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| 20 x 24 camera designed and built by Tracy Storer, Operator of Polaroid 20×24 Studio West |
The Polaroid 20 x 24 is facing extinction as the last company producing the large-format instant film, 20×24 Studio, has announced plans to stop production at the end of 2017.
The studio and its owner John Reuter originally purchased an original Polaroid 20 x 24 camera from Polaroid after it declared bankruptcy in 2008, as well as hundreds of cases of existing film for it. The company sought to keep the format alive by producing its own iteration of the cameras and film, but a lack of demand and other issues have forced it to abandon that dream.
In a statement posted on 20×24 Studio’s website, Mr. Reuter said:
“Our hope now is that we can work on some great projects with many of our legacy clients as well as new artists who have yet to experience the ultimate in instant analog image making. Our original business plan was for five years with the inventory purchased and for a variety of reasons we have not worked through the material. Instant film will not last forever and despite storing the film stock in cold storage and mixing the chemical reagent only as needed the studio projects that they can maintain the quality for two more years.”
Elaborating on this to the New York Times, Mr. Reuter said it would take a massive ‘multimillions’ investment to continue producing the film, something that isn’t feasible for the company given the relative lack of demand. As it stands, the camera itself costs $ 1750 to rent per day and each film exposure costs $ 125. Mr. Reuter anticipates the existing stock being used up by the time 20×24 Studio closes its doors next year.
Take a look below at the 20×24 camera in action as Douglas Doubler photographs ballet dancer Rachelle di Stasio.
Via: New York Times
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)