Dear friends and collegues, I have never tried this but a student of mine asked this question and I couldn't answer. Can you rate the polaroid 55 at higher values increasing the developing time? Give,please, some sensible answers and not criticism without having tried the thing yourself, it might hold potential for good result or just experimental techniques. Thanks!

-- andrea milano (milandro@multiweb.nl), October 06, 1999

Answers

no. I have tried it and it doesn't work.

-- Ellis Vener (evphoto@insync.net), October 06, 1999.

Agreed. In his (out of print) book "Polaroid Land Photography" Ansel Adams states that increasing the development time does not change the negative, or positive in any appreciable way as it develops to completion. (paraphrasing)

I've been shooting a fair bit of T55 lately. I love the instant feedback. Too bad about the speed, but I'm living with that, and my photos tend to have a representation of time passing rather than time frozen. Sometimes that's a good thing.

-- mike rosenlof (mike_rosenlof@yahoo.com), October 06, 1999.

One thing I have noticed about Type 55 is that it performs much better when rated at iso 20-25, rather than the indicated iso of 50. Shadow details are much richer (naturally), but the highlight density also goes up, as there is no control with development. I usually rate it at 25, develope it for the recommended time, and then plan on adding 15-25 yellow (dicro head) when printing on variable contrast paper. (When printing on grade 2 Portriga, the contrast of the film usually matches perfectly!) Just my personal observations. :)

-- Adam DeKraker (adam.dekraker@wmich.edu), October 11, 1999.

Adam, since you're increasing exposure, why don't you try minus development to control highlight density?...t

-- tom meyer (twm@mindspring.com), October 12, 1999.