Time Zero film changes - an update!

terri · Jul 9, 2005

Straight from the Polaroid site. :shock: Here's hoping someone with a cruel sense of humor hacked in there with this one....

http://www.polaroid.com/global/printer_friendly.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441763684&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=282574488338439&bmUID=1120967645638&bmLocale=en_US

Anyone heard more about this?

Hertz van Rental · Jul 10, 2005

Sounds about right.
This happened in the UK around 1982.
We used to distort Polaroid then - but a manufacturing change stopped it. Oddly, the Polaroid you bought in France could still be played with.
There were a lot of protests about it with some influential photographers weighing in.
I don't know if Polaroid went back to the old process or managed to solve the problem with the new - but eventually manipulation came back onto the menu.
At that time people suspected that Polaroid had done it on purpose because they didn't like people messing with their product.
My advice is to mortgage your house and fill several freezers with old stock. It should tide you through the problem.
And if Polaroid don't sort it out you will have the satisfaction of seeing your film cache appreciate in value by astronomical amounts! :lol:

hobbes28 · Jul 10, 2005

:shock: I guess we need to head to the store sometime soon.. *honey!! Where's the deed?!?!?*

terri · Jul 10, 2005

Well, it's certainly not a secret that Edwin Land always hated the manipulation process. That formula was reputed to have been changed very early on, in fact I believe it wasn't even called "Time Zero" when it first came out.

But nowadays, Polaroid means "creative processes" to a lot of photographers. The company maintains a small army of "creative uses" consultants on hand, some of them best-selling artists who no doubt help sell their products through workshops and classes. It's hard to believe they'd purposely take a product off the market that must be an ongoing, steady seller. :scratch: It doesn't make sense.

Here's hoping they revert back to the former production and this is another one of those strange aberrations that Polaroid seems to have every decade or so.

Jeff Canes · Jul 10, 2005

You would think that a company border on bankruptcy in a shrinking market would pay more attention to its customers needs

sillyphaunt · Jul 10, 2005

So does that mean we need to not buy any "new" time zero film? I'll be so mad.. I just got my daylab a few months ago just for this!!

terri · Jul 10, 2005

There's a phone number to call, and I think we should all take turns calling it.

The more outraged artists they hear from, the better, in my view. Especially those of us who have dropped the bucks on the Daylab SX-70 base. I've gotten some good use out of mine, but I'm far from finished!

terri · Jul 10, 2005

From a newsletter by one of those Polaroid "creative processes" consultants I mentioned before - good old Kathleen T. Carr:

Important Update About Time Zero Film!

Polaroid has been working on fixing a temporary glitch with the latest batches of Time Zero Film--the film that we use for SX-70 Manipulations. I have been told that they are very close, and will be sending me some film to test very soon. Some of the newest batches don't manipulate properly; however we have discovered a fix for it until the error is rectified. Just heat the newly exposed print for two minutes, and reheat as needed. I recommend keeping the print constantly warm until you finish manipulating it. My favorite way is to use a heating pad with an acrylic clipboard on top of it for a heated surface.

This glitch affects many film batches with the expiration date of 11-05, 12-05 and later, even 5-05. The following batches are good and work fine:

12-05 expiration, lot numbers ending with 682-685
1-06 expiration, lot numbers ending with 817-819
5-06 expiration, lot numbers ending with 019, 020

If you buy Time Zero film that doesn't manipulate properly, call Polaroid's Technical Assistance Hotline at 800-225-1618, M-F from 8am-8pm EST and give them the batch numbers and expiration date. If you can't get the film to manipulate, they will work with you on this problem.

I'm feeling better already...I was hoping it was something along these lines. :cheer: Just a matter of time, then.

btw, if anyone doesn't know who Kathleen Carr is, you should google her and check out her work. She studied photography in Minor White's home and is no slouch - and she is also a fabulous Polaroid alternative techniques artist whose work I admire very much. :thumbup:

Hertz van Rental · Jul 11, 2005

I've always preferred Lucas Samaras (*not work safe*) who started as a sculptor and painter but was working polaroid almost from the start.
His ideas will blow you away.
*not work safe - some nudity* http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/bio/a3793-1.html

You'll find more if you Google

terri · Jul 11, 2005

Hertz van Rental said:
I've always preferred Lucas Samaras (*not work safe*) who started as a sculptor and painter but was working polaroid almost from the start.
His ideas will blow you away.
*not work safe - some nudity* http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/bio/a3793-1.html

You'll find more if you Google

Yep, I've seen his stuff before and know his name - he was one of the early ones, definitely one of the best. :thumbup: It's hard to thumb through any articles about the process without seeing his name.

sillyphaunt · Jul 11, 2005

Oh gosh, that's a relief, thanks Terri!

I LOVE Kathleen Carr, I have her website linked on mine. Did you know she offers some online classes about polaroids from betterphoto.com? I am hoping she'll do some on manipulations, right now its just for transfers/lifts.

terri · Jul 11, 2005

Yep, I've seen all the offerings over there.

They definitely have gotten some heavy hitters. Have you thought about signing up for them?

Alison · Jul 11, 2005

I think I just heard Hobbes let out a sigh of relief (and I don't have to hide the deed anymore! :cheer: ) Glad to know that the alt processors are safe

terri · Jul 11, 2005

AlisonPower said:
I think I just heard Hobbes let out a sigh of relief (and I don't have to hide the deed anymore! :cheer: ) Glad to know that the alt processors are safe

I think we were all ready to show out and throw down for a while there, Alison! :lol:

I'll gladly settle for some "temporary glitch" as long as they ultimately get it back to what it's been! :thumbup:

sillyphaunt · Jul 12, 2005

I was VERY close to signing up actually.. But I haven't even tried a lift yet, so I would be a big beginner. Besides, I'm enjoying the sx-70 process way too much to get sidetracked now. If she did a Manipulations class I'd sign up in a heart beat.