Why do Polaroid and Instax photos have a distinctive look?
Asked 10/3/2022
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Instant film photos often have a recognizable color cast and nostalgic rendering, even when freshly developed. What technical factors create that look? I'm curious about both the film chemistry and the camera design: how much comes from the emulsion's color response, and how much comes from the simple lenses and optics commonly used in instant cameras? How is this different from the look of photos made with disposable film cameras or 35mm SLRs?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
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What causes the pictures produced by any chemical process to look unique?
The specific chemistry involved. Different chemical processes are more or less responsive to various wavelengths of light. One film emulsion might be more responsive to the red end of the spectrum, another might be more responsive to blue. Another might be highly responsive to green and less responsive to both red and blue. This is true not only of "instant" film, but also of more traditional negative film and positive reversal films that require development with chemicals not included in the film's emulsion.
It's the reason there were near endless arguments about whether Kodachrome, Portra, or Velvia was "better" for a specific use case, or whether Kodak VR Gold 200 or Fuji HQ 200 gave more "bang for the buck".
Additionally, with most "instant" film there is a mechanical process involved which forces the light sensitive chemicals in one layer of the emulsion to mix with the dye couplers and developers in another layer. The physical pressure used to do this tends to spread the exposed light sensitive chemicals a bit, which, on a microscopic level, spreads the exposed chemicals out. This blurs the image a bit, again on a microscopic level, but also smooths the gaps between grains of different colors.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
3y ago
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The distinctive look mostly comes from the film itself, with the camera/lens adding some character.
Instant films use their own emulsion and dye chemistry, and different films are naturally more sensitive to some wavelengths than others. That changes color balance, saturation, and tonal response, which is why different film stocks can have recognizable “looks.” Instant film is no exception: its chemistry can produce the warm, slightly shifted colors people associate with Polaroid or Instax.
The camera also matters. Many instant cameras use simple lenses and basic exposure systems, which can add softness, lower contrast, vignetting, flare, and other optical imperfections that feel “nostalgic.”
Compared with disposable or 35mm SLR film, the main difference is that those formats can use many different film stocks and, in the case of SLRs, much better lenses and more precise exposure control. So with instant cameras, you’re often seeing a combination of a specific built-in film chemistry plus simpler optics, rather than a neutral, highly controlled system.
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