Impossible

the new instant film image by Uwe Kulick (Image rights)

Mission Impossible: Polaroid reloaded

The German Impossible GmbH or The Impossible Project is a specialist company for classic film revival. The founder of the company Dr. Florian Kaps, owned a instant film distribution company called unsaleable. The most exciting project of the company is the relaunch of Polaroid's abandoned instant film production branch. The company got a license from Polaroid to use the machines of its abandoned film factory in Enschede, Netherlands. Ilford helped the company to launch its PX 100 and PX 600 black & white pack film for the Polaroid SX-70. These new film variants are made on the base of completely new recipes which avoid to use the aggressive substances of old Polaroid film. The emulsion from black and white SilverShade film is manufactured by Ilford. With help from InovisCoat, the company also launched a new PX 70 color film in July 2010. As of 2011, their films are mostly experimental; as batches sometimes produces different results. Shooting in different temperature settings may also produce unexpected results. They often don't behave like traditional Polaroid films, as most of them are light sensitive require shielding when exiting the camera and initial development stages. Also many do not stop developing properly, and require peeling or other techniques to preserve the exposure.

In the summer of 2012, Impossible started testing a new opacifier layer for color film. This new opacifier reduces the light sensitivity of the photo when ejected after exposure. By the end of the year it was release as Color Protection film and became available in all three formats.

Though not necessarily an Impossible product. The distributor unsaleable commissioned Polaroid to create some new Polaroid type 100 pack film for sale on their online store. User enjoy(ed) a complete new series of instant film variants like Chocolate, Sepia and Blue. These were some of the last films made by Polaroid's Mexico plant. They were then sold on unsaleable.com (Polapremium) and later were then sold with a limited Paul Giambara Edition box jacket when Polapremium was absorbed and renamed Impossible (store) in 2010.

imaging samples by Uwe Kulick with a Black Beauty, on the last Polaroid Type 100 "Paul Giambara Edition, Chocolate"

Instant Films

PX 70 Color Shade First Flush image by Studioesper (Image rights)

PX70 Color Protection image by Studioesper (Image rights)

poor pod image by Studioesper (Image rights)

HUGE Instant Karma promo image by salenn00 (Image rights)

Polaroid SX-70 series compatible

• PX 100 Silver Shade, First Flush, ISO 100, sepia
• PX 100 Silver Shade, ISO 100, sepia
• PX 100 Silver Shade Cool, ISO 100, sepia (2012.4)
• PX 70 Color Shade First Flush, ISO 125, color
• PX 70 Color Shade Push!, ISO 125, color
• PX 70 Color Shade, ISO 125, color (intro 2011.6)
• PX 70 Color Shade Cool, ISO 125, color (2012.4)
• PX 70 Color Shade V4B Test Film, color, with opacifier (2012.8)
• PX 70 Color Protection, ISO 125
• Color Film for SX70

Polaroid 600 series compatible

• PX 600 Silver Shade, First Flush, ISO 600, sepia
• PX 600 Silver Shade, v05, ISO 600, sepia (05/2010 fixes Loose Lamination Problems)
• PX 600 Silver Shade, v06, ISO 600, sepia (06/2010 reduces crystallization problems)
• PX 600 Silver Shade UV+, ISO 600, sepia
• PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Black Frame, ISO 600, sepia
• PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Grey Frame, ISO 600, sepia
• PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ Gold Frame, ISO 600, sepia
• PX 600 Silver Shade Cool, ISO 600, sepia (2012.4)
• PX 680 Color Shade, Beta, ISO 680, color
• PX 680 Color Shade, Beta 2, ISO 680, color
• PX 680 Color Shade, First Flush, ISO 680, color
• PX 680 Color Shade, Gold Frame, ISO 680, color
• PX 680 Color Shade Cool, ISO 680, color (2012.6)
• PX 680 Color Shade Block Party (Cool, multi colour borders) ISO 680, color (urban outfitters)
• PX 680 Color Shade V4B Test Film, color, with opacifier (2012.7)
• PX 680 Color Protection, ISO 600
• PX 680 Color Shade Block Party (CP, multi colour borders) ISO 600, color (urban outfitters)
• PX 680 American Woods (Color Protection, wood border)
• PX 680 Gold Edition (Color Protection), ISO 600 (2012.12)
• Color Film for 600
• Color Film for 600 Gold Frame
• Color Film for 600 Silver Frame
• Color Film for 600 Color Frame
• B&W Film for 600

Polaroid Spectra / Image / 1200 series compatible

• PZ 600 Silver Shade, ISO 600, sepia
• PZ 600 Silver Shade UV+, ISO 600, sepia
• PZ 600 Silver Shade UV+ BlackFrame, ISO 600, sepia
• PZ 600 Silver Shade Cool, ISO 600, sepia
• PZ 680 Color Shade, ISO 680, color
• PZ 680 Color Protection, ISO 600 (2012.12)
• Color Film for Image & Spectra

Sheetfilm

8x10

• PQ Silver Shade, ISO 640

Promotional

• M.A.D Magazine, M.A.D. Vol. 1 2011, Nobuyoshi Araki. 320 photos with one PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ BlackFrame, ISO 600, sepia pack.
• PZ 600 Silver Shade UV+ Maurizio Galimberti edition, ISO 600, sepia
• Instant Karma HUGE (Magazine) Edition: PX 600 UV+ and PX 70 Push
• PX 70 Color Shade First Flush, Milk X magazine Edition, ISO 125, color
• PX 70 Color Shade by Nigo, different random border colors including black, white, green, blues purple, pink, orange, yellow and red.
• PX 600 Silver Shade Nigo, ISO 600
• PX 600 Silver Shade Mint, ISO 600 (bird/feather border)

Re-purposed film

Defective or test film with unusual characteristics. They were sold at the factory or online store.

Poor Pod

Films with defective chemical pods during manufacturing. Usually sold at a reduced price. The boxes are marked with pp with a felt tip pen.

• PX 600 Silver Shade UV+ BlackFrame, ISO 600, sepia sold in a 6 pack bag.

Bottom Line

A production flaw batch of PX 680 Color Shade FF film is affected a line in the lower third of the image.

• PX 680 Color Shade First Flush; Bottom line edition, sold in 4 packs bag

Orange Flash

An alternate chemical were used in this test batch of PX 100 Silver Shade film creating a orange / brown tone.

• PX 100 Silver Shade; Orange Flash, sold in 6 pack bag.

Links

• About us and company homepage

References

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