Hello Again!!!
Another quick question - for general studio use with hot lights, which would be the best polaroid back for this camera? I'll be mostly using B&W film for contact printing. There are so many choices out there and I am and it is so confusing. Thank you again for any advice.

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On 2003-08-01 07:00, blueridge wrote: Hello Again!!! Another quick question - for general studio use with hot lights, which would be the best polaroid back for this camera? I'll be mostly using B&W film for contact printing. There are so many choices out there and I am and it is so confusing. Thank you again for any advice.

I don't have studio experience, but will offer some opinions
The most commonly used holders are the 545 series; 545, 545i and 545 Pro. They use individual sheet film and have the advantage of being able to insert any type film needed at the moment, including Type 55 for a great negative. They can also be used for Readyloads and Quickloads.
Many people prefer one holder over the other for various reasons. I own all three and don't see much of a difference in performance. The 545 is older, made of metal and no longer made. The 545i is plastic and current. The Pro has a built-in timer that automatically compensates for temperature variances.
Then there's the pack film holders. They are cheaper to buy and use but the prints are smaller. And you can't change the film type until the pack is empty. I'm not very familiar with these types. May be the 405 holder? Memory is not working too well at the moment...
Stay away from the older 500 holder. It doesn't have the correct stop to keep the sheath in the holder when it's pulled out and very easy to ruin the film...
My personal recommendation would be for a 545i for the above reasons. But a 545 in good condition works just as well...

Up to 6 months ago I would have said,

Buy a 500 if you're on a VERY tight budget as this can be had for as little as $20, while the 545 was over $75

Times have changed. The 545 has now dropped so low that even on a tight budget it will pay for itself for not messing up film like the 500 would if you're not paying attention.

I"ve never used the 545i but from all of the reports from the field it's idea of "new and improved" means theres more plastic, less metal, greater profit margin, faster obsolescence.