I love shooting with them and the images they produce. As I've said, there's simply nothing else quite like them in the camera world, and I'll use them as long as I can get the film, or until I can no longer press the shutter release.
G