Instant film

Instant film is a type of photographic film first introduced by Polaroid that is designed to be used in an instant camera (and, with accessory hardware, with many professional film cameras). The film contains the chemicals needed for developing and fixing the photo, and the instant camera exposes and initiates the developing process after a photograph has been taken.

In earlier Polaroid instant cameras the film is pulled through rollers which breaks open a pod containing a reagent that is spread between the exposed negative and receiving positive sheet. This film sandwich develops for a predetermined time, depending on film type and ambient temperature, after which the positive sheet is peeled away from the negative to reveal the developed photo.

In 1972, Polaroid introduced integral film, which incorporated timing and receiving layers to automatically develop and fix the photo without any intervention from the photographer.

Instant film is available in sizes from 24 mm x 36 mm (similar to 135 film) up to 20" x 24" size, with the most popular film sizes for consumer snapshots being approximately 3¼" x 4¼" (the image itself is smaller as it is surrounded by a border). Early instant film was distributed on rolls, but later and current films are supplied in packs of 8 or 10 sheets, and single sheet films for use in large format cameras with a compatible back.

Integral film packs may contain a flat electrical battery to operate exposure and focusing mechanisms and film ejection motors in the camera. The inclusion of the battery within the film pack ensures that a fresh battery with suitable characteristics is available with each new pack of film.

The quality and versatility of instant film is not as good as conventional film; it was used where the quality was adequate for the application and it was undesirable to have to wait for a roll of conventional film to be finished and processed, e.g., documenting evidence in law enforcement, in health care and scientific applications, and producing photographs for passports and other identity documents, and simply for snapshots to be seen immediately. Some photographers use instant film for test shots, to see how a subject or setup looks before using conventional film for the final exposure. Instant film is also used by artists to achieve effects that are impossible to accomplish with traditional photography, by manipulating the emulsion during the developing process, or separating the image emulsion from the film base. Instant film has been supplanted for most purposes by digital photography, which allows the result to be viewed immediately on a display screen or printed with dye sublimation, inkjet, or laser home or professional printers.

Instant film is notable for having had a wider range of film speeds available than other negative films of the same era: instant film has been produced with ASA 4 to ASA 20,000. Current instant film formats typically have an ASA between 80 and 3000.

As of 2009^[update] the only company manufacturing instant film is Fuji; instant cameras and film backs which do not take Fuji films are effectively obsolete (but see the Future section below).

Contents 1 How it works 1.1 Black and white roll/pack film 1.2 Color roll/pack film 1.3 Integral film 2 Film Brands 2.1 Polaroid 2.1.1 Film Types 2.1.2 End of production 2.1.3 Preservation 2.2 Fujifilm 2.2.1 Packfilm 2.2.2 Integral film 2.3 Kodak 2.3.1 Alternative Kodak instant film 3 Future 3.1 Fujifilm 3.2 Impossible Project Integral film 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

How it works

All instant film uses diffusion transfer to move the dyes from the negative to the positive via a reagent. The process varies according to the film type.

Black and white roll/pack film

A negative sheet is exposed inside the camera, then lined up with a positive sheet and squeezed through a set of rollers which spread a reagent between the two layers, creating a developing film sandwich. The negative develops quickly, after which some of the unexposed silver halide grains (and the latent image it contains) are solubilized by the reagent and transferred by diffusion from the negative to the positive. After a minute, the negative is peeled away to reveal the photo which was transferred to the positive receiving sheet^[1].

Color roll/pack film

Though similar in format to black and white film, the instant color process is much more complex, involving a negative which contains 3 layers of emulsion sensitive to blue, green, and red. Underneath each layer are dye developing molecules in their complementary colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan. When light strikes an emulsion layer, it blocks the complementary dye below it. For instance, when blue strikes the blue sensitive emulsion layer, it blocks the yellow dye, but allows the magenta and cyan dyes to transfer to the positive, which combine to create blue. When green and red (yellow) strikes their respective layers, it blocks the complementary dyes of magenta and cyan below them, allowing only yellow dye to transfer to the positive.

Integral film

This process is similar to color instant film with added timing and receiving layers. The film itself integrates all the layers to expose, develop, and fix the photo into a plastic envelope commonly associated with a Polaroid photo.

Film Brands

Polaroid

Film Types

Polaroid film can be divided into 5 basic types:

Roll film: was distributed in two separate negative and positive rolls and developed inside the camera. It was introduced in 1948 and was manufactured until 1992.

Pack film: was distributed in a film pack which contained both negative and positive sheets and developed outside the camera. It was introduced in 1963.

Integral film: is also distributed in a film pack, but each film envelope contains all the chemical layers to expose, develop, and fix the photo. It was introduced in 1972.

Polavision: An instant motion picture film, Polavision, was introduced by Polaroid in 1978, with an image format similar to Super 8 mm film, and based on an additive color process. Polavision required a specific camera and tabletop viewer, and was not a commercial success, but did lead to the development of an instant 35-mm. color slide film. Polavision film has been taken off the market.

Polachrome: An easy to develop 35mm film, available in colour, monochrome and 'blue' formats (the latter intended for making title cards). Each roll of film came with a cartridge containing developing chemicals which were pressed between the film and a developing strip by a hand-cranked machine called the AutoProcessor. The AutoProcessor was very cheap and did not require a darkroom; the results were somewhat variable, the resolution was not as good as conventional film due to the matrix of tiny red, green and blue filters required to make the monochrome emulsion work in colour, and the sensitivity was low, even for slide film; in tungsten light, Polachrome HC is rated at 4 ASA.

End of production

In February 2008, Polaroid (under the control of Thomas J. Petters of Petters Group Worldwide) announced it would cease production of all instant film; the company will shut down three factories and lay off 450 workers.^[2] Sales of chemical film by all makers have dropped by at least 25% per year since 2000, and the decline is likely to accelerate. Fujifilm is the only remaining supplier of instant film in the United States.

Polaroid's instant film offerings included the following:

SX-70 cameras (integral film, develops automatically, 3.1 x 3.1 inch)

• Type SX-70, ISO 150 (replaced with Time-Zero film around 1980)
• Type Time-Zero, ISO 150
• Type 708 (designed for Face Place, did not contain battery)
• Type 778, ISO 160 (professional color, high definition)
• Type Artistic TZ, ISO 100 (experimental film made from expired Time-Zero chemicals) from polapremium
• Type Fade to Black, ISO 100 (experimental film; photo gradually fades to black after 24hrs) from polapremium

600 cameras (integral film, develops automatically, 3.1 x 3.1 inch)

• Type 600, ISO 640 (consumer cameras)
• Type 600 Extreme Monochrome, ISO 640 black and white
• Type 700, ISO 640 (asian market name)
• Type 779, ISO 640 (professional color, high definition)

Spectra / 1200 cameras (integral film, develops automatically, 3.6 x 2.9 inch)

• Spectra / Image, ISO 640 (consumer cameras)
• Image Softtone, ISO 640
• Type 990, ISO 640 (professional color, high definition)
• Type 1200, ISO 640
• GridFilm, ISO 640 (has a grid for technical use)
• ColorShot, ISO 640 (designed for use with ColorShot Printer, did not contain a battery)

Captiva integral film, for Captiva and Joycam 4.4 x 2.5 in. (11.1 x 6.4 cm)

• Captiva 95 (replaced by Type 500)
• Type 500 ISO 640

Type 330 series Autofilm integral film for use Polaroid CB-33 backs (3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in).

• Type 331, ISO 400 black and white film
• Type 337, ISO 3200 black and white film
• Type 339, ISO 640 color film
• Type 339 Plus, ISO 640 color film

Type 100 series packfilm for Land cameras (timed peel-apart development, sometimes called type 660, 10.8 x 8.3 cm; 4.25 x 3.25 inch)

• Polacolor ID-UV 100, ISO 100, ultra violet security imprint (passport, documents)
• ID-UV, ISO 80 color, ultra violet security imprint (passport, documents)
• Studio Polaroid, ISO 125 color (passport and document)
• Type 125i, ISO 125 color (passport and document)

• Type 084 ISO 3000, black and white (professional 107)
• Type 105, ISO 75 black and white with negative (renamed 665)
• Type 107, ISO 3000 black and white
• Type 107C, ISO 3000 black and white (coaterless)
• Type 108, ISO 75 color (replace by 668)
• Type 64T, ISO 64 color (tungsten lighting)
• Type 606, ISO 200 Sepia tone
• Type 611, ISO 200 black and white; low contrast for photographing video displays
• Type 612, ISO 20000 black and white; high contrast for photographing oscilloscope traces
• Type 661, ISO 80 color
• Type 663, ISO 800 black and white
• Type 664, ISO 100 black and white
• Type 665, ISO 80 black and white with reusable negative
• Type 667, ISO 3000 black and white
• Type 668, ISO 75 color (replaced by 669)
• Type 669, ISO 80 color (consumer grade, but used for art purposes such as image transfer and emulsion lifts)
• Type 672, ISO 400 black and white
• Type 679, ISO 100 color (replace by 690)
• Type 689, ISO 100 color (also known as ProVivid, replace by 690)
• Type 690, ISO 100 color (professional grade)
• Type 691, ISO 80 color transparent film.
• Type 100 Chocolate Film, ISO 80 Chocolate/brownish tone film made for polapremium
• Type 100 Sepia Film, ISO 1600 Sepia-tone made for polapremium
• Type 100 Blue Film, ISO 80 blue & white tone made for polapremium

Type 20 series roll film (2 1/2" x 3 1/4")

• Type 20, ASA 3000, black and white
• Type 20c, ASA 3000, black and white

Type 30 series roll film (2 1/2" x 3 1/4")

• Type 31, ASA 100, black and white
• Type 32, ASA 200, black and white
• Type 37, ASA 3000, black and white
• Type 38, ASA 75, colour

Type 40 series roll film (3 1/4" x 4 1/4") 8 exposures per roll

• Type 40, ASA 100, sepia tone
• Type 41, ASA 100, black and white
• Type 42, ASA 200, black and white
• Type 43, ASA 200, black and white, acetate nagative
• Type 44, ASA 400, black and white
• Type 46, ASA 800, black and white slide film
• Type 46L, ASA 800, black and white large slide film
• Type 146L, ASA 125, black and white slide film
• Type 47, ASA 3000, black and white
• Type 48, ASA 75, colour (6 prints per roll)
• Type 410, ASA 10000, black and white
• Type 413, IR film, black and white

Type 50 series sheetfilm for 4x5 inch large format (time peel-apart development, all professional grade)

• Type 51, ISO 640 print, ISO 80 negative, black and white (very high contrast print, reusable negative)
• Type 52, ISO 400 black and white (wide tonal range)
• Type 53, ISO 800 black and white
• Type 54, ISO 100 black and white
• Type 55, ISO 50 print, ISO 25 negative, black and white (extremely high resolution, reusable negative)
• Type 56, ISO 400 Sepia tone
• Type 57, ISO 3000 black and white
• Type 58, ISO 75 color
• Type 59, ISO 80 color (consumer grade, used for art, such as image transfer and emulsion lifts)
• Type 64, ISO 64 color (tungsten lighting)
• Type 72, ISO 400 black and white (medium tonal range)
• Type 79, ISO 100 color, high color fidelity, "Polacolor Pro"

Type 550 series packfilm, 4 x 5 inch, for Polaroid 550 film backs.

• Type 552, ISO 400 black and white film
• Type 553, ISO 800 black and white film
• Type 554, ISO 100 colour film
• Type 559, ISO 80 colour film
• Type 572, ISO 400 black and white film
• Type 579, ISO 100 colour film

Type 80 series packfilm, 8.3 x 8.6 cm, (3 1/4 x 3 3/8 inch)

• Polapan 84, ISO 100 black and white, medium contrast film
• Polapan 85 P/N, ISO 80 black and white, positive/negative film
• Polapan 87, ISO 3000 black and white film
• PolaColor 88 ER, ISO 80 color film
• PolaColor 89, ISO 100 color film
• Viva, ISO 80, color film
• Viva, ISO 120, color film
• Chocolate Polanoid, ISO 100, Chocolate/brownish tone film

Type 800 series sheetfilm for 8x10 inch cameras, processors, Daylabs and other purposes

• Type 803, ISO 800 black and white
• Type 804, ISO 100 black and white
• Type 809, ISO 80 color for art purposes
• Type 891, ISO 80 color transparent film
• Type TPX, ISO Not Available black and white translucent prints (designed for radiography use)

misc film

• Type 20, black and white 2 1/2 x 3 1/4 in. For Swinger cameras
• Type 20C, black and white 2 1/2 x 3 1/4 in. For Swinger cameras (coater less)
• Polavision film cassette, 90 seconds of recording time. For Polavision camera system.
• izone, ISO 640, Adhensive back film 6.6 x 1.4 in. (16.8 x 3.5) glossy finish, 6 exposures for izone cameras
• izone, ISO 640, Adhensive back film 6.6 x 1.4 in. (16.8 x 3.5) glossy finish, 12 exposures for izone cameras
• izone200, ISO 640, Adhensive back film 6.6 x 1.4 in. (16.8 x 3.5) glossy finish, 12 exposures for izone200 cameras
• mio, ISO 800, 46 x 62mm, 10 exposures. identical to fujifilm instax mini. For Polaroid mio cameras.
• Type 3000X radiography film, 10 x 12 in, 10 sec development.

Preservation

Polaroids have the same storage standards under ISO 18920:2000 as any other photograph.^[3] Regular storage conditions should be less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit and between 50% and 30% relative humidity (RH). Cold storage (0 degrees Fahrenheit optimum) is not helpful unless RH can be controlled and cold storage RH is generally drier than required. RH below 30% will create an environment that is too dry and may cause the photograph to curl.

Fujifilm

Current Fuji instant films include:

Packfilm

3 1/4 x 4 1/4" (85 x 108mm) Compatible with Polaroid Type 100 packfilm (also known as "Type 660")

• FP-100C, ISO 100, pro grade color, comparable to Polaroid Type 690
• FP-100C Silk, ISO 100, pro grade color
• FP-100B, ISO 100, black and white, comparable to Polaroid Type 664
• FP-400B, ISO 400, black and white.
• FP-3000B, ISO 3000, black and white, comparable to Polaroid Type 667

4x5" (102 x 131mm) For use in the Fujifilm PA-45 holder. Compatible with the old Polaroid Type 550 series 4x5 packfilm versions of Type 50 sheetfilm

• FP-100C45, ISO 100, pro grade, comparable to Polaroid packfilm Type 579 and sheetfilm Type 79
• FP-100B45 Super, ISO 100, black and white
• FP-500B45 Super, ISO 500, black and white
• FP-3000B45 Super, ISO 3000, black and white, comparable to Polaroid type 667

Integral film

Instax series ISO800 films.

• Instax Wide (99x62mm) Compatible with Instax series cameras.
• Instax Mini (46x62mm) Compatible with Instax mini series cameras.
• Instax Digital Pivi (46x61mm) Compatible with Pivi line of portable printers.

ACE series ISO800 films. Compatible with Fujifilm's Fotorama ACE series of instant cameras.

800 series ISO800 films. Compatible with Fujifilm's Fotorama 800 series instant cameras.

• FI-800GT (91x69mm)
• FI-800G (91x69mm) Discontinued
• FI-800 (91x69mm) Discontinued

F Series ISO160. Compatible with Fotorama F series instant cameras. Discontinued in the mid 1990's.

• FI-10 (91x69mm)
• FI-10LT (91x69mm)

Kodak

Kodak manufactured Polaroid's instant film from 1963 to 1969, when Polaroid decided to manufacture its own. Kodak introduced its own instant film, which was different from Polaroid's in several ways:^[4]

• Kodak instant film developed itself from the back layer forward, the opposite of Polaroid's film.
• Kodak used a matte finish on the front, made possible by exposing the film through the back.
• Unlike Polaroids integral films, Kodak's do not contain a battery, along with conventional batteries, the use of a flat J sized were also common in the cameras.

Kodak was prohibited in 1986 from further selling instant cameras and instant film. The patent infringement came about when Kodak tried to avoid the patent by placing the emulsion layers in the reverse order. The courts ruled that this was in fact an infringement on the patents held by Edwin H. Land and the Polaroid Corporation.

Kodak Instant ASA150 film

• PR-10
• PR-10 Satinluxe a matte finish film
• PR-144 (replaced PR10)

Kodamatic Instant ASA300

• HS144-10 Trimprint
• AVS 144-10 Instagraphic slide film
• AVP 144-10 Instagraphic print film
• ID 144-10 -2 Readyprint ID system

Alternative Kodak instant film

While Kodak instant films have been discontinued, Fuji's instant film available in Japan since the 1980's is very similar to Kodak's developing the same with the back layer first. The pictures are the same size, the cartridge is almost the same, with some easy plastic modifications; the Fuji Fotorama series can be made to fit. The FI-10 series was the closest to the Kodak with the ISO at 160, many of the camera's brightness controls can be adjusted to work with the different ISO; However, the FI-10 series was discontinued in the 1990's. The faster ISO 800 instant films will work as well but would require the use of a filter either on the film cartridge or lens.

Future

Fujifilm

as of 2009^[update], Fujifilm is the only company that continues to produce and sell instant film.

Impossible Project Integral film

A group called the Impossible Project have acquired Polaroid's old equipment and factory in Enschede, in the Netherlands. ^[5]On their website^[6] they state:

We aim to re-start production of analog instant film for vintage Polaroid cameras in 2010.

and

"The Impossible mission is not to re-build Polaroid Integral film but (with the help of strategic partners) to develop a new product with new characteristics, consisting of new optimised components, produced with a streamlined modern setup. An innovative and fresh analog material, sold under a new brand name that perfectly will match the global re-positioning of Integral Films."

As of September 2009^[update] their website states that they have produced their first "complete and stable" instant picture. In October of 2009, Summit Global Group a licensee of the Polaroid brand announced they will be distributing instant film and are working with Impossible Project. Summit will manufacture instant cameras such as the One series, while Impossible Project will manufacture the film for them.

See also

• Film format
• Photographic film
• Polaroid type 55

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Polaroid cameras

• US2,543,181 (PDF version) (1951-02-27) Edwin H. Land, Photographic product comprising a rupturable container carrying a photographic process. 
• Polaroid Instant Film Information about Polaroid's instant camera film.
• Polaroid SX-70/Time-Zero Film Important Notice 2006
• Notification of Polaroid Instant Film Availability 2008
• Information about Polaroid Pack film
• Non-Polaroid Instant Film, a summary of other instant film camera makers