Polaroid and The Impossible Project

[Terri]

Tammy mentioned Polaroid in another thread, and that got me thinking.

Many of us have already heard about The Impossible Project (http://www.the-impossible-project.com/) and are waving our freak flags proudly, in encouragement.

One of the saddest things about the demise of Polaroid is that I never got around to shooting their P/N sheet film. I spent a lot of time learning how to use my Daylab with smaller formats as well as traditional 4x5 sheet film, for the purposes of manipulation techniques (images transfers and the like). I always figured I'd eventually get around to the beautiful Type 55 - and then the rug got yanked out from under me. :( I'm wondering if anyone has heard if these wonderfully crazy people are going to consider sheet film, in addition to the integral pack films mentioned? They acquired the factory equipment but also promise production with "a streamlined modern setup".

Wishful thinking for some kind of Type 55 return?

[ann]

would be nice.
in fact at my VDB workshop today , we were talking about one could do with a 545 film holder, besides being a bookend.

[Terri]

Right on. Not to mention my friend, my Daylab.

Even though Polaroid took some criticism for the "revised" formula for that last batch of SX-70 film, "Artistic Z" (FKA Time Zero), I gladly ponied up the price just to squeeze some final use out of my Daylab's SX-70 base. Talk about a bookend..... :irked:

[ann]

i tested some of that blend sx-70 film but found it lacking for my style of manipulation.

on the other hand, how about a polaroid 8x10 film processor, i still am trying to figure out what to do with that.

the daylab's can be used with some fuji films for transfers, but i haven't gone down that road .

[Terri]

I've not, either. Supposedly the actual manipulation has to be done in a darkroom to prevent fogging...? The emulsion formulas are not at all alike. I've not read extensively on it, because that's kind of a buzz-kill for that process. I'd love to hear that I'm wrong.

It would be a welcome thing just to have the promised new products at least bring those processes back, regardless of format. They have the Polaroid equipment. I would imagine they have the formulas, too, it's not like Polaroid is acting very proprietary about them these days. "New product" talk notwithstanding, if they were manipulable in some form or fashion that would be a fine thing.