Polaroid Cameras Part 2: The Colour Era

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In Part 2 of this 3-part series on the history and engineering of Polaroid, we examine at two major technical advancements introduced in 1963: Pack Film and PolaColor, the first instant colour film.
Thank you to Mr. Julian Horn for his diligent assistance in preparing this video.
0:00 Introduction
0:55 Pack Film
1:20 How Instant Colour Film Works
4:28 Model 180 Camera
10:12 ColorPack 80 Camera
13:19 Outro
The History of Camera Flashes: • The History of Camera ...
SOURCES:
science.howstuffworks.com/inn...
www.polaroid-passion.com/manu...
www.chemistryislife.com/the-c...
manualzz.com/doc/53714380/pol...
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Light_and...)
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Polaroid_...
www.cameramanuals.org/polaroi...
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Polaroid_...
filmwasters.com/forum/index.p...
camera-wiki.org/wiki/Polaroid_...

[@paulbush7095]

I really hope that the subscription and viewership metrics of this channel grow to reach levels commensurate with its quality. It is a joy to watch!

[@MeteorMark]

I will inform my wife of these videos, she works for Polaroid since 2018, first in Berlin, now in Amsterdam! Thanks! Watched part 1 first 😉

[@MichaelEdelman1954]

The 180 was a favorite of professional photographers for checking studio lighting before shooting film. It was also used in many scientific settings. One lab I worked in had an oscilloscope camera that was basically a 180 with a fixed focus lens and a hood that fit over the oscilloscope bezel.

[@jamesslick4790]

I remember the "pack film" the most! (I'm old..). I often used to pretend that I was peeling a Polaroid photo when opening a slice of cheese! LOL.

[@Koozomec]

An episode in collaboration with "technology connections" and you would be awesome.

[@StringerNews1]

Seeing the archival footage brings back the memory of the smells that these things made. 😆 Some may wonder why these Polaroid cameras were so bulky, or old-fashioned in appearance. The short answer is that these were large format cameras. In the past, large format cameras used a collapsing bellows to make them a bit more portable, but were replaced in consumer use by smaller format cameras that took roll film. This made the cameras smaller and sleeker, but necessitated the use of an enlarger to make prints of a normal size. Because the Polaroid cameras made the prints inside the camera, the cameras had to be that much larger. No doubt Kodak's 110 film cameras of the same era played to this difference.

[@christianelzey9703]

Really a shame Fuji discontinued the pack film. Less than 10 years or so ago I found one of those old Land Cameras at a flea market and was shocked that not only was compatible film being made still, but it was really cheap at the time too, like $.75/shot. Had so much fun breaking out that ancient looking camera and making people go WTF when peeling apart the film revealing surprisingly great color pictures.

[@idahofur]

Yea, I just got to a point that I could start enjoying my pack film cameras. Purchased some pack film and that was it. Same thing with spectra.

[@KyleMiko]

If Fuji cared at all about their film division (funny since it’s their name) we would still have this

[@jguth6]

You cNt buy those now no? 😩 I wanted to buy one of those pack cameras after the last video

[@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy]

We could use a tour of your bookshelf sometime Gilles.

[@charlesachurch7265]

I trust your information and perspicacity. Science explained. Phenomenal presentation. Keep them coming Gilles.

[@paulbush7095]

It’s not often that one is afforded the opportunity to use the word perspicacity and in this case its use is completely apropos.

[@StephenRansom47]

My ‘Industrial Designer’ buttons are all being pushed at once 😅 … So many smart mechanical ideas in on box. Love it. 😍

[@flyingo]

Oh wow! I thought these videos were several years old.. I see now that they’re new. Looking forward to video #3 on Polaroids.

[@samsonite7694]

I had a 104 land camera! I got to use it before pack film was discontinued! Wonderfully easy to use!

[@ChrisAthanas]

Loving the dancing Moire pattern on your jacket

[@tjtreinen7381]

my dad had one of the pack film cameras. I still have photos from the 1960's and 1970s. I'm surprised they haven't faded.

[@billyhouse1943]

Thank you. Looking forward to next video.

[@raymondmartin6737]

We had the Polacolor film first in 1963, which we used for photos of my High School graduation. 😊

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video, Gilles...👍

[@SearTrip]

What I remember most about these is the chemical stink when you pulled the picture out through the rollers.

[@battleangel5595]

I remember a camera I had when I was living in the 1980's a Fisher Price 110 model by Kodak camera that required a flash stack. Was the freaking bee's knees back in the day. Took a flash stack of flash cubes and a cartridge roll of film if brain fires right. Staring at a unit on eBay complete with camera and flash stack right now. No film roll though. Deal breaker right there. Though i inherited my grandfather's Konica 35mm camera. Beautiful bit of kit. Breezed though photography class with it even with the batteries being long since discontinued. Had a knack for guessing it for light and shutter speed. Heck, took a photo of a rock in a backyard and had a school friend ask where it was I was climbing. Still have the Konica camera. I'll part with it when I die.

[@1dcbly]

I still own an Model 180. I took my first astrophotography pictures with it in 1972.

[@oldtvnut]

One minor thing - you said that transparency film uses additive color. Most transparency films use subtractive color, with Polaroid transparencies, very early Kodacolor lenticular movie film, and Autochrome plates being the exceptions.

[@womble321]

I had a colour pack 80

[@SuperHyperExtra]

f90 ! Wow ! The smallest aperture I knew of was f64 on a Hasselblad telephoto...

[@zebo-the-fat]

About 20 years ago I bought a small TV marked as "Polaroid" all I remember about it was the picture and colours were terrible!

[@BichaelStevens]

I prefer the old intro sound, with the grand trumpets

[@SearTrip]

And I’m a fan of Danse Macabre, this one.

[@christianelzey9703]

That one reminded me of the RCA Selectaviation fanfare

[@alancordwell9759]

Giles, how many shots could you take with the pack? And roughly, in today's terms, what would be the cost the user? Just out of interest. Thanks, Alan

[@garavin]

My parents had a polaroid pack camera along with some manual 35mm rangefinders and a beautiful twin lens reflex camera that shot on size 120 film. I seem to remember that the film pack had a capacity of 8 but I might be wrong.

[@medes5597]

8 initially, later 10. Originally about a $ a photo, reduced to 0.25c

[@tjtarget2690]

Notification Squad! :D

[@kevinmartin7760]

99.999% of all transparency images also use subtractive colour. The exception would be something like autochrome where there are side-by-side pixel-like bits that each pass something between an additive primary and black.

[@lo2740]

"big swinger" like in cruise ships?

[@Twista024]

I think you read minds...

[@h-leath6339]

"Polaroid Land Camera"! Yes, quite. I prefer the Elephant lens on my Land Camera when I'm in the deepest brush. Works for Giraffe down through Cheetah. But not for Honey Badger, devilish buggers they are, quite mmm?

[@KristianWontroba]

Clap for color? The color-aper? 😅

[@M10000]

I want you to do a story about how Ed Land arranged with Fujifilm to continue producing Polaroid films. Then tell everyone about how Fujifilm brought out their own Instax system and quit making Polaroid film to shove Instax down everybody's throat. Then tell everybody about how the Polaroid company in Europe asked to buy the manufacturing equipment and Fuji refused to sell it! I personally declared World War Two on the little yellow bellies and wished them nights of black snow. But I'm just one person.

[@daveb3910]

Juice for your algo

[@KarldorisLambley]

why did he not actually use the camera? pack film is only 17 pounds for 8 shots on ebay, so it is hardly precious?

[@peterbustin2683]

What do you call a pile of Polaroids? A haemorrhoid !

[@polyrhythmia]

I thought it was polar bears who got Polaroids...

[@ZOMBIEHEADSHOTKILLER]

its color.... not "colour" ...... the same way its not "this our that".... its "this or that"

[@CanadianMacGyver]

I am Canadian and we follow British-style spelling rules.

[@somethingblank1589]

Na mate, it’s colour.

[@somethingblank1589]

In the same way that green is green.

[@SteveMacSticky]

The correct spelling is colour.

[@ZOMBIEHEADSHOTKILLER]

@@SteveMacSticky incorrect.... the correct spelling is "color".......this, and the logic supporting it, was covered in my original post.

[@urwholefamilydied]

God I miss that film. I was lucky enough to get a tip from a friend a few days before they announced it was going to be discontinued. I had a little extra dough at the time so I bought like 60 boxes of it. Ended up selling most of it at double what I paid for it, and kept about 10 packs for myself. I wish I had kept it all. The foolishness of not having the foresight or maturity that comes with being 25 years old.