Customer Reviews

Polaroid 600 Black and White Single Pack Film

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I have found that nothing is quite like a black & white image when it comes to capturing still life shots. I have used Polaroid film for a number of shots before. Polaroid is great for getting an instant image and to quickly know you got the shot. I was pleased to find out that they now have a black & white version of their film! I found the image to be crisp and clear, with good definition. The pictures really pop! I would recommend it to anyone with an artistic eye who uses instant cameras.

I searched high and low for this film to no avail, so decided to call customer service to inquire how I can obtain this hard to find film. They informed me that they've stopped making it! It's such a shame because Polaroids shot in black and white are so much more distinctive than color. Please write to them and ask them to manufacture it again!!

It seems that 99.5% of Polaroid users go with the standard color film. However, many of those users, including myself until last year, didn't know that B&W film even existed.
The B & W film is "faster"--it captures moving images with better clarity. It also captures a wider light range than the color film.
However, in everyday use, the B & W film is great for taking photos that have to be faxed. The details come through and the people on the receiving end don't have to guess what the photo subject was. Doesn't matter if you're in real estate, electronics, news, whatever. The same is true of scanning. B & W takes a LOT less memory and time AND provide a sharper image than the color photos. (There is a long technical reason for this, but just take my word for it....)
The worst part about this film is that....it's difficult to find. Most major retailers don't carry it (Fred Meyer/Kroger Group, Wal-Mart, Best Buy) and many don't know that it exists. Best way to find it is on-line.

Black and white imagery is something unique to photography; it enables the artist to view the subject strictly in terms of light and texture, without the complications (and perhaps distractions) of color. But black and white film processing is harder and harder to find, and good custom B&W lab work is expensive, whether you do it or someone else does.

Enter Polaroid with their B&W Spectra film. This was quite a surpise when it was released- and a welcome one, at that. While Polaroid has been making B&W films continuously since the very beginning, they have seldom made them in recent years for their consumer line cameras. This film corrects that error.

If you're interested in exploring black and white photography, this is a great way to do it. The film has marveously rich blacks, brilliant whites and a tremendous tonal range. The prints have the luminence of a custom B&W print on heavy coated paper. It's the perfect way to explore the possibilities of B&W without the investment or the lab work.

I'm not sorry this product is no longer being produced. It is extremely simple to print out pictures in black and white from a good digital camera. Join the modern world and forget about antiques like black and white film!