Shooting Expired Instant Pack Film with a Polaroid Colorpack II

[@keithdennis5085]

What a blast from the past! I used to have a polariod back that fit on my 4 x 5 view camera. While never essential, it was a useful way to verify exposure and composition before I committed to the actual sheet film. Thanks for this trip down memory lane.

[@JoseGonzalez-dy3it]

Excellent video also could wash the negative that is on the opposite side of where the photo is taken off and can be scanned with better results

[@maxcalifornia94]

Just ordered this camera online for a great price. I cannot wait to use it, the film is pricey but very nostalgic and retro.

[@FotodioxInc]

Have fun and good luck on the film still working! Some of it can be dried out if it's too old.

[@15minoflame]

Thank you for doing this I have some pack film in my fridge and was told to use it ASAP so I’m gonna try to do so

[@rlj151]

We had a collapsible version of that camera. The joys of taking the pic, pulling the tab out, and then that pulled out the edge of the covered picture. You then had to wait a minute and then you could take off the cover. Then you hoped that the colours didn't bleed and that it actually turned out.

[@Ghostofahero]

Just bought a similar camera(the Polaroid land minute maker color pack) for $5 at an antique store and this video helped so much !

[@FotodioxInc]

Glad to help!

[@caseybeane2846]

Just picked up one of these beauties at an estate sale today for 20 dollars. Only to find out the film itself will cost more than the camera haha!

[@jeff3921]

Well, you still have a piece of history for your 20 dollars!

[@MikeM10293]

Got mine for 15, came with original warranty and instructions and other papers, original box, and 2 flash cubes! Got it as a Christmas gift for my mom, she likes these old cameras. Can’t believe it was so cheap with all the accessories and being fully working

[@soapmanwuan4735]

Lol just found them color pack 2 at a goodwill and got it for $1 the lady said i would never find the film for it HAHA, I said yes i would, i knew it’d be a pretty penny, what a come up

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Plenty of these cameras out there - search for film of any speed, any age is constant since Fuji stopped making their FP film...

[@joecal2360]

Kickass video as always. Keep 'em coming!

[@FotodioxInc]

Thanks Joe! We plan on it :)

[@tootsiePOP745]

Gorgeous photos

[@FotodioxInc]

Thanks!

[@ASilentS]

Thumbs up for Homestar Runner!

[@MrTC_Gamer]

I found the camera in my grandma’s house while I was looking around. I would like to know if Fuji Instax Mini film would work?

[@FotodioxInc]

Undortunately not. The only film that works with this camera is pack film, and unfortunately it was discontinued years ago. You ca only use expired film now, and much of it is so expired that it doesn't work anymore. This company started making the film again, but it pretty expensive: the.supersense.com/collections/packfilm

[@sandrafigg821]

I have found the old family Ploaroid Colorpack II and was very excited, eventhough I knew it was probably just a momento at this point. I have a couple of questions, I hope you can asnswer. 1. While watching your video, I see my camera is missing that focusing ring! ack! So even if I were to get old film, I wouldn't be able to focus it? 2. You mention the batteries for the light meter, but I'm not seeing anything that opens to put batteries in. Where is it? 3. There is a white tab hanging out the film opening, maybe 1/2", I think I can see a red line right where it disappears into the camera, but no number is on it. Is it a photo tab, but with no number? I know this film will be ruined, but I'd like to go thru the steps of trying to take a pic and pulling whatever it is out, just for fun. But the light meter would be a big problem, right? If the batteries are inside, I couldn't open it without exposing the expired film that's in there. ?

[@FotodioxInc]

1. Is the ring missing from the camera, or is it a different model that doesn't have a ring? If it's missing you may be in trouble, but if your model doesn't have focus, I'm guessing it's a fixed focus version so just shoot 6 feet to infinity. 2. The batteries go inside the camera. You open it up and pop out this plastic frame and slide them in. If you're still confused, I'm sure there's a video on youtube showing how to do it. Just search "Colorpack II batteries" 3. Try taking a picture and pulling the tab to see what happens! I'm guessing the film has been ruined by light leak over time, but who knows?

[@sandrafigg821]

@@FotodioxInc it has that little rectangle window that you look down thru, like I see in cameras that you can see which one you would be set on. It also has a tiny metal clip right there on top the lens that shows thru that plastic window - I'm guessing that used to hold the focus ring on, and a small plastic tiny clip at the bottom. The metal one gives, and the plastic one is solid, I believe they held it on. The ring will still move, but without the numbers, you don't know where you are moving it from or to. I decided that I'd try a pic, since there was a paper hanging out, and tried to think of common pics people took back then. Mostly they were saved for holidays and special events. So, around the house, so I tried a shot like a distance of maybe 6 feet away, but outside because no flash. I wondered if there was a taken film stuck in the camera, but it was all white The tab of paper completely disentegrated when I pulled it. But, I knew I had to open it anyway, and that the film was probably all ruined anyway. Oddly, I found scotch tape on that tab, so believe my dad must have had a problem pulling that one out and tried to tape the end back together, and never could get it out, and that's when he stopped using it. So, I opened it and put batteries in - it was empty and clean there, and at this point was just wanting to experience what it was like to use it, knowing there would be no picture. I can't complain, it was still fun, ha, ha. What a bizarre handle to create to dangle a camera from as you pull the film out. I did manage to re-thread and pull out, just to see how it worked. But the black negative came out, leaving the film behind. It was all so dried out that it separated. Now I will search thru the old pics family pics and compare them to the exposed film I have pulled out and I will be able to tell which pics were taken with this camera. That's something, at least! Thanks for your help, I still had fun tinkering with the old camera my dad used many years ago.

[@FotodioxInc]

@@sandrafigg821 Glad to help!

[@FrankAndPhotoTutorials]

What do you do if when you pull out the picture tab, the film does not pop out the side? This happened to me and I opened the camera and took the film out so

[@FotodioxInc]

That's most likely because the film is too old and the chemicals have dried up. This happened to me recently too and I opened a piece of film to investigate--it was all just chemical dust inside :P Basically if the film is really old, it probably won't work.

[@mitchhpleasee]

so i have the same camera, and i am having issues with the film. when i take the photo and pull the first tab the second tab that is physically attached to the single piece of film, wont come out of the camera. it’s like the rollers are too tight and i don’t get a second tab to then pull the film out. do you have any idea what might be going on??

[@FotodioxInc]

I've had that issue too. Unfortunately it sounds like the film is dried up/dried together and that's why the tabs are ripping rather than pulling the film through the rollers. I've had this happen multiple times with older pack films I've found at thrift stores and tried to shoot with. How old is the film you're using?

[@sandrafigg821]

I'm wondering if the 100 on the packfilm is not actually talking about speed like you see on today's film, because when I read about it, it doesn't call it 100 iso or 100 speed it says "100 series" film. I notice you say that the film is underdeveloped and too dark, but I read on an ebay listing where there are directions on the back of the camera that the speed settings are related to the color or black & white choice. It says, "FILM SELLECTOR: 75 speed for color or 3000 speed for black and white."

[@FotodioxInc]

Polapan 100 is 100 Series film, but it's also 100 ISO, it says so on the packaging. When the camera in this video was made, most pack films were either 75 ISO color or 3000 ISO black and white, which is why it's limited to those two speeds. The Polapan 100 film works better in higher end camera that have more ISO settings. In this video I had to make do with the 75 ISO setting which was closer to 100, but the main reason I was having issues was because the shutter started acting up. Since I made this video I picked up another Colorpack II which works much better.

[@yardleycampos200]

Hey man, I have the exact same camera but I’m not sure it’s functioning right. I’ve gone through 3 expired films but none of them work properly. Do you mind sending me pics on the mechanism on yours. Even if the film is dry, I would imagine it would still spit each capture out. I pull the white tab, and no capture comes out. Automatically it’s ruined.

[@rjsvids]

Can you use the instant back wide , from lomography with those cameras ? as anybody tried out?

[@FotodioxInc]

You could, but you'd have to remove the back of the camera and maybe mod it a bit to get the spacing right. Haven't tried, but may be a good project for the future!

[@jeannelecomte7448]

Have you got another film that i could buy now?

[@FotodioxInc]

Unfortunately not at this time.

[@user-yv2cz8oj1k]

The failed shot was better than the successful double exposure, that's how art works.

[@FotodioxInc]

:)

[@mrerasmo1985ms]

Does it work with sx70 cartridge?

[@FotodioxInc]

No, this type of camera only works with peel apart Pack film, which unfortunately has been discontinued.

[@amineroya3018]

How can I get it's film??

[@FotodioxInc]

This film is no longer made, and expired packs are very, very expensive now, but you can find them on ebay if you don't mind the crazy high prices. Just search for "Fuji-FP-100c" or "Fuji FP-100B45" Be aware that these films are very expired now so your results won't be great.

[@amineroya3018]

@@FotodioxInc Thank you very much for these information.. For me I got it from my father and just wanted tried it how it's work.. I have DSLR Canon 2000D

[@ASMRHiraeth]

I bought a colorpack 82 for $15 dollars, will it work the same

[@FotodioxInc]

That camera uses a different kind of film: Colorpack type 80 film. So you'll have to look for that type of expired film to use with it.

[@donkeypoo99]

Who were these “couple other companies” that made pack film? Other than Polaroid and Fujifilm?

[@FotodioxInc]

Sean probably misspoke. He does that sometime :)

[@Alburritooooo]

Dang, and I was just getting mentally prepared to invest in one of these bad boys.

[@alexalexx4739]

what's wrong?

[@FotodioxInc]

Yeah, the film is way too expensive--but there are other options out there if you want to shoot instant.

[@bigandlittlefirearms8395]

Since the market is high maybe one company will start making it again

[@FotodioxInc]

We hope so!

[@themax9939]

How no one wants to produce film for this cameras😠

[@FotodioxInc]

Unfortunately the one company that made the film destroyed the machines that make it, so until someone creates a new production process, we’re kind of stuck.