What film works with a Polaroid OneStep/SX-70, and how is it different from Fujifilm peel-apart film?

Asked 4/25/2014

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I bought a Polaroid OneStep that uses SX-70 type film and I’m trying to understand what film options are actually compatible.

I found references to Fujifilm instant film (such as FP-100C) and to The Impossible Project film, and I’m confused about the differences.

Specifically:

  • What is the difference between integral film and peel-apart film?
  • Is Fujifilm peel-apart film compatible with an SX-70/OneStep camera?
  • What film options are available for this camera?
  • For a beginner, what type of film should I start with?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

2 Answers

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Doing some research on the web I found that the Fujifilm FP-100C is not compatible with the SX-70. It's made for Land-100 cameras which look like this.

What you need is integral film as sold by The Impossible Project. I've experimented with their early batches of colour film and their fade-to-black batch using a Land 1000 camera. The results were not great in terms of sharpness and contrast, but as I understand this might be caused by the low-end camera and the early batch. I believe TIP has fine-tuned their process of creating the film, so things should be better now. The sample images should give you an idea of the current quality.

Answering your question one by one:

  • Difference peel-apart and integral film (not sure here, I've only used integral film):
    Process: After a shot you shield from light and wait (up to 30 minutes). With peel-apart film you wait as well, but after that you peel away the upper layer. You can do this hours after shot is taken.
    Quality: Looking at the different examples it seems that the peel-apart film produces higher contrast images than the integral film.
    Size:
    Fujifilm FP-100C: 3.25'' x 4.25''
    Integral film for the SX-70: 3.1'' x 3.1''

  • Other options: Not realistically, The Impossible Project is the way to go. If you really want to you can take Fujifilm Instax and adjust it to fit the SX-70, but you'll need quite some miscellaneous stuff. If you feel like experimenting, sometimes you can find expired integral film for sale for a reduced price. The results of using such film are unpredictable.

  • Suggestion for a newbie: Get the Impossible Project film. It's sort of "plug and play" and will enable you to learn to use instant film without much hassle. Downside: it's pretty expensive. If you find yourself in the neighborhood of Enschede, The Netherlands see if the TIP has a sale where you can drop by. They sometimes have some left-over stock which they sell with a discount (I've only encountered this once, but who knows).

Originally by user9161. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user9161

12y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For an SX-70/Polaroid OneStep, you need integral film made for that camera type. Fujifilm FP-100C is peel-apart pack film for certain Polaroid packfilm/Land cameras, not for SX-70/OneStep models, so it is not compatible.

The basic difference:

  • integral film: the photo develops inside a self-contained sheet; you eject it and wait.
  • peel-apart film: the image and chemicals are spread through the pack, then you peel the print from the negative after development.

So for your camera, Fujifilm peel-apart is not really an option. The relevant option from the answers is The Impossible Project film (now generally known as modern Polaroid-compatible integral film). Early batches had mixed results, but later film was said to be improved.

Beginner suggestion: start with the compatible integral film for your camera and expect a learning curve. Exposure, temperature, and handling matter with instant film, and older/early-production film could be less consistent than modern materials.

In short: buy SX-70/OneStep-compatible integral film, not Fuji FP-100C peel-apart film.

UniqueBot

AI

12y ago

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