I'd like to be using my 4 x 5 wide angle pinhole which has a f/ 150 aperture, and is therefore very hard to meter. Yes, I could use my light meter and get an approximate exposure time, but in low light and long exposures, we're talking up to 3 to 4 minutes sometimes, you're in the world of reciprocity. This would take a lot of what my Physics 107 professor Dr. Pat Goolsby would call WAG-ging.. that stands for Wild Ass Guess if you didn't know, and as he'd tell you, one should really make hypothesis' using scientific data instead. So, the logical answer is instant film, that's why I've been looking into alternatives for the now obsolete Polaroid instant film, and my 545ii holder that is rendered useless as well since Polaroid declared Chapter 11. I thought about all those old film hoarding photo junkies but all the film I can find on Ebay is open and sometimes as old as a decade! But thank goodness for monopolies, Fujifilm is here to the rescue, for merely $3.40 a pop I can use their new instant pack film... with their new PA-45 Instant Film Holder ringing up at a bit over $200. I shot a bit yesterday evening, (utilizing my new pocket wizards to pop off some extra light!) using Ilford paper cut into 4 x 5 pieces and loaded into my film backs.. we'll see how this works out, it is really just an experiment, I am guessing it will not be as clear as I'd like, but perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised.. again this doesn't help with the light readings, but sheets of 11 x 14 paper are $1.80/ each, and I fit 6 - 4 x 5 cuts on each sheet, this is only .30¢ a shot then, now that'd be economical... SO
Ilford's 4 x 5 black and white ISO 100 film, is 100 sheets for $90, but I would have to factor in paying for Action Photo to develop the negatives for me, which translates to me waiting for film, and an additional $25 per 10 images, bringing up Ilford film to $3.40 an image + time to develop + at least say 2 sheets of instant film @ $3.40 a piece, I can expect to SPEND: $10.20 an image plus cost of printing..
Versus
Shooting directly onto Ilford paper, at .30¢ an image + approximately 2 sheets of instant film @ $3.40 a piece + time to scan film, print onto transparency to turn into a contact negative @ graphics lab for $1 a dollar, I can be spending $8 an image + cost of printing, this will save some time in waiting for developing and save $1.50 an image..
Here are the stats on paper/ film/ holders...
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