Polaroid has updated and improved the chemistry of its black-and-white film, elevating the instant photos able to be produced.
The Polaroid brand is synonymous with instant photography, and has created some of the greatest instant cameras of all time, with the latest Polaroid I-2 perhaps topping the lot. Its film has gone through many iterations throughout its long history, and the new "chemistry-loaded Polaroid B&W 600 film Monochrome Frame" refines this even further.
If, like me, you had no idea how a Polaroid instant photo works, it has provided a brief explanation.
In short, Polaroid relies on complex chemistry to capture an exposure, using a positive sheet and a negative material to create an instant photograph through light exposure from the camera. A latent image is formed as the light-sensitive silver halide crystals in the film react with the exposure. Then, as the film passes through the rollers, a developer is spread across it, catalyzing the conversion into metallic silver, resulting in a visible image. Other chemicals control speed and image quality.
"Our film chemistry is at the very heart of what we do at Polaroid," says Polaroid chairman, Oskar Smolokowski.
"We're hard at work on numerous research tracks to keep pushing the film forward, and moments like these when we can release the new formulations to the public are super exciting. We’re very proud to manufacture all of this in our European factories, the world's only Polaroid film production facilities!"
The new Polaroid B&W 600 film promises to offer "significantly more nuances of black and white", increasing the clarity and "elevating the beauty". Polaroid states that it will provide richer detail, lighter contrast, and unmatched quality, but it doesn't provide much more than that – I guess it's one that we will have to test for ourselves to get a real feeling of the improvements.
The new chemistry will be included in all upcoming releases of the Polaroid B&W 600 Film – Monochrome Frames. It offers a variety of shades in black, grey and white frames with eight photos, a built-in battery (making it compatible with vintage 600 cameras) and a development time of five to ten minutes.
The Polaroid B&W 600 Film – Monochrome Frames are available for $19.99 | £18.99 per pack (Australian pricing to be confirmed).
You may also be interested in our guides to the best instant cameras, the best digital instant cameras, and the best film cameras.
