An original Polaroid SX70 camera would be a dream for many an analog photography lover. But not only are they difficult to find in good condidion, they’re also maddeningly expensive when they show up. Today is no exception, but they’re rare enough that to find 50 restored cameras ready for sale is an event worth shouting from the rooftops.
These SX70s have been restored by The Impossible Project, which if you have been following along for the last few years, has taken it upon themselves to manufacture Polaroid film cartridges and fix up some of the old cameras. They show up in small batches on Impossible’s site and others, but quickly sell out. And starting on December 5th there will be 50 available for purchase at boutique design site colette (caution: autoplaying music). → Read More
Short version: A nice-looking device, and it works more or less as advertised, but the quality of the printing simply isn’t good enough. If you want instant photos, analog is still the way to go. → Read More
Back at CES, we spent a long time waiting for Lady Gaga to show up (again) and introduce her new product line, a collaboration with Polaroid called Grey Label. The camera sunglasses and Bluetooth printer didn’t exactly blow our socks off, but the GL30 camera prototype sure did. It was beautiful. Of course, no matter how much I bugged Polaroid, I never got word one about availability or what have you. And then this thing turns up!
Now, I’m not convinced this is the same product we saw at CES. A relative of that product, perhaps, but not the real thing. I refuse to believe that they’d throw away a perfectly good design like that, one associated with Gaga herself. So what is this? → Read More
Although we weep for the Polaroid of yesteryear, the world of instant film hasn’t just disappeared. As we’ve noted over the last couple years, Dutch company Impossible has taken it upon themselves to keep the old Polaroid film factory running — no small task. This little 10-minute documentary shows some of the process and a few of the people involved. → Read More
Good old Harry McKraken gives the Polaroid SX-70 – one of the most amazing instant cameras in the world – more than its due. Created in 1972, this Polaroid flattened down to a little over an inch in thickness and featured, as Harry notes:
“The virtual cascade of revolutions, mechanical, optical and electronic, that made the SX-70 possible,” rhapsodized a Polaroid brochure, “had only one purpose: to free you from everything cumbersome and tedious about picture-taking, so that it could become at last the simple creative act it should be.”
While there’s no sign yet of the GL30 Polaroid camera introduced by Lady Gaga at CES, the GL10 printer is actually nearing a shipping date. This little printer connects to your computer or smartphone and produces 3×4″ prints in about 45 seconds. The paper is probably going to be super expensive, but hey. It costs $169 and the website says it should ship in June. We’ll see what we can do about getting it reviewed before then. → Read More
I’m so pumped! Like many of my generation, I have a special place in my heart for Polaroid. Sure, you can get a weird bulbous one or a Diana F+ that shoots Instax Mini, or you can resuscitate your original and feed it expensive Impossible Project cartridges… but it looks like soon, none of these techniques will be necessary. A teaser image for this year’s CES appears to show off a new and wonderful device. → Read More
Fujifilm has released an alternative to the beloved Polaroid camera, and calls it the Instax mini50S. The good news is, the Instax film is cheaper than the reissued Polaroid, running about $16 for 20 shots. The bad news is, it’s only available in Japan (currently) and will cost you about $220 to import. Before you shell out for the latest from Fujifilm, don’t forget about the Lomo Diana F+ – it uses the same film, and only costs $90. [via Gizmodo] → Read More
Polaroid is one of those things that’s always been with us, and if some have their way, always will. I remember taking pictures at camp using the family OneStep, and I still have a shot of myself at my first job. → Read More
Polaroid is back, baby. But don’t run out to Walmart just yet. First I don’t even know if Walmart is selling this kit, but if it was, you might want to pass. Living in the past isn’t cheap. The Polaroid 300 carries a $90 MSRP with 10-shot film packs going for $10. That’s a lot of cake. → Read More
Polaroid, a company best known for its instant cameras and maybe for hiring Lady Gaga as their Creative Director, will be entering the gaming industry soon with a wide variety of video games accessories. These would mostly be peripherals for popular gaming system such as a microphone headset and battery packs for the Xbox 360, wireless controllers for the PS3, sports packs and a sensor bar for the Wii, as well as a dock for the Nintendo DS. → Read More
Short version: It’s not for everybody, but the Diana F+ with the instant back add-on is your best bet for recapturing the magic and spontaneity of the Polaroids of yore. Flimsy construction and erratic picture-taking may put off some, but unpredictability used to be in photography’s nature, and for me it was fun to return to that. Lomo wants to give one away, too — details below. → Read More
Just a week and a half ago I wrote that instant film isn’t dead, it’s just weird and expensive. That’s never been more true than today, when the first of the Impossible Project’s Polaroid film goes on sale in the UK.
If you don’t remember those guys, they’re the ones who purchased a bunch of Polaroid manufacturing equipment and decided to keep the fire, making their own film and, as is now clear, selling it for quite a lot of money. → Read More
The Polaroid saga is a long and strange one. And the last couple years have been especially strange. Bankrupt, reanimated, relaunched, sold out, bought up… I wouldn’t be surprised if Polaroid showed up on Dancing With The Stars.
They keep saying they’re coming back, but I’ll believe it when I see it. In the mean time, your options for instant film are depressingly limited, and it’ll cost you a bundle — but it’s not like it disappeared completely. → Read More
So you’ve got a company without an all-that-recognizable name, and you really want to ramp it up. What do you do? Well, if you’re jWIN you buy some street cred by striking up a deal with Polaroid, making your products have a connection with a legacy of creativity and innovation that you had nothing to do with. → Read More
It is upon us! Almost a year ago, Polaroid announced that it would be leaving this Earth. We cried a bit, lusted after the last ones sold at Urban Outfitters, but in the end, we decided it was probably time. But some never gave up hope. The Impossible Project purchased some manufacturing facilities and decided it would carry the torch. But the torch has been reclaimed by the original owners! Or some people who licensed the torch. I don’t know, I’ve got a couple metaphors going on here. —I drop them. The news is that Polaroid is re-launching the old One Step camera and may even have something new going on. → Read More
After Polaroid went belly-up, The Impossible Project decided they were going to keep the fire by buying up the manufacturing facilities and continuing to make film (and possibly cameras). Admirable!
But until their labors bear fruit… you’ll have to go to Urban Outfitters. They’ve got the last 700 cameras and you’re going to pay through the nose. → Read More
Although Polaroid is planning its comeback in the form of a camera with integrated printer, I think we all suspect how that will turn out, despite our best wishes. Besides, half of us already have Polaroid cameras boxed up in the basement or collecting dust on top of a bookshelf. The Impossible Project aims to reinvigorate the instant film world by purchasing a factory in the Netherlands and manufacturing instant film again. I say hell yes! → Read More
Polaroid debuted its would-be comeback kid gadget, the PoGo, during CES, but we were a bit busy at the time. It looks like they’ve attached a shabby camera to the Zink/PoGo instant printer and made an interface for cropping and so on. Sounds less than compelling at first, but then of course that’s pretty much what the original Polaroids were. Bad glass and crappy film. But they were awesome. → Read More
Polaroid isn’t do so well and just filed for bankruptcy. The once-hipster brand hasn’t found its footing in the digital age and has fallen by the wayside, recently announcing instant film is being discontinued. → Read More
