Can Polaroid film be used in Fuji Quickloads for exposure only, and then later (back at home) put through a Polaroid back for developing?

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), May 02, 2001

Answers

I haven't actually tried this myself, but I've been told that the metal strip on the end of a polaroid packet is too large to extract from a Fuji holder.

Apparently, you can get it into the holder and even expose the film but you can't get the metal flange back out of the holder.

Kinda like a kid sticking his head between the fence posts, but his ears leave him stuck when he tries to pull his head back out!

-- Tim Klein (timklein@qwest.net), May 02, 2001.

Thanks Tim. That's exactly what happens when I use my 545i Polaroid back. It's been back to Polaroid ($75) and still rips 'em apart (thanks a lot Dr. Land). On the other hand, my old 500 back processes just fine, but doesn't hold the film flatly enough to make sharp negatives (Thanks a lot Dr. Land). I Can't win.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), May 02, 2001.

Hi Bill,

No.

-- Bill Jefferson (jefferw@together.net), May 02, 2001.

I was having the same "rip apart" problem with a 545 holder I had bought used some years ago. I thought it was because there was a little bar piece that was missing inside so I replaced that and it still did the same thing. I took the darn thing apart many times and could never figure out the problem. There is nothing bent in there I can see. It's a real head scratcher. My solution...I took my chances and I bought another used holder off of Ebay and the newer one works fine.

-- Jackie Poutasse (jpoutasse@spectrava.com), May 02, 2001.

So, what kinds of problems are you all having when you say "rips apart"? I'm only asking because we shoot alot of type 55 here (with a 545i, and a 545) back and we occasionally come across boxes of Type 55 that have defective film in them. We buy the film by the case, and you might get 19 boxes that are perfect, but then one with a bunch of sheets where the clip will refuse to cooperate with the holder, so when you pull to process, the clip gets stuck in the holder...or comes partly out so your film is burned. It's just not attached to begin with...sometimes you can save these rejects up and by the end of a case, you'll have the equivalent to a box or so. We'll shoot several cases a year, so they're not all this way. It is easier to deal with the newer holders if you have to take them apart, but the older ones can be dismantled too, it's just a real pain...

-- DK Thompson (kthompson@moh.dcr.state.nc.us), May 02, 2001.

In my holder, the film and cover release from the retainer at the bottom of the holder, but sticks at the clip near the top (which I guess is there to prevent the cover from pulling all the way out of the holder), which apparently doesn't retract when I put the lever into the "Process" position. Aaaggggggggg!!!!!

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), May 02, 2001.

If I'm not mistaken, Polaroid has (or had) a policy that let you return bad by tech failure polaroids for credit towards new ones. You should contact Polaroid and ask.

-- Ellis Vener Photography (evphoto@swbell.net), May 03, 2001.

I've had similar problems with the metal strip getting stuck and I found that the flimsy metal used on the forward facing side of the holder was often the culprit. If the holder was slightly mis-seated, the metal would compress inwards a bit and catch the metal strip on the film packet. (I doubt that this description makes any sense at all, but I've been sitting her for 15 minutes trying to come up with a better way of describing it!).

Simply put, check that the holder is seated properly and maybe remove it and reseat it to be sure. I still have the occasional self- destruction, but I don't get the packet after packet failure that I used to get unless there is really a problem with the holder.

-- Tim Klein (timklein@qwest.net), May 03, 2001.

Bill, I don't know if this will help you with your problem or not (I'm not sure if we all aren't talking about the same thing or several things...) but Polaroid used to have this magazine called "Test", I don't know if it's still around or what...but I tore out a page from one that had a detailed diagram showing how to take a 545 holder apart if the "end caps become jammed in the roller mechanism", which I assume means the metal clip on the film. I haven't had this happen, but aside from what else I've described, I've had the metal clip get stuck in the bottom of the holder & refuse to let go...but anyways, they say here that if you have a holder made prior to 1986, that you should consider replacing it. It also says that the "545 holder requires periodic maintenance and eventual replacement for the best results at all times.." If you are intersted in this diagram, and they don't offer it on their website, drop me a line and I'll try to describe it to you or whatever. Just about the only maintenance I ever have to do, is cleaning rollers, and occasionally wrestling a stuck clip free...oh, and alot of cussing when we hit one of those bad boxes of film....

-- DK Thompson (kthompson@moh.dcr.state.nc.us), May 03, 2001.

Thanks for the offer, but I've had it apart and can see what the problem is -- the clip doesn't retract. Don't know if something's worn or just bent, but Polaroid should have fixed it. I didn't use it for many months after it came back from them, and now I can't find the paperwork to send it back to them, and they didn't answer an email query. I don't use it very often and hate to buy a new one. I appreciate the interest and help of all you great guys. Mitch.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), May 03, 2001.