Topic: Polacolor 125i: Now with added bumps...

[Ed Wenn]

By the time I've posted this question and someone's answered it I'm sure I'll have located the answer anyway, so treat this as an advisory as much as an enquiry 

As some of you will know I tend to use Polacolor 125i a lot in my Land Camera because it takes a coffee stain most attractively which adds some much-needed 'oomph' to my pictures It's never been a popular instant film so I've managed to find a lot of it on evilBay for good prices over the years. I must have bought a good few hundred packs since I first started shooting with it several years ago after a tip off from that NiceMisterRice and every pack has been the same....that is until recently when I've noticed 5 or six packs in a batch of 10 which I bought from someone at some time have the dreaded* indented 'matt' finish that we know and love/hate from the Fujifilm FP-100C pack films.

I haven't spotted anything different on the packaging to say the film has a different finish, but they didn't come in individual boxes so all bets are off in a way. I'm pretty confident that once this batch of 10 has been used, the rest of my stash will be smooth, but I wondered if anyone else has come across 125i with this type of finish, or if there's any info out there about 125i manufacturing processes having changed at some point before Polaroid finally stopped making it?

[Francois]

I will say that is one heck of a good question!

I didn't even know that they had changed texture somewhere in time!

[moominsean]

i like the 100c silk film. somewhat more muted tones. expensive in japan, like 2300 yen a pack!

[tkmedia]

There is two different styles of 125i. 125i and 125i silk. It was previously called Studio Polaroid as well, and continued to be called that even after release of it's replacement. The old ones iirc had up to 12 exposures per pack. All the silks I have are 10 exposures, not sure if that makes a difference.

I dont know.

[Ed Wenn]

There we go...."silk" is the missing word  I took a close look at one of my bumpy packs and sure enough, it says "silk" at the top in small print. Now I know what I'm looking for I'll choose my film accordingly. Thanks!

BTW, 125i is usually 11 shots per pack; sometimes 10 I think, but almost always 11. I've never seen 12.

[moominsean]

I'll take your 125i silk if you don't want it. Just message me with a price!

[tkmedia]

yep, you are right. was thinking 22 shots per twin pack... getting confused with spectra 1200.

[original_ann]

yes, that 125i Silk.  I have a small stash but unfortunately I really dislike the texture.  I wasn't even aware there was a separate 'smooth' 125i!

[Ed Wenn]

Ann: The smooth 125i is what I've been living for years, whereas I'd never come across the silk finish until last month. Weird how your experience is the exact opposite to mine  

Sean: Thanks for the offer, but even when it has unwanted bumps, there's no point in trading Polaroid film for money. I'll swap you for smooth 125i though if you really want some silk   However, it does sound like you could make Ann an offer for hers.