POLAROID FILM & CAMERAS

[ MERCURY POLAROID 4×5 GRAFLOK BACK + SX70 CAMERAS + POLAROID FILM HOLDERS ]

POLAROID FILM & CAMERAS [ NO ]

CAMERAS: Mint SLR670-S & SX70 (refurbished)
FILM: 55 P/N, 600, SX-70, PolaChrome 135
GRAFLOK BACK: Mercury Camera Polaroid CB-70 4×5 Graflok
SHEET FILM HOLDER: Polaroid 545i 4×5 Sheet Film Holder

Before digital, Polaroid films were essential in professional photography. First, it was the tool you used for checking light setups in challenging environments before the real film was shot. Second, Polaroid 55 was a beautiful black & white film supplied with a negative that was loved by many. Third, we lost Polaroid film emulsion lifting techniques for creating unique prints. In conclusion, when digital showed up, Polaroid went on life support.

Then Polaroid got new owners, but the new guys had no interest in film production. In other words, it was merchandising the Polaroid name they were after and got. After the dust settled, several small enterprises emerged, pledging to keep Polaroid film alive. The only problem is Polaroid did not sell its original formulas to anyone. What they are producing is not the real stuff. In short, the Polaroid film we knew from the past is not the Polaroid film of today. But they keep trying. And we want them to stay alive and succeed, but some are not fulfilling their promises. So, be careful where you spend your Polaroid monies these days.

When Polaroid 55 was available, I used the Polaroid 545i 4×5 Sheet Film Holder. I hold onto the 545i today, hoping a similar film to Polaroid 55 will eventually return. Polaroid 55 was my favorite 4×5 black & white film ever. Even with the cost, the look and added convenience of not having to mix chemicals for development was such a bonus. We were spoiled 4×5 photographers when Polaroid 55 was being produced.

###

SHOOTING POLAROID AFTER POLAROID: WHAT I HAVE TRIED

While I was growing up, Polaroid cameras were what my family used besides Kodak 110 film-style cameras. My love for Polaroid cameras started when I used my mother’s Polaroid Swinger camera to take portraits of my siblings and pets, and it has never wavered. But there has always been a need for exposure consistency with these types of cameras. The Mint SLR670 line of cameras gives us more exposure control. Check their cameras out if you are looking for a reliable Polaroid SX-70 type camera.

Mercury Camera produced a 4×5 Polaroid Graflok back that houses a Polaroid CB-70 medical back modified to work with Polaroid SX70 and 600 films. I have one and use it in the studio whenever I feel the need to play with Polaroid film. They have since updated to a new model that does not use the CB-70 medical back because they are hard to find. Even though I have the Lomograflok Instax Graflok back, I still enjoy being able to shoot the larger Polaroid film.

###

SO WHY SAY [ NO ]

I have shot more than ten packs of SX-70 with the Mint SLR670, and honestly, I am not that impressed. It’s the film I blame and not the souped-up SX-70 camera exposing the film. I am still not getting the consistency I want to spend the cash. Out of a pack of 8 film sheets, most of the time, I get zero keepers. I have better luck shooting this film under studio lights (all gallery photos below were shot in the studio). Still, I would like to shoot this film more candidly. At the time of this writing, a 2-Pack of SX-70 color is $48.95, and $49.95 for the same in black and white. So you might say it is the photographer and not the film, okay, I understand why you may feel that way, but I get keepers with Fuju Instax.

I have a batch of SX-70 film in the fridge I am not shooting, which compelled me to try Fuji Instax after reading much better reviews from photographers that have shot with it. So I purchased Fuji Instax film and a LomoGraflok 4×5 back for my studio view camera to experiment with the Fuji Instax. Hands-down, for me, the Instax wins because of consistency. Film costs money, and I want the consistency Instax provides that I cannot get from Polaroid. But if you have money to burn and enjoy the color palette of Polaroid more, have at it, but I am not purchasing any more Polaroid film unless they figure out what Fuji is doing with their Instax film they are not.

###

POLAROID IMAGE GALLERY

MERCURY CAMERA POLAROID GRAFLOK BACK + LINHOF 3000 + SX70 FILM