Filmwasters
Which Board? => Main Forum => Topic started by: Skorj on September 26, 2006, 12:18:40 PM
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Like many things in this world, Japanese manufacturers are often able to take a concept and make it more efficient, or cost effective. Polaroid film too it seems is no exception. However, while some elements of Fuji's Polaroid film can be considered better than Polaroid's, they seem to have missed on the price bit - at least in the home market, where the Fuji range of Polaroid compatible peel-apart is often more expensive. Some tell me though, in the US it can be cheaper sometimes. Your mileage may vary.
Performance-wise though, it is excellent. The packs are lighter (plastic instead of pressed steel), and developing times & print quality too are better than the equivalent Polaroid films. Better in an accuracy sense, not necessarily better overall perhaps. While using Fuji film occasionally, I prefer the more primitive, less accurate results of the Polaroid films, coupled with the lower price, the Polaroid films make a better proposition to me as I can cheaply churn through them with my often feeble creative ideas. For professional work, proofing for example, the Fuji would be a good option. Does anyone proof with a Polaroid any more; listening to a Neil Young 8-track, drive home in a Karmann Ghia, to watch a Betamax movie?
Still, if performance, accuracy and speed are high on your agenda, then the Fuji range is excellent. As Polaroid slowly shut down their production lines, and with Fuji supposedly stating they are in the film market for as long as possible, we might be left with only the Fuji range soon.
Fuji makes only rectangular format peel-aparts, and started doing so in 1984 as part of their support for passport photograph equipment. All are 10 photographs per pack. A summary of stuff used by me to date:
FP-3000B Super Speedy
Of this, I have used heaps. ISO3200 B&W, with an amazing range of grays; far in excess of Polaroid ISO3000, and at least as good in density and range as the neg part of Type-665. With a 15 seconds development time, this is a marvelous film.
FP-100C
ISO100, a great color range, with really smooth tones, and great for use with skin - lots of it. Their only color peel-apart film. Development time is listed as 60s, 30% quicker than the equivalent Polaroid Type-690.
FP-100C Silk
Appears to be the same colors as 'normal' FP-100C, but with a lightly dimpled 'silk' finished.
Instax Mini
A Polaroid 600-series (non-compatable), integral style film. 62x46mm image size. Good detail and color range, perhaps slightly better than 600-series Polaroid. But, not as good as the SX-70 / Spectra range.
Other films in the range include FP-100B Super (ISO100 B&W in 30 seconds), and FP-400B (ISO400 B&W in 30 seconds), and two other integral films.
Fuji still sell a range of passport cameras that use the peel-apart films, and these (like their previous FP-1: http://filmwasters.com/blog/archives/50 ), are all part of their Fotorama product range. If you want to practice your Japanese, the Fuji Film instant site is here:
http://fujifilm.jp/business/photo/fotorama/film001.html
The Instax range is here:
http://www.fujifilm.co.jp/instant/index.html
Photographs below are FP-3000B (sweet range of grays), FP-100C (nice smooth skin tone, almost plastic-like), FP-100C Silk (surface detail), and Instax Mini (nothing special).
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Thanks Skorj for the side by side comparison.
You don't find stuff like that on the manufacturers websites...
(real life picture taking often differs so much from "engineered" results)
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am i reading this right - and the fuji films can be used in the polaroid cameras?
william
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am i reading this right - and the fuji films can be used in the polaroid cameras?
william
All except the Instax should work fine with a back that holds 660 series film.
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am i reading this right - and the fuji films can be used in the polaroid cameras?
All `FP-` prefixed Fuji film types will fit the comparable peel-apart rectangular Polaroid cameras. If in doubt, ask away.
No integral films fit integral Polaroid cameras to my knowledge. Though, some plastic engineering might result in some interesting results...