Hello, I'm the one who really love the image printed from "Polaroid 55", The problem happened all the time if I want to take picture out side ( get out for trip). Nomally , I always carry tank for "Sodium Suffire" for develop Polaroid negative, but the thank is so big ( from nomal containner) It's not good condidtion to carry all the time.

Do you have any brand for delevoping tank ( should be small) or some way to carry out the Polaroid 55 negative after take it for more copel hours ?

Thank you Polaroid 55 Lover

-- Varakan (varakan@yahoo.com), July 20, 2001

Answers

What you need is to process the sheets later rather than at the time of exposure. You can (supposedly) operate the holder in such a way as to get your exposed sheets out without running them thru the rollers or ripping off the metal clip at the bottom -- tho I never get it to work and keep TMX around for that purpose. (It probably wouldn't hurt me to get an instruction manual for my beat up old 545 one of these days, either.)

-- John O'Connell (boywonderiloveyou@hotmail.com), July 20, 2001.

There's a pretty small plastic tank called a H-P Combi-plan that has an insert you put inside it that holds 6 sheets of 4x5. The film fits into grooves and doesn't touch other film. Designed as a daylight processing tank for developing 4x5 film. Costs about $50 at Adorama or B&H in New York. You could keep 6 sheets immersed in sodium sulfite that way.

-- John Sarsgard (sarsgard@yahoo.com), July 20, 2001.

Hi Varakan,

I do a lot of T-55 shooting outside on day and overnight trips, and only expose the film, and do the processing when i return home. Care must be taken when removing the exposed packet from the film holder as to keep the cap inplace on the packet, and I usually place a piece of masking tape over the cap to keep it together. IF its cold out when shooting I wait 24 hrs before processing, to let the film come back to room temp. Hope this helps Bill

-- Bill Jefferson (jefferw@together.net), July 20, 2001.

I've actually used rubbermaid containers filled with water. When I returned to the lab, I would soup them in the Sod. Sulfite then. All seemed to work just fine. I guess this method could result in some scratching if you had too many in there and/or not enough water.

-- Eric N. Blevins (eblevins@moh.dcr.state.nc.us), July 20, 2001.

On advice from one of the labs I use, I will layer the negatives in a tupperware container in water and place a paper towel between each negative in order to avoid scratches. Then you can process the negatives in sodium sulfite at home.

I've also seen (quite often) photographers use Big Gulp cups from the 7-11 Store in a pinch to hold their negs until they get home or to a lab. Obviously, this is not advised- but it's interesting.

-- Yoichi Kawamura (yo@earthlink.net), July 20, 2001.

I actually have that H-P Combi Plan thing, The Daylight tank part of it is crap. But the insert is great for developing 4x5. And I have often used it to carry type 55 negs after I shoot them. I bought a tupperwear container that was big enough to fit the insert into. And then I just fill it with water. I've never bothered with the sodium crap, but then again, I don't shoot THAT much type 55.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), July 20, 2001.

I process them when I get home, or at least indoors. I have found that if you follow the instructions, the packet tends to self-open because the metal bar gets easily caught. What I have found to work is to put the lever on *processing*, then pull the packet out just for a few centimers (less than one inch) to a point where the metal bar is disengaged, but the chemical pod not yet squeezed by the rollers. Once the metal bar is disengaged, I switch the lever to loading, squeeze firmly the packet, press on the button, and pull the packet out.

-- Q.-Tuan Luong (qtl@ai.sri.com), July 20, 2001.

Oh this is terrible. At work I grab a Coleman insulated water jug and put some H2O and Sodium sulfite in it, and just keep cramming those gooey 55 negs in. We're not making fine art there. I feel sorry for whoever puts Kool-Aid in that jug next time. Guys I work with would never know the difference anyway.

-- Jim Galli (jimgalli@sierra.net), July 21, 2001.

One of the best things about Polaroid Type 55 film is using Sodium Sulfite. Sodium Sulfite is just one of those chemicals that is classified as "Multi-Purpose".

Here are some great uses that we have discovered in my studio;

1. When dry the white powder makes great makeup for those hard to tone down shiny spots on teenagers foreheads.

2. When placed in a sprayer, makes a great insecticide. Roaches will never return to the darkroom.

3. Looks like any number of other chemicals. Therfore substitutions can be made for those hard to acquire chemicals.

4. Adds a bit of "zip" to coffee. \

5. Tends to cover dirt on blue jeans. After a shoot, just wipe your hand on your pants and your spouse will never see the dirt.

6. If you get something stinky on your hands, just dip them into the Polaroid negative clearing tank. Guaranteed to mask most odors.

I am sure there are many more, but these are the ones that we see regularly.

Jon

-- Jon Seriopolis (js679@aol.com), July 21, 2001.

I quit using sodium sulfite for the most part, and just mix up a small tray of permawash instead...I hate the sulfite soln. because it's always a pain to use....p.w. is faster (for me) in clearing, and it doesn't get all over the place. It seems no matter how careful you are in using sod. sulfite, it winds up dried in the weirdest places....but, as Jim says this ain't fine art....

-- DK Thompson (kthompson@moh.dcr.state.nc.us), July 21, 2001.

If you need to develop on the spot, regular film holders in a 4x5 tank put inside a large enough bucket will work.

-- Wayne Crider (waynec@apt.net), July 23, 2001.

Because of some bad experiences with Polaroid 55 in sodium sulfite for too long, I now process all my negs when I am at home. To do this, expose the film normally, and then to remove the packet, leave the lever on "L" and push the small silver button near the "R" and hold while you remove the film. This will enable you to remove the packet without engaging the processing pod. When you get home, reload the packet and process it as you normally would - by sliding the lever over to the "R". Hope this helps.

-- Christine (C_Shepherd@hotmail.com), September 19, 2001.