Author Topic: New55 kickstarter (Read 3813 times)

Chalky · « **on:** October 21, 2016, 10:33:03 AM »

To acquire machinery and products to create 4x5 colour instant film, then look at packfilm... maybe the main chance to see packfilm again - they are clear about the risks! go and back if you can!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/892575418/new55-color-4x5-peelapart-film

maybe even a colour instant pos/neg product. well worth a read.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2016, 10:43:42 AM »

Hi Matt

Yes indeed....risky. It seems to me like it's a huge challenge, but I like Bob and his team's enthusiasm and I'd be happy to chip in some money. If not them, who else is there even thinking about this type of thing?

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2016, 10:45:12 AM »

BTW, did anyone have any success with the b/w pos neg New55 film? Damion and I had one attempt with it and wasted 3 sheets with no result whatsoever before giving up, but I know that it does actually work most of the time. Any FWers have any experience with it?

Chalky · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2016, 10:53:24 AM »

exactly no one else is making it or thinking about making it!

I had excellent results from the New55 pos/neg BW gen2:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattchalkysmith/30269747491/in/dateposted-public/

Planning to buy more and have backed the kickstarter...

Late Developer · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2016, 12:46:34 PM »

Quote from: Ed Wenn on October 21, 2016, 10:45:12 AM

BTW, did anyone have any success with the b/w pos neg New55 film? Damion and I had one attempt with it and wasted 3 sheets with no result whatsoever before giving up, but I know that it does actually work most of the time. Any FWers have any experience with it?

Ed, I've got 5 sheets of the stuff sitting in a box shouting "come and use me" in my general direction. However, as the stuff was so bloody expensive (and I am a northerner after all), I'm crapping bangers that I end up with the square root of sod all to show for it. I'm actually holding onto the stuff until I get together with someone who is comfortable with how to use it via the Tutone and Kodak film loader (i.e. Sandeha when we do the Forest of Dean thing, or another time if Lara and I can't make it for any reason).

From what I can gather, the best thing to do is expose the film but delay bursting the chemical sac / peeling apart until you get home and can have a sink full of fixer into which the negative can be placed. Hopefully, I'll shoot some / all of it by end of this year.

Adam Doe · « **Reply #5 on:** October 21, 2016, 06:20:36 PM »

Quote from: Ed Wenn on October 21, 2016, 10:45:12 AM

BTW, did anyone have any success with the b/w pos neg New55 film? Damion and I had one attempt with it and wasted 3 sheets with no result whatsoever before giving up, but I know that it does actually work most of the time. Any FWers have any experience with it?

I did a test shoot with three of the five shots I received and had a good result from the negative.

New55 Test Shot Negative by adoephoto, on Flickr

And here's the positive.

New55 Test Shot Positive by adoephoto, on Flickr

Indofunk · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2016, 06:23:33 PM »

Quote from: Late Developer on October 21, 2016, 12:46:34 PM

I'm crapping bangers that I end up with the square root of sod all to show for it.

I love quaint Britishisms

lharby · « **Reply #7 on:** October 24, 2016, 12:21:57 PM »

4/5ths of f**k all, as my father used to say.

I am backing it, and I am very stoked about the pack film project, I would hope that they will achieve their goal with that. It's nice that companies are coming together and collaborating.

If we lived in a perfect world I would love to have instant 5x7.

Late Developer · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2016, 12:43:53 PM »

Quote from: lharby on October 24, 2016, 12:21:57 PM

4/5ths of f**k all, as my father used to say.

I am backing it, and I am very stoked about the pack film project, I would hope that they will achieve their goal with that. It's nice that companies are coming together and collaborating.

If we lived in a perfect world I would love to have instant 5x7.

Yeah, I was just keeping it "polite". "Quaint Britishisms" indeed...!

I can do the Anglo-Saxon vernacular as good as the next man. I must admit, though, that I love the English language. I'm sure there are many other national languages that contain funny and diverse phraseology but I think we've stolen the lead on most when it comes to being expressive....

Chalky · « **Reply #9 on:** October 25, 2016, 12:36:09 PM »

Bumping this because I really want to see it succeed...

colour 4x5 film will be great, packfilm back even better - instant colour negative could be amazing... but also it helps support improvements in quality and price of their current BW film and supports the impossible project as a big customer...

I know its not cheap - but it sounds like the circumstances make this a one time opportunity to start this moving... support it if you can!

(ps I'm in no way affiliated - I just love peel apart film)

Late Developer · « **Reply #10 on:** October 25, 2016, 12:49:32 PM »

Matt (et al),

It'd be interesting if someone could put together a matrix showing the various formats for which cameras that shoot instant / peel-apart film down one axis and the known "in production" film options (+ New55) for each of those camera formats along the other axis.

I know very little about the subject and would also like this sort of thing to succeed - but some sort of graphic representation might help illustrate the options available / scale of the problem.

Chalky · « **Reply #11 on:** October 25, 2016, 02:17:06 PM »

some basics here: http://www. blank.com/landlist/

but quickly off the top of my head:

- impossible project film - used in old polaroid cameras that shoot integral film, eg SX70 or the more popular plastic clamshell ones

- instax film - only used in instax cameras, or the lomo cameras with the instax attachments like the diana, beliar and lomo-instant

- new55 - shot in any camera with the ability to accept a 4x5 back eg speed graphic, linhof etc

packfilm, whilst not in production now is currently still available online (fuji 100c) and can be shot in any of the polaroid packfilm cameras listed on the site above, and any 4x5 or MF camera with the appropriate back. for example I shoot packfilm with my speed graphic and Ed uses his bronica.

Apologies this is very quick and dirty but I am sure people will chip in with comments and maybe someone even already has an infographic of this...

cheers

Bryan · « **Reply #12 on:** October 25, 2016, 04:00:36 PM »

They also need to bring back Polaroid roll film. There are so many great cameras out there that could be put back into use.

Francois · « **Reply #13 on:** October 25, 2016, 10:00:29 PM »

Quote from: Bryan on October 25, 2016, 04:00:36 PM

They also need to bring back Polaroid roll film. There are so many great cameras out there that could be put back into use.

And now you got me singing the jingle...
Meet the swinger! Polaroid swinger! ...

lharby · « **Reply #14 on:** October 31, 2016, 09:31:46 AM »

Hello all

I have been in contact with Bob and Sam at New55, as I offered to try and pitch their kickstarter campaign to organisations and institutions who might have an interest in backing this project (or in the least promoting it).

I am trying to gather a list of possible companies who might be interested in this venture. (I'm currently still going through my twitter and instagram contacts, so this is by no means complete). However if any of you have any ideas or contacts of where else we can push the campaign, I would really appreciate it. (I am going to post something on Polaroid Passion and Large Format info). I am UK based so in terms of museums and archives I have only really thought about the UK (so international knowledge would be greatly appreciated)

List so far:
Victoria And Albert Museum
Photographers Gallery
National Media Museum
Getty Images
Compton Verney
Arts Professional
Humble Arts Foundation
Big Shot France
1 Instant
Curator Space
Polaroid Easy Art
Format Festival
Brighton Photo Biennale
If You Leave
Women in Photography
Polaboy
Mint Cameras

clagom · « **Reply #15 on:** November 04, 2016, 06:52:07 PM »

It's a great idea, also because the Kickstarter campaign is not going very well I think

Quote from: lharby on October 31, 2016, 09:31:46 AM

Hello all

I have been in contact with Bob and Sam at New55, as I offered to try and pitch their kickstarter campaign to organisations and institutions who might have an interest in backing this project (or in the least promoting it).

I am trying to gather a list of possible companies who might be interested in this venture. (I'm currently still going through my twitter and instagram contacts, so this is by no means complete). However if any of you have any ideas or contacts of where else we can push the campaign, I would really appreciate it. (I am going to post something on Polaroid Passion and Large Format info). I am UK based so in terms of museums and archives I have only really thought about the UK (so international knowledge would be greatly appreciated)

List so far:
Victoria And Albert Museum
Photographers Gallery
National Media Museum
Getty Images
Compton Verney
Arts Professional
Humble Arts Foundation
Big Shot France
1 Instant
Curator Space
Polaroid Easy Art
Format Festival
Brighton Photo Biennale
If You Leave
Women in Photography
Polaboy
Mint Cameras

moominsean · « **Reply #16 on:** November 06, 2016, 05:04:41 PM »

I haven't had any of my new55 work yet. Three shots so far and the clip just pops off the end and I pull the film right out of the holder. All my other 4x5 polaroid film works in the holder so not sure what is up. But it makes me not want to spend any money on a color version!

Francois · « **Reply #17 on:** November 06, 2016, 08:51:05 PM »

That's annoying and expensive.
i remember that with Polaroid film and my holders, it happened often that the clip would stay stuck on the hook and I'd end-up exposing the film in one dramatic yank of the envelope. I found that slightly flattening the metal rib helped.
I think it might have been a film back related issue because my dad found them in a trash bin at the company... Those were the overspending 80's.

clagom · « **Reply #18 on:** November 11, 2016, 09:50:08 PM »

The kickstarter campaign isn't going very well

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/892575418/new55-color-4x5-peelapart-film/posts/1734874

Francois · « **Reply #19 on:** November 11, 2016, 10:46:40 PM »

I believe quite a few people got the feeling they were burned on the last kickstarter...
With all the delays in production, product deliveries, putting a product on sale before giving the supporters their piece of the cake and the multiple duds they sent out, I'm not at all surprised.

Indofunk · « **Reply #20 on:** November 12, 2016, 12:27:21 AM »

I'm wondering whether this whole crowdfunding thing is really the wave of the future that many people say it is. It's very strange to me to pay money for something without receiving anything tangible in return. It's kind of like the old (medieval) patronage model, but in that case, it was basically just one super-wealthy person completely funding whomever he (or she, but usually he) wanted. Crowdfunding is mini-patronage spread out amongst thousands of non-wealthy people. I don't know, maybe it is the wave of the future...

Francois · « **Reply #21 on:** November 12, 2016, 02:27:51 PM »

It probably is. For one thing, it's a great way for a company to release a new product without having to take any risks (or at least very little risk).
What I find is that too many startups and small companies who use it miscalculate time, risk and costs related to their products. This is where the problems arise. If they had more money in the bank to start with as a protection for the surprises involved in their project, they would be able to release products in time without any issue. This also involves the manpower to deliver on time.

One of the surprisingly good examples of successful and good kickstarter uses is lomography. They probably could release their art lenses by themselves, but using kickstarter allows them to check the demand for the product. All the research and engineering is already done when they submit it. All that's left is to setup the manufacturing.

Just imagine if Kodak used Kickstarter for some of the films they deemed not profitable?
You announce that you will do a run if all the stock is sold ahead of time. That would be fantastic to still have access to films like plus-x or TMZ. That's what kickstarter could allow if they put their mind to it.

Adam Doe · « **Reply #22 on:** November 12, 2016, 05:01:30 PM »

Quote from: Francois on November 12, 2016, 02:27:51 PM

...One of the surprisingly good examples of successful and good kickstarter uses is lomography. They probably could release their art lenses by themselves, but using kickstarter allows them to check the demand for the product. All the research and engineering is already done when they submit it. All that's left is to setup the manufacturing.

Just imagine if Kodak used Kickstarter for some of the films they deemed not profitable?
You announce that you will do a run if all the stock is sold ahead of time. That would be fantastic to still have access to films like plus-x or TMZ. That's what kickstarter could allow if they put their mind to it.

Francois, good point about Lomography. They have the new instant cameras ready to ship, relatively soon after the Kickstarter campaign had completed. Makes me think that the product was being manufactured before the campaign even began.

Francois · « **Reply #23 on:** November 12, 2016, 05:24:03 PM »

Or that at least everything was ready before. If the molds are at least designed, manufacturer selected, assembly line quickly modified to assemble them. This can be a fast process.

I know the Chinese are an example of efficiency in those fields.