Some may have noticed a good portion of the DIY and Kickstarter projects for film photography revolve around the 4x5 format. That's likely because, for lovers of film, it's the best format out there. The negative size allows for incredibly sharp and enlarged prints. It's possible (just) to handhold a 4x5 camera for street photography. And despite many film stocks' deaths by the second, you can still get some of the most popular films in 4x5 sheet film packs. If you're into instant 4x5 film, however, now is a great time to jump into a Kickstarter project that promises to provide a "nearly new" Polaroid 405 film back.
Brought to us by Santa Paula resident (and the man behind Alpenhause Kamera Werke) Steve Icanberry, the New Polaroid 405 Project has 11 days left on Kickstarter. Icanberry's experience is something to which I can attest: I have one of his Polaroid 110B conversions that lets me shoot 4x5 walking down the street. And while it doesn't do anything to magically lessen the cost of each 4x5 sheet I expose, it's nothing short of fantastic.
Through Kickstarter, Icanberry promises to provide a refreshed Polaroid 405 back with a brand new face plate, dark slide, and light seals. It even comes with a 2-year warranty. And since Polaroid isn't making these anymore, this is the best thing next to a brand new back that hasn't been opened in its entire lifetime. Good luck finding one of those.
You can learn more about Steve Icanberry's Polaroid 110 conversions here or head over to the Kickstarter campaign to snag a nearly new back for yourself before they go.
