A Specialty Camera That Has A Place In My Camera Arsenal
Written: Jul 06 '03 (Updated Jul 08 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Small; lightweight; fabulous pictures in natural light
Cons: Some consider $1 a print pricey
The Bottom Line: As a specialty camera, it's great! Smaller and lighter than its predecessors, it has a place in my camera arsenal.
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| briandalsmom's Full Review: Polaroid One Instant Camera |
Why buy a Polaroid Instant Camera? Instant pictures, of course! I’ve used instant cameras for years. As a kid in the 70’s it was a cool and new concept—pictures that developed before your eyes just like the photo booths at the fair. In the early 80’s we used one for those photos you take when you’re young and have great looking bodies but would go to jail for if you sent them to your local finisher—you know you did that too! In the mid- to late-80’s we used it again when our son was born as my husband didn’t want photos of my private parts going to the film developer. In the 90’s I used one at my sons’ birthday parties as favors, and in the 2000’s we use one to track renovations done on the house (wiring before the walls are closed up, etc.). Therefore, you can see, I’ve almost always had a way to use the instant camera even though I have a digital, SLR, video and automatic 35mm.
My first Polaroid One-Step lasted 20 years, in fact, it still works, it’s just too cumbersome. When I saw this new One on the market, I checked it out and added it to my birthday wish list. This new one was sleeker, smaller, and very lightweight. I’ve given my old one to the kids, now teens, and I’ve got a new one!
COMPARISON
What makes this one different from other Polaroid’s is the film and film size. This film includes the battery within the film pack so you never have to worry about dead batteries. The Polaroid Mio (http://www.epinions.com/content_104911900292) uses lithium batteries which must be changed independently from the film and the film size is wallet size. The I-Zone Polaroid’s pictures are thumbnail size and most often have sticky material on the back making them instant stickers. This camera uses the standard 600 film that you’ve seen forever with the white boarder all around with an area at the bottom to write on. It’s 3.5” x 4.2” in size, with an image area of 3.1” x 3.1”, and a glossy finish.
There are several specialty 600 films available—Write-on Film which has a matte finish that you can write directly on and Notepad Film which has a smaller image area and larger area to write notes. Occasionally there will be additional specialty films that are available for a short time. For New Years, 2000, I purchased film that had “Happy New Years, 2000” and other millennium slogans that were preprinted on the film before use. They added a festive greeting and border to our pictures and became instant souvenirs of the party we had that night.
If you want a higher-quality film, you can upgrade to the 779. This film fits all 600-style cameras but is a higher-speed film for sharper images. This film is considerably more expensive, not as readily available, and takes longer to develop. We use the 779 speed film in our Passport camera at work because of the low lighting in the office, but for my use the cheaper 600 is fine.
The 600 film can be purchased just about anywhere. A two-pack (20 exposures) averages $23—just over $1 a print.
This one isn’t like the old One-Step cameras—with the goofy looking pop-up viewfinder and flash, it has a sleek and futuristic silver casing.
PRINT QUALITY
This one takes the same film as my old camera—the Polaroid 600 Film. They’ve produced the same film for as long as I can remember so I know it’s reliable. I also know that the photos I took 15-20 years ago still look great. For those photos that are irreplaceable (my son’s birth for instance) we’ve made copies as well an scanned them for a digital back up just in case. With this type of photo, there is the chance for damage by sun, water, and mishandling. If you store it in a way that the back of the photo is pierced or pushed into the photo itself you’ll damage the photo—always make copies of those important ones!
This format will never compete with a traditional print, but for its specialty use it’s great.
FEATURES
It’s small! Closed it’s 4.2” x2.6” x 6.0”. Even open, it’s not hugeś.3” x 6.6” x 6.0”. This isn’t like the old pop-up Polaroid’s that were too large to tuck into your bag—this is an easy fit and inconspicuous. It’s so lightweight (20 ounces without film, 23 ounces with) that you’ll hardly know you’re carrying it.
It has auto exposure, auto flash, and red-eye reduction which come in handy since I just like to point and shoot and not think about setting up the shot. It does have auto-flash override if you want to suppress the flash. The digital counter lets you know how many exposures you have left and this camera has a self-time and tripod socket so you can jump into the picture.
The auto flash range is 3-10 ft, standard and recycling averages 6 seconds. The focal length is 100mm and is fixed. The focus range is from 3ft to infinity—closer than that and you’ll get a blurry photo. The maximum aperture is f/12.9 and shutter speed of 1/200 seconds.
HINTS AND TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS
Photos in natural light are best. Taken outside the colors are fabulous. Inside get as much natural light as possible—near a window or with as much fill light from lamps as you can. Too little light and the flash comes on and casts a bluish tint on everyone. Standing 4-6 feet from your subject helps, but the flash is never my first choice.
Use fresh film. All Polaroid film has an expiration date on it—watch out for great Ebay deals, it usually means that the film is old and the photos you take will show it. From areas that don’t develop at all to light colors, you’ll be disappointed. Buy from a reputable dealer and store it carefully—not in the refrigerator and not in your car’s glove box. Too hot or too cold will ruin it.
HOW TO LOAD THE FILM
Simple process—press the small button on the camera marked “film” and the front portion (where the picture comes out of the camera) opens. Insert the cartridge with the red arrow on the top and pointed towards the camera. Slide it in and close the door. The cartridge automatically ejects a black cartridge with the red arrow out. To remove it, press the “film” button again, grasp the cartridge, and pull until it’s removed. See, simple! Since the film has the batteries inside, there’s nothing else you’ll ever need to do.
TAKING PICTURES
To open the camera press the button on the back of the camera marked “Open/Close”. The top portion of the camera will pop up. To close it you’ll need to push the button with one hand and then press the top back down (would have been nice if you could do one or the other, but you’ll have to do both).
Since it’s automatic, you can just point and click. If you want to use any of the features, there’s just a button or two to push. To use the automatic timer, push the button which looks like a clock—you have 12 seconds from the time you push it until the photo is taken. The light on the front of the camera (also the red-eye reduction indicator) will blink letting you know you’ve activated it. The light will continue to blink and increase its speed until the photo is taken.
To override the automatic flash, press the button that looks like a lightening bolt. It will remain off until you turn it back on again.
Developing takes an average of 3 minutes. This is determined by the temperature (70 degrees is optimal).
WARRANTY
1 year (limited) from date of purchase
FINAL THOUGHTS
The perfect camera for those who just want to point, shoot, and had the photo to a friend. Technically challenged folks like my husband love the simplicity and instant access to the photo. For me, I base the camera I use on the end results desired. There’s a use for each type of camera and so far they haven’t invented a one-camera-fits-all-needs. Until then, this is an inexpensive way to have instant photos.
Recommended:
Yes
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briandalsmom
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Member: Mom
Location: USA
Reviews written: 249
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