One Instant FAQ
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about our ONE INSTANT films. Please help us to update and expand this information by sending any questions or comments to techsupport@one-instant.com.
WHICH CAMERAS CAN BE USED WITH ONE INSTANT?
ONE INSTANT is compatible with all ‘Type 100’ packfilm cameras, of which there are many!
This includes Polaroid Automatic Land Cameras from the 60’s and 70’s, and many other cameras produced throughout the 80’s and 90’s. The ‘Type 100’ format produces a print that measures ~85x108mm (~3.25x4.25"), which is the same format as Fuji FP-100C, Fuji FP-3000B, Polaroid 667, and so on.
Additionally, ‘Type 100’ packfilm can be shot in conventional 4x5” cameras using a Polaroid 405 or Fuji PA-145 holder. Similar holders are available for many other medium and large format cameras. ‘Type 100’ films cannot be shot using the Polaroid 545 holder however, which is designed for Type55 films.
Lastly, there are two other packfilm formats to be aware of, as cameras designed for these sizes will not work with ONE INSTANT. These formats are ‘Type 80’, which makes a square print measuring 85x85mm, and the 4x5" format (e.g. Fuji FP-100C45), which produces a large 90x120mm (4x5”) print. Luckily, the vast majority of packfilm cameras were designed to shoot ‘Type 100’, so the odds are in your favor!
Confused yet?? If you’re still unsure and would like to know if your camera is compatible with our film, just write to us!
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BLEACH THE P7 ONE INSTANT NEGATIVE?
Nope; that was a quirk with the Fuji packfilm product. Our legacy Polaroid negative material is coated on a black polyester base that remains impermeable for the ages.
SOMETHING WENT HORRIBLY WRONG WITH MY CARTRIDGE...
Did you do everything according to the instructions on the box and video tutorial? Did you thread the processing tab between the rollers?? Has your camera worked successfully with other packfilm formats before, and have you checked the batteries recently???
Hmmm... sounds like we need to investigate… please contact us with as much information as possible and we'll get to the bottom of it!
WHY IS ONE INSTANT SO EXPENSIVE? WILL IT EVER GET CHEAPER?
Producing ONE INSTANT is expensive because of the labor involved. All parts are made in-house and assembled by hand. No machines here! All in all, it takes about 20 minutes to create just a single classic ONE INSTANT shot.
However, this is exactly why we developed the ONE INSTANT DIY FILM KIT. This significantly reduces the labor costs because you get to do the majority of the work. Heck, you might even have fun doing it!
At the end of the day, shooting instant film in the 21st century is a bit of a luxury. Rest assured that every purchase of ONE INSTANT film helps us keep this format alive for years to come!
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR FILM MATERIALS? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT ALL RUNS OUT?
We get our legacy Polaroid materials from the 20x24 Studio in Boston, which has a very large stockpile of negative film and positive receiver sheet, acquired when Polaroid went belly up in 2008. For our flagship P7 color film, there are many year’s worth of material left. Meanwhile, new pod chemistry is made fresh on a batch-to-batch basis with a mixture of new and old chemistry formulations.
That said, our long-term goal is to secure newly produced negative and positive materials. This is an important challenge, but one we’re confident we can meet!