Topic: Is this still useful...

[Pete_R]

...or should I just bin it?

I got this in a job lot I just received. I've never been a polaroid user. Does film still exist that fits this? Anyone want it?

[Kai-san]

As far as I know there is no Pola type film available in that format. I've got one of those already, I'll keep it in case something happens. Maybe it can be used for sheet film or direct positive paper?

[Francois]

Yeah, I got two of them gathering dust.
They were for Polaroid 4x5 sheet film. These were in individual paper envelopes with a thin metal strip on the end.
You might be able to get the film on that evil place, but I can almost guarantee it's going to be dead.

[EarlJam]

There appears to be a company that loads 4x5 B+W film stocks into suitable holders for the 545 back. I don't know if there's any practical reason to shoot 4x5 this way, but I guess it saves having to load normal film holders if you're only making a couple of exposures.

https://the-famous-large-small-format-photography-co.myshopify.com/products/1shot-ready-loaded-4x5-sheet-film

[Bryan]

A while back Bob Crowley was making New55 film that used those but they shut down in 2017.

http://new55.supersense.com/

https://www.sutori.com/en/story/the-history-of-new55-film--GWPRgBhUsbocq9YVapijhEKW

I shot a few sheets of it.

Sputnik- by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

[Pete_R]

OK. Thanks for the info. So, I will never use it and seems those who might, should film ever become available, already have examples. In the bin I think then.

[Ed Wenn]

Probably best...albeit still really sad. I still have mine and I still have a few sheets of 5x4 Polaroid film gradually decaying/drying out in a cupboard. I really need to bite the bullet and use the stuff.

[Francois]

You really do. It's come to the point where it's essentially use it or lose it.

[Ed Wenn]

I need to wait to the right light and the right subject and then get out my Tachihara, remember how to use is (and the tripod) and then waste some film. Maybe I'll have a barbecue and rope the guests in to be sitters.

[Francois]

I hope that those film pods will still have some life in them.
Last time I used some, the goop was super thick and wouldn't go through the rollers, so I had to use a rolling pin and I could hear the developer crystals going cric-cric as I was spreading it. It did make some pretty neat looking patterns on the print though 😉