Poloroid - Has anyone any experience of using them.

stevoman

Hi folks. just a quick question if anyone has any experience using or owning a polaroid camera. My daughter is looking for one for my birthday, which to be honest im quite happy. I like the fact that as an 11 year old she will develop the skill of looking critically and carefully at her subject before taking a photo for the obvious reasons of her shooting with limited and expensive film.

I'm thinking of purchasing one of the polaroid original models and any advice, recommendations and from anyone experienced with these models or anything similar would be really appreciated.


Thanks

Alanstrainor

That does look like a very interesting option for an instant camera. I'm not sure whether your daughter has a phone, but the ability to connect it seems great. It adds a lot more options to how you use it. The only trouble is the film cost. It looks like 18.99eur for 8 shots. That is really something. The other option in this space is Fujifilm. The film is much cheaper (over half the price). But as far as I know there are no options that have the same connectivity to phone options that the Poloroid has.

I shoot Fuji Instax from time to time and think it is great fun. I'm sure the Polaroid would do the same, and might appeal more with it's added tech features. It's just the film cost that would hold me back.

fixXxer

I have a Polaroid Onestep+. You can still get the film easily enough but its expensive. the 600 or SX-70 film is €20 for 8 shots plus whatever shipping you're charged.

There's a fella on Achill Island sells all sorts of Polaroid cameras, Franticham I think the name was if you google it. Cleans them, services them and sells them on. Polaroid Originals also sell original cameras too but you pay more there than you would almost anywhere else.

Heebie

fixxxer wrote:

I have a Polaroid Onestep+. You can still get the film easily enough but its expensive. the 600 or SX-70 film is €20 for 8 shots plus whatever shipping you're charged.

There are alternative films or there by the likes of Fujifilm that might have a better price point. (I stress might)
They won't have some of the abilities people like about sx-70 film like heating it with a blow-dryer and stretching and smushing it to make weird visual effects.
There are some Polaroids you can get digital backs for as well.

Also, be careful of some of the crap or there that is just a super low resolution digital camera with a super-crappy battery powered printer... they may have the name... but they not worth the money even if you get paid to take them.

DaireQuinlan

Get an Instax. Polaroid is dead, then hauled up out of an unquiet grave as a drooling photographic zombie by the same crowd that were responsible for the impossible project. As Heebie says, there are also a pile of crappy 'instant' technologies which are basically a crap camera welded awkwardly onto a crap printer that take crap expensive photopaper. 'Zink' was one example.

The only real game left in town is instax. Fuji is still printing money hand over fist from it so they're continuing to produce copious quantities of different films and cameras. Bought in bulk it's reasonable.

Plus when you get bored with it you can get ... inventive :-D

ED E

SX70s are lovely, have access to a few, but I refuse to pay Impossibles pricing.

fixXxer

ED E wrote: »

SX70s are lovely, have access to a few, but I refuse to pay Impossibles pricing.

For the cameras? You'd be mad to. Polaroid cameras can be got anywhere for pennies.

stevoman

thanks so much for the replies folks, I really appreciate it. I'm going to go Fuji instax, it does seem the right option film wise and per advice I have got here and online. I will get cracking on ordering one.

ED E

fixxxer wrote: »

For the cameras? You'd be mad to. Polaroid cameras can be got anywhere for pennies.

No, the film.