Guide to Expired Polaroid Film [Instant Breakdown]
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- čas přidán 29. 09. 2020
- The whipping winds of time are bound to claim everything on this earth, but they are especially unkind to Polaroids. Today, we discuss all the different kinds of expired Polaroid film, some tips, and what to look out for before approaching these fickle beasts.
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Aaaah, that terror of swapping film in the dark :)
MichaWha when you finally feel alive for the first time >>>
I'm from 2022 , the pandemic is gone and packfilm is back as well as spectra , what a time to be alive
Brian Segarra @anyone else in 2022 please confirm
I must be on a different timeline than you
@@cal_cur ARE YOU IN 2022 CAN YOU CONIRM
In An Instant We have to go back, back to the future. Ben, the island is waiting. *doctor who theme starts playing* Life’s like a box of chocolates. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? We’re not in Kansas anymore. 2022 is just 2020 Part 3.
@@TH3mrBROWN I'm glad you made several pop culture references in a row because by 2022, who knows, there may be no culture or people whatsoever!
Someone must have mentioned this already, but if you suspect the battery is dead, you can also try loading the film in an iType camera. It should work.
I'm constantly looking at expired film to buy, it intrigues me so much. I don't usually go for it with 600 film anymore now that I can literally go to Walmart and pick some up (new) but I ordered some late 2000s stuff before. Unfortunately they were all completely dried out.
Now, pack film is a different story... Fujifilm FP-100C is all expired at this point and sooo expensive \*cries in broke college student*. Original Polaroid packfilm is even harder to find and way less likely to produce any results at all...
And just like how Impossible Project Polaroid film was really expensive and unstable in the beginning, the One Instant attempts at packfilm is the same way.
Big sad sad for all dead formats.
Good point about the pack film of it all, those are some tricky waters to navigate since (besides Supersense) the expired stuff is your only option. Same with Spectra now. Unfortunate how ungodly the peel apart stuff is priced!
What a time to be alive! Ive always wanted to go retro with polaroids, but for years I didnt bother due to my insecurity and the death of analog film- i didnt even know about the impossible project until today! I just bought myself a Polaroid Autofocus 660 and a 40 pack of film- I’ve seen enough reviews over the years to know what i want- I’m so excited to have a go, make mistakes, learn with my camera- and eventually (hopefully) build a bit of a style that i can share with my future children and family!
Hey there! Just want to say that I love your channel. I have a collection of mostly lower end old Polaroid's, as well as a stranger things onestep 2, and Started shooting Polaroid for the first time in the impossible project era. Your videos are awesome, a perfect balance of laughs and learning! After not shooting Polaroid for a while, now I've got some inspiration to get out there and do it!
Wow thank you so much! Beyond glad the channel could help inspire to get back out there with your cameras! Have an absolute blast 💥
Writing from 2022. Worlds not that much better tbh. I did find this channel though which is a plus. Keep up the good content
Hope it makes the internet even a modicum better, Noah! Here’s to better vibes coming soon
Wow, I'd no idea about Brooklyn Film finding that stock of film. Some really amazing results there! Great video again.
shinto29 yeah that was completely nutso amazing; could be the last big batch we ever see in that shape, would love to see otherwise tho!
2022: we’re living… what have changed is spending more on Polaroids because of your channel 👏🏻👏🏻
Another great episode! I needed this good hit of good ol in an instant
Thank you my dude!
Lol I have film and a battery from the 80s and it wasn’t doing anything and now I know why. I’m gonna try to use the film in a new battery and see if anything comes out cool. Thank you! This is very informative.
I just binged all of your videos! Love your content, you revived my obsession for instant photography lol, I have a collection of cameras, but I don't shoot so often, it's going to change now! (still bit sad about death of Spectra, cause I have Image Elite Pro camera and I loved shooting it :c)
Hell yeah!! No time like the present to roll that obsession back into the fold big time. I’m so happy to hear it mate 🔥
I was always interested to know more about this! Always thought spectra was made from bone marrow
TangyOrange yes donated by Edwin Land himself!!
6:50 Ben Ben BEN I DIDNT KNOW you had such a side to you oh my lord!??! I'm shaking to my core dude
A million dollar intro w/ Ms. Brown ❤️ felt like mtv.
Joan Michel she’s exploding off screen in this ep 😍😍🔥
Dope shirt. Halt and Catch Fire is my favorite
It's the thing that get's us to the thing!
Damn. I remember the temptation of Brooklyn Film Camera’s cold stored Polaroid sale. All that stuff looked wild.
Yeah do I regret not selling my Apple stock to buy expired film? Well, ya kinda 😂
How do you only have 11k subs? this channel is awesome
Thank you Bertolucci! I hope to have 11 mill by next week 😂
Ey it's my boy Ben!
Thanks for information
Time to use that polaroid film that was sitting for months in my fridge
That fridge films is begging to be forced through some rollers 😍
@@InAnInstant yep
My grandma had found her old Polaroid 600 Express Green that hasn’t been used for over 20 or 15 years it powered on and took a picture
Yeah Jesse!! I have some expired OG Pola spectra to swap into a new cart today.... hoping for results as good as some of yours!!
And Ill be using the same camera too!
Jesse did the lord’s work sending these over! Was so shocking to see results since it expired in ‘07. Please lemme know if you see anything out of those pack’s you’re gettin!
Nice memento reference at the start, that's one of my fav movies
Memento is hands down one of my favs too!
And not because Polaroid figures prominently in the plot...
@@InAnInstant Yes! It's really sad that it does get as much attention as other Nolan films, but personally, I think it's his best!
Excellent video, Polaroid film certainly doesn't preserve like roll film which can still work over 100 years later 10 f-stops or shutter speeds overexposed and I kid ya not cos I shoot early/mid 20th century roll film as a hobby and get pretty decent results! Anyhow only really just gotten into Polaroid and learned a bit of history and interesting facts and tips from your video, thanks for sharing! I have personally shot a 2007 expired Polaroid 600 film in 2019 and half the shots were duds but the other half did produced images exactly like your photo at 8:04 with the middle having decent but reddish colour but the outsides having foggy orange colour and my films even had those twin peaks at the top too like your photo!!! So I guess the twin peaks, hazy orange at the sides and the reddish but decent colour in the middle is common for the better working late 2000s Polaroids!
Watching in 2022, yippee we made it. I’m preparing myself for a speech about Polaroid tomorrow.
Hope the speech went well! What was the context?
Hi, Ben! Yes... you ARE a poet! (And man, lucky you! Lauren is beautiful. I noticed she seems a little quiet... again, lucky you! 😉) My foray into expired film was when I purchased a Polaroid Impulse AF... the seller included a couple of boxes of film to sweeten the deal (and she was totally honest that it had not been stored properly... so I knew I was taking a chance.) Unfortunately, the old stock film that I received had not aged well and had turned to vinegar. The batteries worked, but the chemical pack was hard. No results at all. --- It's very cool to see when others have success and interesting effects produced, but considering the frustration and the hit-or-miss aspect (and the money), I'll stick with the new stuff. --- Wishing you continued success! 🍷🍷
Lmao Allen!! Lauren's happy to let me jabber on in these vids but I'm sure we'll get some sound bites in the near future 😍. Too bad about those expired packs with the Impulse, it really is playing the lottery with those unless you know exactly how it's been stored. And wishing you success as well Allen!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO!! sadly I bought some 600 film and it’s all yellow like yours but the full thing But when I looked it up it came up with yellow tinted photos thank god for CZcams lmfaoooo
this is a really cool video and should have more views
Thanks dude! We will hit the streets protesting for more views
Fu*kin' Ben and silent Lauren! 😂 Once again completing CZcams! This one will be very beneficial to people just discovering Polaroid, covers like half of the questions on the impossible project FB group. Go'an yersel! Braw! 👍🏻
😂😂😂Lauren's loving this comment. She will be speaking at least for a few seconds in a video down the line, something for everyone to look out for! 😍And thanks Mock for the kind words on the vid and for allowing me to imagine your comments in your accent.
@@InAnInstant hahahaha! Inside jokes are fun 👍🏻
Hey! Great video. I bought some Itype film (summer fruits, note this) that was produced a year ago and I was worried that it wouldn't develop 😅😅
Oh yeah it may look a lil off color wise but it will still produce results for sure!
By the way, have you heard of Pola Studio spectra adapter? It seems like a nice mod to bring back spectra camera itself (especially with some of it's good features) while using regular 600 type film
2022 - worlds not died off yet... getting there though...
Thanks for the info.
watching from 2022, this world is still fked up like always haha. good content anyway mate
I just got around to this vid, and it loaded fine despite being expired! I am one of those nuts who has a full-sized refrigerator full of instant film! Mixed results at best!
Haha definitely “mixed” is the right word! But sometimes those aged chems bring beautiful results
Is that theater by a Taco Bell? ;) Looks quite familiar to me, hahaaha. Sick vid. Appreciate the timing as I'm looking into grabbing some type 88 film
A combination KFC and Taco Bell indeed Lou!! Good luck with that expired film my guy
I’ve had peel film for Land cameras in the fridge for 30 years. I know it probably junk. I had some late 90s film from a late relative. No care at all. Had a case. Got the spread issued. Still have it so I’ll play with it. I got an SX70 all fixed up with impossible film. Love it.
Christopher Rasmussen the ebbs and flows of a film hoarder
In An Instant I didn’t even talk about my film stock lol. Press camera , Bolex 16mm, and a few others.
7:33
I'm watching from 2023 to get an idea of how best to shoot my first two packs of 600 film expired in 2022
The world's good for the time being
I ♥ this channel :)
I ❤️ you and I’m in ❤️ with you
Hello. Interesting video. I put old 600 polaroid film into my itype camera which has it's own battery. And I load and reload in daylight. The magic happens when it is expelled not before. I never had a problem with using it in daylight.
Hello, greetings from 2022. Glad to report that the world still exists 😃
This is huge news
I can confirm, that in 2022 the world still exists, tho I'm not sure for how long. So far so good.
Ok keep me posted!!
It's 2023 and the world still (someone whispers into my ear) WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S ALMOST 2024...
Hi yes it is 2022 now and the world still exists, its uh i dont even know since its the first day. Im hoping the year is good, so far looks as if as i just ordered myself a 660 for my first instant film camera and camera in general thanks to your videos. How has your one day of 2022 been Ben?
Glad we’re all still here! Day one of the year was filled with family and hangovers, so I can’t complain!
I just bought this bundle my antique shop was selling which was a sx-70 case/bag thing which is sweet with two double packs of sx-70 film from the 70s or 80s would it be a complete waste to try and see if they produce anything? Should I just keep them as a display piece? I’m not sure how the sx-70 packs work compared to 600 packs having batteries in them or the Chemicals drying up.
i dug out my father in law's old polaroid impulse AF that he gave us years ago only to discover that there's still a full cart of film in there... odds are they are completely dead since im 100% sure that those framea re at least 30 years old. but i ordered a couple of new 600 film packs and might try the cart swap trick after i finish one of the new ones
That's so awesome! Glad you recovered that Impulse! And yeah if that film is more than 12 years old it's surely a goner but would be good practice to do a cartridge swap anyway!
I came across boxes old Polaroid film - Spectra, 2pack, 20 pictures, but it says use by 01/1997! 🤯
Any suggestions on a Spirit 600 that shoots out the black card but not the photos? I bought it at a thrift store and it had a pack inside and the battery was dead but a new sealed pack but very old... I put in the new pack it shot out the black card but when I tried to take a pick the flash went off and I heard noises but nothing came out of the camera. I tried it again before giving up and opening the camera and looking t the pack and it looked as if the back ejector had tried to push it and failed but as I tried to get the pictures out of the cartridge I noticed that they were stuck together I tried everything possible to pull out the pictures then got out some sharp pliers and broke off the plastic it only to realize they were stuck together. Some of the chemicals mixed on the top three pictures but do you think if I got some new film it would actually print? I can only assume that the chemicals dried up and the photos got stuck together. Thanks!
First like, first comment, 2nd view!
Kian J NOW this feels like an official CZcams channel!!
@@InAnInstant This is THE CZcams channel!!
The world is still here, not doing great, but a society still exists.
Hey hey I'm commenting on October 4, 2022 to learn about expired Polaroid film! I bought an SX-70 Land Camera from a consignment store and there's STILL a pack of film in it! Obviously the battery is expired so the pack is unusable... but am I able to buy a new pack and put these individual photos into the new pack? Is that even... doable? LOVE this channel.
It is doable in a darkroom or dark bag, but it’s most likely that film is dry as a bone. Still would be fun to try!
Did a spit-take when your wallet talked you out of buying cold-stored Polaroid film from Brooklyn Film Camera! 😂
Side bar: I just so happened to watch an urban exploration video that was done by Dark Exploration Films in July this year. Apparently there’s still power in that place, as well as the movie projectors!
😂 Hope the ejected spit didn’t ruin any electronics. And yes everyone around town was talking about they Dark Exploration vid lol. Best I can tell they just completely broke into the building, we’ve been wanting to get inside for some time to take a closer look at those neon signs 😂
In An Instant Polaroids of those signs would be killer!
I have 2 but never opened then and one of them is passed there expired dates will it still be fine
2024 packfilm is back as a DIY. People are loving instant photography
Welp I found that my pack of color frames in my mini fridge expired a month ago so I guess we'll see how 2020 film holds up when it's past it's use by date.
you guys look stunning
No you look stunning!
Dont go down a CZcams rabbit hole, dont go down a CZcams rabbit hole, dont go down a CZcams rabbit hole, checks time, FUCK.
Welcome to paradise 😍
Soooo… I did totally throw my money in the garbage. My camera is pushing out the dark film at the top but none of the actual film. Is that because it’s dry? 😅
I had gotten color I-type film in 2020 from my dad but didn’t have the camera and kinda forgot about it. It was left at room temperature but now it’s expired so I might try it and see what I get
That would be a fun pack to shoot! Embrace the funk 🕺🏻
Ben is the photographer version of Sean Evans
I have a pack from 2019 took all photos blue what does this mean?
I tried a pack and it was really cool
yeet!
Here from 2024, and the world does indeed still exist! I was seriously suprised.
Found two open packs of 600 and shot them with minimal luck but it was from the very last production run, I was surprised anything happened
Who knows what random tumultuous journeys these sorry old timer packs go through before we shove them into the cameras and hope they can still dance for us!
In An Instant dance monkey dance!!!
I have some 1 year expired 600 film and they’re coming out super muted and flat, generally just a bit lifeless. Any recommendations on what to do settings wise to give them some 💪🏻💥🥊
You could use a polarizer filter to increase contrast, but mostly once that chemistry starts to go - it goes, and those imperfections can be embraced and loved! You could also look for additional contrast in lighting, stronger highlights & shadows.
I bought two Polaroid 600 cameras that had expired Polaroid film in them. Battery was dead. In complete darkness I took the expired sheets out and put them in one of the newer cartridges that I knew worked. I got some results but let's area of development.
Robert Knight that’s awesome, glad you thought to do that and you got some results!
Never really dare to use an expired film pack (cos not just it might not work, I might miss the perfect moment to take that shot w my friends too) so I’ll always use up all my film packs a month before their expiring date haha
Yeah I think expired film has to be shot with intention. When I'm using it, I'm prepared for faults and almost planning for those faults.
So I actually have Polaroid film that expired in 2006 & 2007 and the battery is fine but the chemical packs are dried out
you should do a video on peel apart film
It’s one of those things that’ll be a breakdown ep one day, been knocking around some ideas since before the channel, we’ll get there!
Quite reminding me of the existential dread that is Polaroid Spectra film I have to buy before the price gougers hike the price again......
StickPeopleAndPuff experiencing the same dread there brother 😭😭😭
Any tip on how to digitalise the Polaroids? Did you just take a picture of them to share them or do you use a scanner?
Hey Fedi! You can see my video about scanning here: czcams.com/video/v4o24tsrTwg/video.html
I bought 2 packs of pack film, 1 fujifilm FP100C from 2003 (shoot the first photo today and came kinda off, super under exposed ) and a bought a polaroid VIVA 80 packfilm from 1991 (this one i put it in the frige, but at the end of this video i think it was just a waste of money).... WISH ME LUCK!!!
We need to bring packfilm back to live!! It's just to good to fade away from existence. They were sopose to capture memories, NOT BECOMING A MEMORY!! 😢
I'm shooting some expired badly stored spectra 2007 film, but I like to experiment with old film also since Polaroid originals stopped making fresh spectra film entirely.
Totally! When it comes to Spectra ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Any results on that 07 Spectra?
@@InAnInstant some, a couple mostly came out ok,
Watching this in November 2021. We still hope the world still exists in 2022.
Thank you for this info, I’ll wait patiently for further updates.
@@InAnInstant Good news. We have now finally arrived in 2022 and the world definitely still exists. But we do wonder a bit about 2023.
@@InAnInstant There is now a war in Europe, possibly ww3, due to Russia being a dick. So 2023 could indeed be quite unreachable.
Update from 2022, world does exist but heading towards the wrong timeline. 8x10 Polaroids are still not restocked, but hey we got the Lomograflok
Username checks out!!
Will you make a video about gomz moment?
I can’t really imagine doing so honestly, but it’s an awesome piece of history!
2022 here. Just bought a Polaroid Now with film produced in 2020. I think it is a little less sensitive to light than it should be…
It’s late 2022 I bought a pack of 50th anniversary Mickey Mouse film for mh new born (will be born oct 2022) that expired in 2018 hopefully it still shoots 😅
Hey! I'm from 2023 and well... There's no better way to say this but.... We're f*cked.
I just bought a lot of expired 600 Polaroid film on eBay this morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh no
here from 2022, the world is in fact coming to an end ;)
great video though ;))))
I live for that terror!
Makes us feel alive, what can we say! ❤️ you bruddah!! Thanks for peeping the vid
The world is still doing it's best in 2022! Weather is starting to get a little weird lately... hmm...
Hey at least the world is trying!
Keith Haring is a youtuber now
Sweet
Bro its 2023 and the world still exist gladly
2022 here, world’s still alive (barely)
Heres to hoping 2021 might see better film from Polaroid
The film is sick right now! Have you shot with it recently?
@@InAnInstant Recently shot a pack from February. Have to say, the film does indeed look good from the decent shots I got, (messed up a few cause I suck lol.) I did notice a bit of rust in the cartridge that gave the last two shots a small firework on it. Perhaps I left the film in the camera too long?
Maybe? That can happen when film sits. But yeah the 2020 batches have gotten increasingly incredible. The September batch is lighting everyone’s ass on fire, it’s pretty astounding, by far the closest we’ve gotten to original Polaroid film.
I wonder why Land initially decided to store batteries in the film packs rather than camera bodies: the latter just makes more sense
I think Land was trying a lot of different things in developing the "closed system" in which Polaroid exists. The removed necessity to buy batteries seemed like a consumer-friendly thing at the time. It's still an interesting concept, but has clearly caused problems with where we're at today. If the film packs were slimmer and without their battery, i-type and 600 shooters would be singing Kumbaya, not to mention they might have been able to fit more shots in there.
the terror is very much a rush
It keeps us coming back for more 😩
Can I use the same trick to use I type Special edition films in an sx70?
Yes, but you absolutely have to use an ND filter or the film will be completely blown out. You can get them from Polaroid's website!
Thought that was a Pop-Tart box in the thumbnail lmaoo
A lot of people don't remember the Polaroid Pop-Tarts. You loaded them like regular film, they came through the rollers, and not only did a photo develop on the icing but you could actually eat it. Incredible technology.
I used some Polaroid film this morning that expired on 1/03, and 6/03, and both boxes of film were no good at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😢😢
the world still exists it's not doing great but were still kickin
Thank u Skye thank u for reporting 🙏
world still working fine ;)
I bought film realizing it was expired by 1 year and 11 months (the seller didnt mention it was expired) 0-0 this is my first time with polaroid and i feel like having a breakdown
hopefully this will bring up my spirits
This will be a great opportunity for practice even if the film has some defects! Nothing wrong with that
@@InAnInstant thanks for the encouragement!
I only shoot these if they come with the camera and somehow haven't perished, but it's still mostly an exercise in tragedy. Partially dried, sometimes enjoyable, tragedy.
Yeah tragedy is the most common end to the expired film story!
Hi, I found someone selling expired film from 1998 and from 2004. Unopened packs for the SX-70. Would you say those packs are pretty much dead? I want to buy them but I'm not sure if I should risk it. What would you recommend?
Definitely avoid! Way too old.
@@InAnInstant thank you, I appreciate the quick response. I'll refrain from buying those packs of films.
Happy to help!
I know this is a year old comment lol but I’d love to get in touch with whoever was selling those if you’ve still got their contact information. Thanks!
watching in 2023 and the world still exists
That’s actually huge
Hey, good news Ben, the world still does exist!
Yay!! XD
Another thing is that usually the chemicals don’t just dry up, but they slowly leak over time, causing the chemicals to be less liquid as you’d expect and making it dry up over time.
*Edit*
What I’ve further come to realise, is basically the chemicals slowly become less liquid, that’s what causes the spread issues, because the chemicals have become more viscous it’s harder for the rollers to spread it as evenly, so it can’t do as thin a coating as it would be able to when the chemicals are in a more flowing and liquid/paste form.
I’ve also noticed, that even if an image ejects and it doesn’t spread anything across the image, the chemicals can still be wet but just very thick, more like butter straight out of the fridge rather than cream cheese consistency.
Question about swapping film.... can’t one just buy one pack of 600, then reload it with I-Type a few times? Wouldn’t be convenient at all unless u reloaded a lot of 600 cartridges to bring out with u but.... cheaper
Yes! I've never tested how long 600 batteries can really last, but they have plenty juice to spare and can be loaded with film from an I-type cartridge a couple times. Definitely recommended if you want to use i-type in your 600 camera.
In An Instant awesome! I think I might try that then. I’ve only ever bought b&w 600 because its cheaper than color, but color I-type is the same price as B&W 600 soooo..... reload time!!
@@cf8979 If you wanna do it quite a bit, I recommend buying a changing bag, for real any light will totally ruin the photos so it has to be PITCH black.
In An Instant good idea! Been meaning to get one for film and paper loading anyhow, so this is even more of a reason!
I'm from 2035. The pandemic came back. So did Fuji FP100C when it became necessary for people to have 'true' photographs for court cases - since AI could generate anything.