Talk:Instant camera

"Instant-print photographic film and cameras" are mentioned in the very last line of the Polaroid article but nowhere else so I believe this redirect is highly misleading. Or is the title Polaroid camera wrong? --KF 19:26, 10 Dec 2003 (UTC)

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As it happens, I'm unable to contribute anything to this article myself, but let me make a list of things I'd be looking forward to reading:

(1) the name(s) of those instant cameras (Wasn't there, at least in Europe, a lawsuit where Kodak was involved?) [Kodak was sued by Polaroid for patent infringment when Kodak introduced a competing instant camera. The Kodak process was very similar to Polaroid's. Ultimately, the Kodak product was withdrawn from the market. I do not have more information.]

(2) the history -- from their being presented (already in 1947 I see) to their being advertised, mass-marketed (certainly not in the late 1940s?) etc. [The Polaroid camera must have been consumer marketed after 1950 when Herbert A. Bing moved from Kodak in Rochester, NY, to Polaroid in Cambridge, MA. It was Polaroid patents under Herbert A. Bing as named inventor that made a marketable product feasable.]

(3) how they really work (I remember it was suggested you put the photo face down on the table and wait for some minutes)

(4) the customers' reaction (people putting up with a much higher price per picture and very bad quality, too, just to be able to look at it instantly)

(5) how this technology was completely (?) superseded by digital photography [Polaroid relied heavily on the sale of its propriatary film for income profits. I was told by an employee that the cameras were often sold at a loss to stimulate the film sales. Some of the early cameras were well constructed assemblies of quality parts including bellows by Rochester Bellows and German glass optics. Digital camera technology does not rely on propiatary print media or require print media at all. Digital imaging is more compact in the field.]

And a photo of an old 1970s camera!

KF 02:32, 18 Dec 2003 (UTC)

I'm doing some of what you asked to expand this, KF, but I also wonder if this article should instead be instant camera, because as you said, Polaroid wasn't the only manufacturer of instant cameras in history. I could add this info to the instant camera wiki, but I don't know how to make this page redirect to that one yet. - Apocaplops 16:40, 2 August 2005 (UTC) [The Polaroid Camera was the only commercially feasable consumer "instant" still image camera until digital technology entered the consumer imaging arena. I omit the short lived Kodak entry into the market because the chemistry and technology were so similar and Kodak withdrew following a lawsuit brought by Polaroid Corp.]

Instant Movie System

The article says that the colours fade. Is this true? The Polavision system was based on the Dufay colour process, which had fixed colour filters in the film stock. I don't believe even Dufay had fading problems. 86.133.8.129 18:15, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

Image Transfer

What exactly is "image transfer", which is mentioned in the article and in the subtitles under the picture?

Professional use

Polaroid has, in the past, been popular amongst professional photographers as well. It's main benefit being to preview the a shoot's setup. This is especially important for commercial/advertising photography where even small mistakes could be costly. Due to digital camera technology, professional use of polaroid cameras has largely vanished.

Large format, 8" x 10" and larger, cameras used the polaroid color process in the reproduction of art. Further research on this would be appreciated. Also, Ansel Adams was a "consultant" with Polaroid. Again, further research would be appreciated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.53.58 (talk) 13:59, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

Trivia about Memento

In Memento the main character has a Polaroid SLR 690 that he uses quite often out of medical need. Luis Dantas 15:20, 5 October 2007 (UTC)

Lacquering the prints

I've put in a mention of the least attractive feature of the early Polaroid system- the need to coat the prints wit a lacquer to prevent fading. Even Bill Cosby mentioned it: he wished for a system to produce instant babies without the nine month wait: "When you get one you want you've gotta dip 'em in the lacquer or they'll fade on ya"Saxophobia (talk) 19:05, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

The basic information you added probably could go after the next paragraph, since some types of pack film did require coating. (I think type 55 still does). The statement that this led directly to the development of the SX-70 is a little suspect, but so far I've not turned up any specific reference one way or the other. I am pretty sure there were pack films that did not require coating, and I happen to have an ancient roll of type 20 (Swinger) film that states that coating is not required. --LarryMac | Talk 20:39, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

The coating used was derived from an experiment applying Beacon Wax, a commercial product, on a print. This information was told to me by the late Herbert A. Bing. This discovery was not Mr. Bing's but a very significant invention was.

Mr. Bing was an MIT graduate and design engineer at Eastman Kodak hired by Ewin Land to be a design engineer at Polaroid. Mr. Bing's most significant patent contribution, among many, was the design of the roller spreader system. Dr. Land's patented spreader consisting of sprung flat blades failed to evenly spread the developer/transfer gel between the negative and print paper. The roller system made a marketable prodect feasable. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.53.58 (talk) 18:43, 30 April 2008 (UTC)

ColorPack film did NOT require coating and preceeded the SX70. It was a quality color print media and was used in art reproduction prior to digital technologies. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.191.53.58 (talk) 16:54, 13 May 2008 (UTC)