instant film

Custom Instant Camera by Patrick Putze

by EveNSteve
Snapseed
Shooting with the camera in NYC

One thing I forgot to mention in the video is just how SHARP the lens is— really makes a huge difference when working with Fuji Instax materials.

To contact Patrick visit: https://www.facebook.com/polaroidconversions

 

Freezing Fuji FP-100C Instant Film

by EveNSteve

By now we have all heard that Fuji is discontinuing this amazing film, FP-100C- right?

 

 

 

 

 

Shit! Shit! Shit!

If you’re like me, and a fan of this material, right now you’re asking, what am I going to do? Well, you could just buy a lot of this film and stick in the refrigerator unopened and get a solid 8-10 years… But here’s a question: can you freeze it?

In fact, contrary to popular belief you can freeze Fuji FP-100C. But how can this be, you ask, without the PODS bursting? Yes, Polaroid PODS burst when frozen, BUT Fuji PODS are constructed of a different material and as such they don’t suffer the same horrible fate.

Here is the test I ran trying it out. I call it The Han Solo Test:

  • On January 13, 2016 I froze two boxes of FP-100C…
  • First I let both boxes get cold in my refrigerator for 48 hours to stabilize and in a vertical orientation so the box is upright… this is very important due to the location of the POD.
  • Then I placed both boxes in my freezer, still in a vertical orientation.
  • On February 27th I took a box down from the freezer and placed it back in my refrigerator again (Yes! Still in a vertical orientation...) and there it rested until this morning March 1st. I allowed it to warm to room temperature for 2 hours prior to running a series of tests shots to test color, exposure and, well, to be perfectly honest to see if it still worked at all! And guess what… all 10 shots were perfect! Not a single issue with burst PODS or uneven development or chemical separation… all perfect!
  • See all the test images below for proof… please note these were just quick iPhone snaps of the pics as they dried on my dining room table.

 

Now, can I guarantee this process will work 100%? Nope… but it did work for me. AND I have another box in the freezer that I will leave for 1 year as a long-term storage test, so look out for that follow up article in January 2017!

In conclusion my thoughts are…. buy a lot of this material and put in your refrigerator using a vertical orientation. Shoot as you normally do- it’s great film and I, for one, am going to enjoy shooting it. Once a box of film gets several years past its expiration date, (and if they have been stored in a vertical orientation in the refrigerator during this time) move them to the freezer using the steps I outlined above. This should give you even more leeway on the life of this film.

Did I mention the vertical orientation? Just checking.

I also plan on running the same test with the same freeze-to-warm process outlined above with some Fuji Instax Wide material this month, so stay tuned…

Viva la Revolution- Steve

UPDATE: please take note that I am not telling you to freeze this film now as there is no reason to do so as the current stock is quite fresh and will live for many years in a refrigerator.  I will do an update in one year so we can have more information on long term storage.

 

 

Does Impossible Project Instant Film Need Light Shielding?

by EveNSteve

As I have stated in previous articles, all Impossible Project instant films need to be shielded from light during processing/ development. This is especially important for the first few minutes, but the longer you can keep the print out of the light while it develops, the better. The new V2.0 B&W films both SX-70 and 600 are said not to need light shielding but as you can see from the attached sample photos this is not exactly true— the film is getting better but still not 100%. The sacrifice of contrast, density and sharpness when not shielded is crazy and it gets worse the brighter the light is.

The image on the left was shielded where as the image on the right was not… big difference!

With color film you have to shield the image for 30-40 minutes minimum and process at 65-75F for best results!

Making instant film is a very, very complicated process and I am confident that given time these films will become more user friendly and cost effective.

Viva la Revolution- Steve

3 Color Instant Films Compared: Impossible 600 Color, Fuji Instax Wide and Fuji FP-100C

by EveNSteve

So a quick test looking at Fuji 100C, Fuji Instax Wide and Impossible Color 600 (newest version). All images were shot on a tripod within minutes of each other. Click on the audio button to here my thoughts and the testing procedures…

Viva la Revolution- Steve

FUJI Instax Wide Data Sheet

FUJI FP-100C Data Sheet

LOMO Instant Wide Review

by EveNSteve

Review of the new LOMO Instant Wide and a comparison to the cult classic Fuji Instax 500AF. This is the first in a multi part series on instant materials and cameras…

Sample Pictures: I chose a difficult mixed lighting situation to show the contrast range of the material and low enough light that the camera would choose F8. My focus with the LOMO is much better than using the default settings because of my focusing scale (see below) and even then it is not as crisp as the Fuji 500AF. All shots were on a tripod for maximum stability.

Note on changing film… I discovered that you can not change the film while on the tripod with the LOMO camera due to the tripod socket placement, on the Fuji 500AF you can change film while the camera is on the tripod.

One correction from the video… I mention that Instax Wide film is approximately $18 for 10 shots, that of course is the price for 20 shots. Also, I purchased both cameras used in this review and all reviews here on FR.

Viva la Revolution- Stephen