Instant Film

As a specialty film instant film is photographic film material designed to be used in instant cameras. Some professional cameras even use instant cameras by adding mounting and accessories. The instant photo film has already chemical applied to it that are needed for the developing process and after the material is exposed to light while taking the picture the instant photo camera automatically starts the development process. Polaroid instant cameras for example break open a small chamber of chemicals while the film is reeled through some rollers inside the camera. The chemicals evenly flow over the film material surface and somewhere from a few seconds to several minutes the picture will appear. For color instant film the chemicals contain substances to delay certain processes long enough to develop the different color layers in the proper order.

The first instant color film in history was introduced by Polaroid in 1963 and back then produced for Polaroid by Kodak. Instant color film needs a longer time to develop then black and white because more layers have to be developed after each other.

Instant film is available in several sizes as well as several speeds. Instant film came in more speeds than any of the other available films. The first instant films came on rolls similar to the regular film, but later on instant film format was changed from rolls to single sheets. The sheets come in sizes starting at 24mmx36mm, which is similar to the 135 (35mm) standard film. The most common size used by many Polaroid cameras is 3.25”x4.25”. Sizes for instant film can go all the way to 8”x10”. In recent years many film packages have an added battery to ensure properly loaded batteries to drive certain motors in the instant camera.

Before digital photography instant film cameras played am important role in law enforcement, health care and scientific applications where it was important to see the proper picture right away and they could not wait to see if the picture is true to the scene till after development. Instant pictures were also used for passport pictures or other personal identification. Some artists worked with instant film cameras to achieve effects that they cannot achieve with regular film otherwise. They manipulate the chemicals while the instant film is developing or separate the chemicals from the film material.

Other manufacturers for instant camera film, besides Polaroid, are Fujifilm and several years back there was also Kodak, before they got involved into an infringement law suit with Polaroid.

There even was instant motion picture film called Polavision introduced in 1978. The movie film was similar to 8mm movie film.