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| 4x5 Polaroid Pinhole Photo |
When you think about it, Polaroid was the predecessor of digital. It solved so many of the same problems. It was great for pinhole work, because the quality of the professional film was so good, and you could see your results almost instantly. The experience with exposure translated to film, so once you nailed it with your Polaroid, you simply swapped out the back and captured the image on an equivalent speed negative film. But in and of themselves, the Polaroids were so good, they would merit their own genre: 4x5 Polaroid Pinhole. This image is over ten years old and still looks as good as the day it was captured.
Sadly, this film is out of production for now. I say for now, because the resurrection of Polaroid is inevitable, but what will come of it in the form of film types has yet to be seen. As I write, new film and cameras are in the works.
There’s always Fuji instant film, so I’m not going to toss my Polaroid 545i back just yet. But last I checked, no B&W. Yes, I could shoot color, and convert to B&W the same as I do when shooting digital B&W. But if I’m going to do that, it seems I might as well just shoot B&W negative film.
It’s more about the fact that you produce a single, original, print. It truly is one of a kind.
My initial plan to resurrect my 4x5 pinhole work is to use the D90 to gauge exposure, then shoot 4x5 B&W negative film, which I can process myself. A pinhole body cap made to match the 4x5’s focal length and some math to compensate for reciprocity should make this feasible.
Color’s not out of the question, but I think I’ll leave that up to the D90. The resolution won’t be as good as 4x5, and there’s a physical limit to how wide a view I can get before the mirror strikes the back of the pinhole cap. But the color will be stunning.
Sadly, this film is out of production for now. I say for now, because the resurrection of Polaroid is inevitable, but what will come of it in the form of film types has yet to be seen. As I write, new film and cameras are in the works.
There’s always Fuji instant film, so I’m not going to toss my Polaroid 545i back just yet. But last I checked, no B&W. Yes, I could shoot color, and convert to B&W the same as I do when shooting digital B&W. But if I’m going to do that, it seems I might as well just shoot B&W negative film.
It’s more about the fact that you produce a single, original, print. It truly is one of a kind.
My initial plan to resurrect my 4x5 pinhole work is to use the D90 to gauge exposure, then shoot 4x5 B&W negative film, which I can process myself. A pinhole body cap made to match the 4x5’s focal length and some math to compensate for reciprocity should make this feasible.
Color’s not out of the question, but I think I’ll leave that up to the D90. The resolution won’t be as good as 4x5, and there’s a physical limit to how wide a view I can get before the mirror strikes the back of the pinhole cap. But the color will be stunning.
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