Now, fellow Canadians, British, and general folks, please don’t harp on me for mis-spelling ‘colour’ in the title because it’s the proper brand name for the latest batch of film out of the fantastic folks at the Impossible Project. ColorProtection is the latest emulsion in their quest to reinvent instant integral film. Well, I’m going to say they have reinvented it; now it’s a matter of improving what they have.
But what they have right now is pretty damned good.
So what makes this film the best yet out of the factory? Easy, anyone who has used this film from the beginning can attest that it wasn’t always the best stuff out there; very temperamental, needed to be shaded right out of the camera, temperature variations would affect the development, uneven spreading of chemicals, and various other troubles. But oddly enough, I stuck with it. As a late joiner in the Polaroid game, and having shot the original stuff before and wasn’t too impressed, I’m surprised I picked it up again with a passion. And fell in love with instant photography. But now, with the release of the ColorProtection film, all those initial problems…solved. You no longer have to shade right out of the camera; if the light is dull enough, you can watch it develop over time. I still tuck it away for an hour or two while it develops and wait 24 hours before scanning it.
When I was in New York City in October, I paid a visit to the Impossible Project space and picked up ten packs of the film, five in the PX70 format and five in PX680. I took two packs of the PX680 to Ohio this past weekend to use the stuff and was blown away by the results. And I can fully agree this is the best stuff yet! Hopefully, next year, we’ll see the development time decrease.
Until then, if you find your old Polaroid, or see one setting on the shelf of a thrift store or rummage sale, pick it up, get a pack, and be amazed.