Before there was polaroid film as we know it today, there was the era of Polaroid Land Cameras.
These cameras took packs much different than most are familiar with. A little evolution from the first films brought us into the realm of pack film – or peel-apart film.
Pack film is one of the most addicting formats of photography I’ve ever shot, or possibly, will ever shoot.
Just as Polaroids today (including Polaroid 600, sx-70, i-Type, and Fuji Instax Cameras) will eject an image after you take the shot, Pack film has a tangible picture for you to hold on to after you shoot.
Rather than a motor ejecting the image automatically, you have to pull a tab, then a second tab before your image is fully out of the camera.
From there, you wait the allotted development time, then get ready for the magic!
That’s right! You get a positive print and a negative from this film.
The process of lining up the shot is just like any other medium format shot, or even a high-stakes 35mm shot. But once you pull it out of the camera and start your timer, oh man!
I have never shot a Polaroid that has ever looked as sharp as these do. I think the closest thing that is still available today for a reasonable price is the LomoGraflok Back made by Lomography for 4×5 Cameras. Even this is for Fujifilm’s Instax Wide images rather than peel apart film.
Film Options Available for Pack Film Today
Now would be a good time to talk about what you can still shoot today. While you can go on eBay and get some films that are not outrageously priced, there is little guarantee that any of them will actually be working.
Here’s the film I have shot so far and the films I trust, alongside the films I will buy but don’t hold much hope in.
The Austrian-Made Supersense – One Instant Film
Just a few lines above, I mentioned the availability of sharp images today for reasonable prices. Supersense Film is also available today and provides some of the best quality images one could ask for, but it is not cheap.
Since it is hand made one exposure at a time, the quantity is not super abundant. Additionally, this slow, by-hand precision demands a higher selling price.
If you are in the EU, this is hard news, but not soul crushing, since shipping within Europe can be reasonable.
However, if you are outside the EU, like myself, it feels like a pierce to the heart to hear the prices. If you were to buy the smallest pack (3 images), you are looking at 30 euros for the product, plus 32 euros for shipping to the US West Coast (California, Oregon, and Washington).
This does not include any currency exchange fees or import fees.
Though the film comes at a steep price, it is worth shooting at least a few frames, if you can get your hands on it. It is absolutely breathtaking.
Expired Polaroid Pack Film
As heartbreaking as it is to remind myself, and newcomers to pack film, Supersense is the only fresh option out there. Any alternatives you may seek out are all expired at this point. That is not to say that they are not reasonable options.
One Instant film, by Supersense, is a treat to work with. I think anyone who has shot it would agree. The bummer is each pack only has one photo.
This means every time you want to take anther shot, you have to load a new cartridge. Old polaroid and Fujifilm Peel Apart Films have a crazy setup for 10 photos (in most cases) in the same size cartridge.
The downside with using Polaroid film these days is you are very likely to get color shifting.
Not everyone will be bothered by this, but you should be ready for it rather than hoping to get the crispy clean shots you see from the freshest packs of FP-100c still floating around.
Expired FujiFilm Pack Film
Speaking of! The most well-known Fujifilm branded peel apart film is FP-100c (color film). The next common film is their FP-3000b (Black and White Film), followed by FP-100b (Black and White Film), and FP-400b (Black and White Film).
These are most likely your best bet to get clean, professional-looking pictures from pack film, especially FP-100c.
The last batch produced expired between 2018-2019, but still looks as good as new if it was properly stored. My personal stash has a single box of FP-100c in it, but I have shot FP-100b in the past.
This ISO 100 black and white equivalent film comes out clean and dreamy.
Not a day goes by where I don’t think of buying another box or two to stock up in preparation for the days when it is impossible to find.
Expected Prices of Pack Film
The prices are all over the place:
Supersense is a single shot per pack, sold in 3-packs, 6-packs, and 18-packs, and is by far the most expensive. However, it is the only one that is still freshly made.
Fujifilm is the next most expensive, commonly found on eBay. Most other places you might find it will have a big “sold out” sign over the top of the product, since any reliable source is going to sell out very quickly.
Polaroid has a stupid number of options out there. All of these options are the least reliable, the most risky, and by far the cheapest.
Please do not misread what I wrote: the film is still more expensive than most out there, just cheap compared to the other options in pack film.
Suggested Guidelines for Buying Expired Pack Film
No matter what film format you’re buying, expired film is risky. The older it is, the higher the risk. Anything from fogged images to color shifting can happen, or in some cases the image simply won’t turn out at all.
With that being said, here are some rules to follow and some suggestions that may help you decide if the seller has good film or dud film.
How Was the Film Stored?
Storage Matters! If the film is stored appropriately, the life is a lot longer.
Bad Storage
If Polaroid or Fujifilm of any kind (Pack Film or modern Instant Film) is freezer stored, it is a bad purchase. Freezing instant film causes the pods that hold the chemicals to crystalize. Long story short, this is bad. Frozen Film = No Images.
This is worth mentioning because roll film is best stored in the freezer long-term. Make sure the seller knows the difference.
Room Temperature storage can be questionable long-term. Color shifting and dried up chemical pods are common for improperly stored film.
Good Storage
The Goldilocks of pack film storage is here: Fridge stored film. If the seller stored the film in the fridge since purchase, it is likely still usable and in good shape. This, of course, is assuming they bought it new and had control over the entire life of the film before selling to you.
Does Old Pack Film Still Work?
Yes! Even Expired Pack film Works. But How long before it doesn’t work anymore?
The Film Photography Project Podcast and Youtube Channel did a quick video on shooting old pack film to see how old was too old. They started with old film and went newer and newer until the film was in good, usable condition.
In my experience, I have had success with polaroid pack film now 20 years old, but the colors came back absolutely wild.
The best advice I can give is to buy as fresh as possible!
Do NOT buy film that expired before 2000!
These are of course just recommendations, but it would be an absolute shame to buy pack film for $50 a box and have it just not turn out at all.
All boxes of peel apart film are going to be risky, but following these guidelines can eliminate some of that risk.
Final Remarks
It was something I just wanted to try once, and now I’m hooked. Even the pungent smell of the chemicals is a welcome sensation because it means this wonderful film is on deck for the day.
I’ve not met a single person, regardless of their interested in photography, who was not mesmerized by this process. With that being said, prepare yourself for the cost if you want to try this out.
The cameras are fairly cheap, even the film backs for medium format cameras like the Mamiya Universal Cameras or Mamiya RB67 are relatively low-cost. The film is where your wallet will get swallowed whole.
However, if you are able to put money aside for this format, you will not be disappointed!
May 7th, 2021: A Remarkable Day in Film Photography History
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