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I'm interested in having a go with a Polaroid instant camera but wondered which one you would go for and why ? I don't want to spend a fortune so no 20X24 ideas !
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Which Polaroid Camera would you go for and Why ?
- Thread starter BADGER.BRAD
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If you want a Polaroid Camera, the only film available is 600 and SX70 so that limits your options. If you mean an instant camera in general, Fuji sell a range of Instax cameras that shoot Mini/Wide or Square film. They’re all pretty much automatic so the main choice is the film size.
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Honestly the Instax cameras are excellent, widely available, come up very frequently for sale on the used market (used once at weddings, Christmas/birthday present etc.) and give a reliable picture output. The older cameras in particular are not expensive to buy used - you can buy an Instax 100 for £10-15 delivered on eBay. I've used both Instax Wide and Mini and they are both good systems - I find the picture size on the mini a little too small, but the size of the Wide cameras is pretty large.
There will be people that use Polaroid backs and experiment with the different Impossible Project ("Polaroid Originals") films, but they are just too expensive for my liking.
There will be people that use Polaroid backs and experiment with the different Impossible Project ("Polaroid Originals") films, but they are just too expensive for my liking.
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I have a collection of old polaroids, which seem to be fetching silly prices now, but as said, the Impossible project make the film packs now and they arent cheap.
Fuji Instax is another good solution, or pick up a polaroid pogo printer, which prints credit size prints on thermal type paper, which can be picked up quite cheaply, usually because the battery dies quickly, but you can run them from other power sources. Plug straight into the camera if it supports direct print.
Fuji Instax is another good solution, or pick up a polaroid pogo printer, which prints credit size prints on thermal type paper, which can be picked up quite cheaply, usually because the battery dies quickly, but you can run them from other power sources. Plug straight into the camera if it supports direct print.
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I can’t confirm from personal experience, but I think that Instax is probably the more reliable system (where consistency of results is concerned). I’ve seen lots of reviews of Impossible Project / Polaroid Originals where there are faults in the prints.
That’s not to knock Polaroid Originals - it’s great what they’re doing and what they’ve achieved and, apart from Instax, Fuji seem to be going in the opposite direction where film photography is concerned - but unless you’re happy to take the chance that your results may be faulty (or actively seek the effect from an artistic point of view), Instax may be a better choice.
That’s not to knock Polaroid Originals - it’s great what they’re doing and what they’ve achieved and, apart from Instax, Fuji seem to be going in the opposite direction where film photography is concerned - but unless you’re happy to take the chance that your results may be faulty (or actively seek the effect from an artistic point of view), Instax may be a better choice.
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As people have already said, do you mean a Polaroid camera, or do you mean an instant camera?
For me, the Polaroid is the original and still the best, despite the film not being as good as the original stuff was. The Polaroid Original stuff has come a long way from the Impossible Project film and the colours and sharpness are much better now. The cameras are also way better than the Instax cameras, IMO. I use an SX-70 Sonar which has a glass lens and autofocus but I also have a 635CL which I do use occasionally, but my go to is the SX-70.
Yes, there are imperfections in the film but you have to love it for that. Again, the new stuff is much better in this respect.
For me, the Polaroid is the original and still the best, despite the film not being as good as the original stuff was. The Polaroid Original stuff has come a long way from the Impossible Project film and the colours and sharpness are much better now. The cameras are also way better than the Instax cameras, IMO. I use an SX-70 Sonar which has a glass lens and autofocus but I also have a 635CL which I do use occasionally, but my go to is the SX-70.
Yes, there are imperfections in the film but you have to love it for that. Again, the new stuff is much better in this respect.
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I meant a Polaroid camera rather than instant ( I love vintage/old things), Is there a size difference between the Polaroid 600 film and Instax wide and Does the Instax use film or is it a digital print ? I never used Polaroid back in the 70/80's and just fancied a go . On what sort of subjects do they work best on ,I take it the answer to this in Portrait/ fairly close shots. How do I know if a camera is suitable for 600 film ?
Thanks again all.
Thanks again all.
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The polaroid 600/sx70 film is the same size, it's just the ISO that's different. The Instax wide is a different size/ratio and they are instant film as opposed to a digital print. They work best on any subjects really, although I doubt I would shoot much landscapey suff with them personally.
The cameras tend to say which film they take. There are also the Spectra cameras which have a wider image than the more traditional squares you will be used to seeing. I still fancy one of those at some point.
My preference for the SX-70 is in it's metal build with a glass lens and how it pops up/folds down. If you can find the video of Edwin Land demonstrating it when it was first released, it really is cool.
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