Polaroid Originals

Polaroid Originals
Formerly
 The Impossible Project
Private
Industry Photography
Genre Instant photography
Predecessor Polaroid
Founded 2008 (2008)
Founders Florian Kaps
André Bosman
Marwan Saba
Headquarters Building Noord, Enschede, Netherlands
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Oskar Smołokowski (CEO)
Products Instant film and cameras
Website polaroidoriginals.com

Polaroid Originals is a Dutch photography company and manufacturer founded in 2008 by Florian Kaps, André Bosman and Marwan Saba. It manufactures its own cameras, the Impossible I-1, the OneStep 2, the OneStep+, modelled on the original Polaroid OneStep Land Camera, the i-Type instant film for both original cameras, and instant film for select original Polaroid instant cameras.

From 2008 to September 2017 the company was called Impossible Project (stylized as IMꟼOSSIBLE)[1][2][3] – Polaroid's brand and intellectual property were acquired by Impossible Project’s largest shareholder in May 2017.[4]

History

The Impossible Project was founded in 2008 after Polaroid announced in February 2008 that it would stop producing film for Polaroid cameras.[5] The founders are Florian Kaps, André Bosman and Marwan Saba. In June 2008, Kaps and Bosman met at the Polaroid factory’s closing event and decided to found a company to produce materials for Polaroid cameras.[6] In October 2008, Impossible bought the production machinery from Polaroid for $3.1 million[7] and leased a building, called Building Noord, which was formerly part of the Polaroid plant in Enschede, Netherlands. The company has offices in Vienna, Berlin, New York and Tokyo. It leased the Polaroid production plant and developed new instant film products for use in some existing Polaroid cameras, beginning mass production and sales in 2010.[8] They generated USD270,000 in profit on USD4 million in revenue[7] and sold 500,000+ units.[9]

In January 2012, the company announced that it and Polaroid would launch a range of collectible products, called The Polaroid Classic range, that originate from different periods of Polaroid's history. Between six and ten products will be released each year. In July 2013, Florian Kaps announced his 'retirement' from the project[10] and Creed O'Hanlon took over the role as CEO.

In December 2014, The Impossible Project announced that Oskar Smołokowski would be their new CEO and Creed O'Hanlon would become the Executive Chairman of Impossible's management board.[11]

Impossible has licensed its name to stores in Germany, Spain and London.

In May 2017, Impossible's largest shareholder acquired the brand and intellectual property of the original Polaroid corporation.[4] Impossible Project was renamed Polaroid Originals in September 2017.[1][2][3]

Products

Instant film

Polaroid SX-70

Discontinued Current
Film nameTypeISOEXPReleaseDiscontinuedCharacteristics
PX 100 Silver Shade First FlushMonochrome1508February 2010???First flush, monochrome, instant film for Polaroid SX 70 cameras. Released first to artists,[12] then to regular customers[13]
PX 100 Silver ShadeMonochrome1508March 2010???Second generation film
PX 100 Silver Shade Cool[14]Monochrome1508September 2012[15]???
PX 70 Color Shade First FlushColor1258July 2010???First flush, experimental color system
PX 70 Color Shade Push![16]Color1008December 2010???An ongoing chemical reaction makes images taken on the PX 70 PUSH! shift to blue with time.[17]
PX 70 Color Shade[18]Color1258June 2011???
PX 70 Color Shade Cool[19]Color1258April 2012???
PX 70 Color Shade V4B Test FilmColor1258August 2012[20]August 2012Introduction of an Opacifier
PX 70 Color Protection[21]Color1258??????
Color Film for SX70 Gold FrameColor1008??????
Color Film for SX70 Silver FrameColor1008??????
Color Film for SX70 Color FrameColor1008??????
Cyanotype for SX70Color1008??????Cyan Color
B&W 2.0 Film For SX70B&W1008April 2015N/A
B&W 2.0 Film For SX70 Black FrameB&W1008??????Black Frame
Color Film for SX70Color1608October 2013N/A
Color Film for SX70 Black FrameColor1608??????Black Frame

Polaroid 600

Discontinued Current
Film nameTypeISOEXPReleaseDiscontinuedCharacteristics
PX 600 Silver Shade First FlushMonochrome6008February 2010???First flush, first supplied to artists,[12] then to regular customers[22]
PX 600 Silver Shade v05Monochrome6008May 2010???
PX 600 Silver Shade v06Monochrome6008June 2010???
PX 600 Silver Shade UV+[23]Monochrome6008June 2010???UV+ sheet improves the black & white tone
PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame[24]Monochrome6008June 2010???UV+ sheet improves the black & white tone, features black frame
PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Grey Frame[25]Monochrome6008June 2010???UV+ sheet improves the black & white tone, features grey frame
PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Gold Frame[26]Monochrome6008June 2010???UV+ sheet improves the black & white tone, features gold frame
PX 600 Silver Shade Cool[27]Monochrome6008June 2010???
PX 680 Color Shade BetaColor6808??????
PX 680 Color Shade Beta 2Color6808??????
PX 680 Color Shade First FlushColor6808??????
PX 680 Color Shade Gold FrameColor6808??????
PX 680 Color Shade CoolColor6808June 2012???
PX 680 Color Shade Gold FrameColor6808??????
PX 680 Color Shade Block PartyColor6808??????Urban Outfitters Exclusive
PX 680 Color Shade V4B Test FilmColor6008July 2012July 2012
PX 680 Color ProtectionColor6008??????
PX 680 Color Protection American WoodsColor6008??????Features wooden style frame
PX 680 Color Protection Gold Edition[28]Color6008December 2012???Gold Frame
Ltd Edition Generation 2.0 Color 600 FilmColor6008??????
Cyanotype Film for 600Color6008January 2015???
B&W Film for 600[29]B&W6008March 2015N/A
B&W 2.0 Film for 600 Black Frame[30]B&W6008March 2015???Black Frame
B&W Film for 600 Hard Color Frames[31]B&W6008???N/AHard Color Frames
B&W 2.0 Film for 600 Round Frame[32]B&W6008October 2014???Round Frame
Skateistan B&W 2.0 Film for 600[33]B&W6008??????Geometric Afghan Design frame
Third Man Records Edition Black & Yellow Film for 600[34]B&Y6008??????Black frame, Black and Yellow film
Color Film for 600[35]Color6008???N/A
Color Film for 600 Black Frame[36]Color6008??????Black frame
Color Film for 600 Color Frames[37]Color6008???N/AColor fram
Color Film for 600 Round Frame[38]Color6008??????Round frame
Color Film for 600 Gold Frame[39]Color6008??????Gold frame
Color Film for 600 Silver Frame[40]Color6008??????Silver frame
Color Film for 600 Ice Cream Pastels Edition[41]Color6008Summer 2018N/AIce Cream Pastels colored frame
Color Film for 600 Tropics Edition[42]Color6008Summer 2018N/ATropics colored frame
Color Film for 600 Deep Sea Dive Edition[43]Color6008Summer 2018N/ASeaweed colored frame
Color Film for 600 Gold Frame Edition[44]Color6008October 2018N/AGold frame
Color Film for 600 Metallic Red Frame Edition[45]Color6008October 2018N/AMetallic Red frame


i-Type

Discontinued Current
Film name Type ISO EXP Release Discontinued Characteristics
Color Film for i-Type[46]Color6408September 2017N/AType-600 film without battery
B&W Film for i-Type[47]B&W6408September 2017N/AType-600 film without battery
Color i-Type Film Rose Gold Frame Edition[48]Color6408Summer 2018N/ARose gold frame
Color i-Type Film Gradient Frame Edition[49]Color6408Summer 2018N/AGradient frame

Polaroid Image/Spectra

Discontinued Current
Film nameTypeISOEXPReleaseDiscontinuedCharacteristics
PZ 600 Silver ShadeSepia6008??????
PZ 600 Silver Shade UV+Sepia6008December 2010???UV+ sheet improves the black & white tone
PZ 600 UV+ Black FrameSepia6008??????
PZ 600 silver Shade CoolSepia6008??????
PZ 680 Color ShadeColor6808??????
PZ 680 Color ProtectionColor6008December 2012???
Color Film Black FrameColor6008??????Black Frame
B&W 2.0 Film Black FrameB&W60082015???Black Frame
Color Film[50]Color6008October 2013N/A
B&W Film for Spectra[51]B&W6008May 2015N/A

Impossible Hardware

Discontinued Current
Film nameTypeISOEXPReleaseDiscontinuedCharacteristics
B&W Film[52]B&W6008October 2013January 2015Type-600 film without battery
Color Film[53]Color6008October 2013January 2015Type-600 film without battery

8x10 Film

Discontinued Current
Film nameTypeISOEXPReleaseDiscontinuedCharacteristics
PQ Silver Shade[54]B&W64010August 2012[55]Late 2013
PQ Silver ShadeB&W64010Late 2013[56]Late 2013[57]Second generation
B&W 8x10 Film[58]B&W64010July 2014[59]???Third Generation[60]
B&W 2.0 Film for 8x10[61]B&W64010???Out of stock
Color Film for 8x10[62]Color64010???Out of stock


Future and other formats

The Impossible Project has stated that they will not manufacture packfilm "in the foreseeable future", due to the investment required,[63][64] and cannot produce 4x5, Type 100, or Type 80 films, Polaroid 500 film and I-Zone film as they do not have the production machinery. These were disassembled along with the factories that used to produce the film when Polaroid filed for Chapter 11.[65]

Impossible founder Florian Kaps left the company in July 2013 and later founded a coffee house and photo studio in Vienna called SUPERSENSE.[66] Kaps revealed through a series of blog posts and interviews in 2016 that he had personally approached Fuji about acquiring their machinery in an attempt to rescue their soon-to-be discontinued FP3000b and FP100b packfilm products.[67][68][69] Kaps was unsuccessful in this pursuit, but motivated by his disappointment in Fuji's decision, he established the Analogue Product Institute (API) with the goal of "developing a NEW generation of analog instant packfilm [and] Establishing a rich network of new suppliers, manufacturers and financiers from all over the world".[70]

Hardware

Instant Lab

In October 2013, the company began sale of the Instant Lab, a new camera-like device that could expose digital images from an iPhone onto analog instant film. It supports the iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5c and 5s, as well as the iPod Touch.

The device was produced after a successful crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter. It also introduced a new battery-less film cartridge design for use with the Instant Lab, which–unlike vintage Polaroid cameras–is internally powered.[71]

The cartridge itself is a 600-type cartridge stripped of the battery, so that it can use 600-type film.

Customers will have the opportunity to exchange their current Instant Lab cradle for a new one that supports many phone sizes in one.[72][73]

Instant Lab 2.0

In September 2014, The Impossible Project announced at Photokina that they would release a second generation device.

The biggest, if only, change appears to be that it now supports more than iPhone 4 through 5s as iPod Touch 4 and 5. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be supported along with iPad with Retina Display, the Samsung Galaxy S III through S5, and Galaxy Note II and 3.[74]

Impossible I-1

In 2016, Impossible started manufacturing its own instant camera, the Impossible I-1. It is a part of the company's original i-Type system, which uses its new i-Type film and 600 film.[75][76] It was designed by Teenage Engineering.[77]

Polaroid OneStep 2 and OneStep 2 Viewfinder

In September 2017, Polaroid Originals announced the Polaroid OneStep 2 instant film camera that uses its i-Type film and 600 film.[1][2][3] In the first version of this camera, framing is done by looking through a window on the back of the camera. Later in 2018, the company released a version with a built-in viewfinder that makes framing more accurate, the OneStep 2 Viewfinder.

Polaroid OneStep+

In September 2018, Polaroid Originals introduced the Polaroid OneStep+ instant film camera that uses i-Type film and 600 film.[78] The OneStep+ has built-in Bluetooth wireless technology that allows the camera to be paired with the Polaroid Originals app on an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. This enables six new features: remote trigger, double exposure, light painting, self timer (with up to a 12 s countdown), manual mode (controlling aperture, shutter speed, flash intensity and photos ejection) and noise trigger.[79] The OneStep+ has an additional portrait lens, with minimum focusing distance of 30 cm. A slide toggle on the top of the camera switches between the two lenses.

The camera also includes a higher-capacity battery (recharged through a microUSB adapter), a built-in flash, and a viewfinder.

Media

The complexity of developing new generations of (prototype) instant film was depicted in the 2017 documentary Instant Dreams. Parts of the documentary where shot on location at Polaroid Originals labs and production facilities in the Netherlands and Germany and include Chief Technical Officer Stephen Herchen.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Polaroid lives again with new brand and OneStep 2 instant camera" Daven Mathies, Digital Trends, 13 September 2017. Accessed 14 September 2017
  2. 1 2 3 "The first Polaroid instant camera in a decade is adorable" Sean O'Kane, The Verge, 13 September 2017. Accessed 14 September 2017
  3. 1 2 3 "Polaroid Originals Launches with New OneStep 2 Camera and i-Type Film" Michael Zhang, Petapixel, 13 September 2017. Accessed 14 September 2017
  4. 1 2 "Polaroid Acquired by The Impossible Project’s Largest Shareholder" Michael Zhang, Petapixel, 12 May 2017. Accessed 14 September 2017
  5. ↑ Sean O'Hagan (5 April 2010). "The Polaroid revival". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  6. ↑ Wright, Mic (14 September 2017). "The Impossible Project: Bringing back Polaroid". Wired. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  7. 1 2 "Finding a Place for Polaroid in the Digital Age". BloombergView. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  8. ↑ Sarah Gilbert. "Picture This: The Impossible Project That Kept Polaroid Film Alive". DailyFinance. Retrieved 2016-01-01.
  9. ↑ https://static.the-impossible-project.com/resources/press_releases/2010-12-13.pdf
  10. ↑ Olivier Laurent (4 January 2012). "Polaroid and Impossible to release stream of "collector's items"". British Journal of Photography. Incisive Media Investments Limited. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  11. ↑ "A New Chairman, A New CEO For Impossible". Impossible Blog. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  12. 1 2 "taken on the very first film materials leaving the factory of the Impossible, proclaiming a future of analog instant photography". March 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Date first available at Amazon.jp: April 23, 2010". April 2010.
  14. ↑ "PX100 Silver Shade Cool Product Page". 2011.
  15. ↑ "Date first available at Amazon.com: June 11, 2012". June 2012.
  16. ↑ "PX70 Color Shade Push Product Page". 2011.
  17. ↑ "IMPOSSIBLE - Color Shade". 2010-12-18. Archived from the original on 2010-12-18. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
  18. ↑ "PX70 Color Shade Push Product Page". 2011.
  19. ↑ "PX70 Color Shade Cool Product Page". 2011.
  20. ↑ "Review: Project PX-70 V4B Opacification Test Film". August 2012.
  21. ↑ "PX70 Color Protection Product Page". 2011.
  22. ↑ "Date first available at Amazon.com: August 26, 2011". August 2011.
  23. ↑ "PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Product Page". 2011.
  24. ↑ "PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame Product Page". 2011.
  25. ↑ "PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Grey Frame Product Page". 2011.
  26. ↑ "PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Gold Frame Product Page". 2011.
  27. ↑ "PX 600 Silver Shade Cool Product Page". 2011.
  28. ↑ "PX 680 Color Protection Gold Edition Product Page". December 2012.
  29. ↑ "B&W 2.0 FILM FOR 600 Product Page". November 2015.
  30. ↑ "B&W 2.0 Film for 600 Black Frame Product Page". November 2015.
  31. ↑ "B&W 2.0 Film for 600 Hard Color Frames Product Page". November 2015.
  32. ↑ "B&W 2.0 Film for 600 Round Frame Product Page". November 2015.
  33. ↑ "Skateistan B&W 2.0 Film for 600 Product Page". November 2015.
  34. ↑ "Third Man Records Edition Black & Yellow Film for 600 Product Page". November 2015.
  35. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Product Page". November 2015.
  36. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Black Frame Product Page". November 2015.
  37. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Color Frames Product Page". November 2015.
  38. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Round Frame Product Page". November 2015.
  39. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Gold Frame Product Page". November 2015.
  40. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Silver Frame Product Page". November 2015.
  41. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Ice Cream Pastels Edition Product Page". Summer 2018.
  42. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Tropics Edition Product Page". Summer 2018.
  43. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Deep Sea Dive Edition Product Page". Summer 2018.
  44. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Gold Frame Edition Product Page". October 2018.
  45. ↑ "Color Film for 600 Metallic Red Frame Edition Product Page". October 2018.
  46. ↑ "Color Film for i-Type Product Page". September 2017.
  47. ↑ "B&W Film for i-Type Product Page". September 2017.
  48. ↑ "Color i-Type Film Rose Gold Frame Edition Product Page". Summer 2018.
  49. ↑ "Color i-Type Film Gradient Frame Edition Product Page". Summer 2018.
  50. ↑ "Color Film for Spectra Product Page". October 2013.
  51. ↑ "B&W Film for Spectra Product Page". May 2015.
  52. ↑ "B&W Film for Impossible Cameras Product Page". October 2013.
  53. ↑ "Color Film for Impossible Cameras Product Page". October 2013.
  54. ↑ "8x10 Silver Shade Page Product Page". August 2012.
  55. ↑ "Blog entry introducing PQ 8x10 Silver Shade". August 2012.
  56. ↑ "Late last year, we introduced an all-new B&W integral instant film based on a new formula developed by Impossible's R&D team based in Monheim, Germany". July 2014.
  57. ↑ "the last of our 2013 production run of B&W 8x10 Instant Film was available at a reduced price. (...) We will not produce a new B&W 8x10 film until later this year". February 2014.
  58. ↑ "B&W 8x10 Page Product Page". 2013.
  59. ↑ "All-New Impossible B&W 8x10: Bigger Is Now Better". July 2014.
  60. ↑ "There is a lot more to this film than new packaging". July 2014.
  61. ↑ "B&W 2.0 8x10 Page Product Page". 2015.
  62. ↑ "Color 8x10 Page Product Page". 2015.
  63. ↑ "A Statement From Our CEO On Packfilm". Polaroid Originals. 14 November 2017. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018. Polaroid Originals will not be working on packfilm in the foreseeable future
  64. ↑ Jonas Bauten. "Will you reintroduce Polaroid packfilm?". Polaroid Originals. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  65. ↑ "We won't be able to produce 4x5, Type 100, or Type 80 films, as we don't have the production machinery. These were disassembled along with the factories that used to produce the film when Polaroid filed for Chapter 11". May 2010.
  66. ↑ Zhang, Michael (3 November 2015). "Supersense Can Turn Your Digital Photo Into a Giant 20×24 Polaroid Picture". PetaPixel. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  67. ↑ Zhang, Michael (12 March 2016). "Impossible Founder Meeting with Fuji to Keep Peel-Apart Film Alive". PetaPixel. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  68. ↑ Zhang, Michael (18 March 2016). "Impossible Founder Florian Kaps on His Effort to Save Fuji Packfilm". PetaPixel. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  69. ↑ "We have periodic discussions with Fuji and others in the industry about popular formats like these that are at risk. BTW - we have approached Fuji on this and have yet to receive a solid response". October 2014.
  70. ↑ "Save Packfilm Travelog No. 19: The Analog Product Institute (API)". www.savepackfilm.net. Super Sense. 19 April 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  71. ↑ "Introducing the Instant Lab" (PDF). Impossible. 1 October 2013.
  72. ↑ "Customers will have the opportunity to exchange their current Instant Lab cradle to a new one that supports many phone sizes in one". October 2014.
  73. ↑ "The cradle on the Instant Lab 1.0 can be upgraded to a Universal cradle (to be bought separately) when the product becomes available later this year". October 2014.
  74. ↑ "Additional devices will be supported in the future". October 2014.
  75. ↑ "Impossible i-Type". Impossible Project. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  76. ↑ "The Future of Instant Cameras is Impossible". Format Magazine. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  77. ↑ "teenage engineering – impossible i-1 analog instant camera". Teenage Engineering. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  78. ↑ "Polaroid OneStep+ Product Page". September 2018.
  79. ↑ "Polaroid OneStep+ instant camera connects to your smartphone". 1 September 2018.
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