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Which camera to choose and what for, what film?
Where to buy Instant films and cameras?
Here is the place, let's sum it up and get familiar with Polaroid
Beginning with Polaroid?
Polaroid camera offers a lot to do with, for an artistic or family purpose, you'll find here whatever you're looking for!
Instant and surprise, these are the keys of Polaroid, you'll never get twice the same picture, let's have infinite possibilities!
These cameras are so solid that they are still ready to shoot more than 20 years after!
You may as well find them in a mint condition, because at that time instant films were a bit expensive, and people often shot a few before putting it back in a cupboard.
Go and see in Polaroid Passion's gallery to discover pictures shot by these cameras: http://en.polaroid-passion.com/galerie/
Which Camera for what kind of use?
A lot of Polaroid cameras are available, to begin with let's introduce the most widely used, to make good picture without any specific knowledge.
Polaroid 636 CL
- List of all Polaroid 600 cameras
- Download Polaroid 636 manual
- Pictures made with this Polaroid
Polaroid 636 belongs to the 600 series, a basic camera, you can find it anywhere at a cheap price and it works great.
You can switch its flash to manual, it has a closeup system to allow portraits and an exposure control.
The battery is included in the film pack, no need to purchase one
It uses 600 film format, not anymore manufactured by Polaroid, and now replaced by Impossible Project films, such as the new PX600 :
The PX600, a new film made by Impossible Project:
See the technical sheet of the film
Warning! PX600 is a technical film, some rules are to be obeyed to use it properly (see info on data sheet).
We were previously using 600 film, not anymore manufactured by Polaroid since 2008e :
See the technical sheet of the film
>> Skip to 600 films page
Some vidéos about Polaroid 636 CL
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Polaroid SX-70
- Liste of all Polaroid SX-70 cameras
- Download Polaroid SX-70 manual
- Pictures made with this camera
The SX-70 folding camera was a real revolution. Open it easily and discover its rubber bellow and viewfinder.
Using a manual focusing controled in this viewfinder, you can check and control the field of depth on your picture.
You can also focus from 25cm, a perfect distance for portraits and Small objects.
The battery is included in the film pack.
It uses SX-70 films, Time-Zero and Artistic TZ.
These are the films you can purchase for your SX-70 :
PX-70, new film made by the Impossible Project :
See technical sheet
Warning! PX70 is a technical film, some rules are to be obeyed to use it properly (see info on data sheet).
PX-100, new monochrome film made by The Impossible Project:
See technical sheet
Warning! PX100 is a technical film, some rules are to be obeyed to use it properly (see info on data sheet).
Artistic TZ :
See technical sheet
>> Skip to SX-70 films page
Some vidéos about the SX-70
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Polaroid type 100 (ex : 100,250,320,350…)
Polaroid 250
- Liste of all Type 100 Polaroid cameras
- Download the Polaroid 350 manual (Polaroid 100 type mostly work on the same principle)
- Download the Polaroid 320 ans 330 manual
- Download the Polaroid Propack manual
- Pictures made with Polaroid type 100 (and 669 film)
- How to load a 100 pack film
- How to adapt Polaroid type 100 to modern batteries
Type 100 cameras are the only ones to use the genuine instant process.
There is a wide range of cameras, from the basic to the expert ones (see list below).
These cameras make rectangular pictures with a great rendering, everybody should try once if you like Polaroid!
The battery is not included in the film pack, but in the camera. There is a small trap in the left on the rear side (depending on the cameras).
The original mercury batteries are no more manufactured in Europe for environment respect reasons, but there is a tutorial on how to adapt modern batteries.
Battery trap on Polaroid 250 :
The type of films used is called type 100 pack film
There is a lot of films we can't list here, you can reach it through the "Polaroid Films" tab on our website.
Here are some of the Polaroid film pack 100, unfortunately their production stopped in 2008 and we may not have replacement films made by The Impossible Project, as their production hasn't been planned.
Fujifilm is actually manufacturing some type 100 film, see below
See technical sheet
See technical sheet
See technical sheet
>> Skip to the Type 100 films page
We're actually use the last Polaroid film packs produced, and they're gonna get hard to find soon. Fujifilm is still producing some, made for light checks in photographic studios, but that can be used easily in pack 100 Polaroid cameras.
See technical sheet
See technical sheet
>> Skip to the Fuji type 100 films page
List of Polaroid type 100 cameras
Professional series : 180, 185, 190, 195
100 series : Automatic 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 125, 135
200 series : Automatic 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 240, 250
300 series : Automatic 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 350, 355, 360, M60, M80
400 series : Automatic 420, 430, 440, 450, 455, Countdown 70, Countdown 90
New-Style : EE100, EE100 Special, The Reporter, ProPack
Non-Folding Polaroid : Big Swinger 3000, Colorpack II, Colorpack III, Colorpack IV, Colorpack V, Colorpack M6, Memory Maker, Minute Maker, Super Colorpack, Super Shooter, The Clincher, The Colorpack, Colorpack 100, Colorpack 200, EE55, EE58, EE60, EE66, Instant 30, Super Colour Swinger III
Others : Big Shot, Polaroïd 600-600SE, Polaroid Studio Express, Miniportrait
Some video on Polaroid films manipulation
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Where to buy cameras and films?
Now that you're much more acquainted with the Polaroid world, let's find a camera and films to feed it!
You may find Polaroid cameras :
- On auction websites such as Ebay
- In shops like Cash Converters
- In garage sales and flea markets
- At the photo shop around the corner
- And sometimes a member of your family or a relative has one in his cellar, don't hesitate to ask around!
You may also check the Sales/Ventes part of the forum where people often sale their own stuff (you must be registered to access it).
You may find Polaroid and instant films:
- At the Impossible Project online shop : http://shop.the-impossible-project.com/ ... la-passion
- On Ebay and other auction websites
Genuine Polaroid films are getting harder and harder to find, due to their production end in 2008. The Impossible Project has started the production on brand new integral films (for 600, SX-70 and Image/Spectra cameras) in 2010, it's a new hope for all of us, though these films are less easy to use and that you must obey a certain number of rules to get them work fine (see on the forum for more information).
Fuji peel apart and Instax films can be purchased easily, though Fuji announced the end of production of its B&W FP100-B in June 2010.
Welcome in the Polaroid world, dude!
