Recently I finally got around to playing with some PX100, the new film for Polaroid SX-70 cameras that was recently released by the Impossible Project (aka "TIP"). My mother bought me three packs as an early birthday gift (thanks again!). The photo above is my favorite of the 7 I've taken, but they all haven't been very successful shots. (You can see all my shots from my first pack of film here. I uploaded all of them for my own note-taking purposes.)
The new film is black and white (sometimes the shots come out a bit more sepia-toned, seemingly dependent on heat applied during development). Several years ago, Polaroid stopped making film for its instant cameras and the chemicals for the film also stopped being made. In about a year's time, the people at TIP have created new film for our beloved instant cameras from scratch. One of my Flickr contacts said it was akin to baking a cake with entirely new ingredients. There are a handful of people working on this film. It's amazing what they've done in a year.
That being said, the film is not particularly stable. It's more photosensitive when developing and is very sensitive to temperatures. People have been coming up with work arounds, and after reading other people's notes I figured out a system that seems to work for me. I tape a darkslide (the black slide that shoots out when you first load a pack of film in the camera) on the end of my camera and then immediately transfer slide and shot into my pocket. I think some of my shots were washed out because they didn't get enough heat while they developed.
There are some people who are not happy (understatement) about this film. (You
should see certain discussion threads in the Polaroid group on Flickr - eesh is it
ugly.) They think this film will tarnish TIP from here on out, because
the film is so artistic and niche. People are also pissed about
shipping costs, which are expensive, especially for most countries. TIP
is still working things out. I disagree with the haters, but there will
always be haters. And unfortunately the internet very easily allows
people to indulge in their inner asshole.
In the end, I'm happy I have some new film to experiment with, and I'm glad I caught up on the learning curve. I'm also happy to
contribute to TIP so they can keep on keeping on, because I want some
new color film in the future (due out this summer). This film also makes me think even more about
this camera and try and figure out its quirks more, which is something I
really have not done much of.
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