Alexandra Ramirez
BEST POLAROID CAMERA
Are you a picture lover, art photographer, camera enthusiast? We are going to take you on a tour of Polaroid cameras.
Polaroid camera is a kind of instant camera. The instant camera uses self-developing film to create a print just after taking the picture.
There are many instant camera brands in the market, but recently, Polaroid cameras started making waves and are one of the best brands, if not the best.
We have taken out time to make a survey of the best polaroid cameras, and now, you have the opportunity to learn about them. Not only that, you get to make the best choice of a camera according to your taste.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN BUYING A POLAROID CAMERA
While some are complex for advanced use, others are ideal for amateur photographers. In all, Polaroid cameras produce instant photos and are easy to use. There are many models of Polaroid cameras, with each having unique features and options to satisfy their customers.
Here, what you should look out for when purchasing a Polaroid camera:
- PORTABILITY
Whether your camera can be conveniently transported or not is a necessary point to consider when buying a Polaroid camera. As a camera enthusiast, a professional or an amateur photographer, you wouldn’t want your heart to miss a beat whenever you have to use your camera outdoors. Even if you don’t like small polaroid cameras, make sure that you buy one that’s moderately bulky. Look out for cameras that are compact and easy to carry about.
- FOCUS
Many polaroid camera models possess autofocus, making manual focus unnecessary. Besides, autofocus gives off a far better result than manual focus. Therefore, it is better that you buy a camera that has autofocus.
- NUMBER OF BUTTONS
Look out for polaroid cameras with less number of buttons because of the less, the better. However, the more the number of buttons, the more complicated it becomes.
- FLASH
The best polaroid cameras come with an automatic flash option and inbuilt flash. Inbuilt flash has flash reflectors that tilt to accommodate focus.
However, stable state attachments are ideal for models that don’t have inbuilt flash systems.
- VIEWFINDER GUIDES
Cameras that come with viewer guides are most preferable. Many models possess this. The viewfinder guides help you to determine accurate focus distance.
- COST
While some cameras are very expensive but worth it, you can find others whose prices are moderate, yet the cameras are great. In all, make sure that the Polaroid camera you’re purchasing is worth every penny you’re paying for it.
Having stated these, we bring to you five Polaroid cameras that will give you a run for your money.
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This camera has inbuilt flash, retractable 60 mm lens, brightness control and six shooting modes. It is made of plastic and has a great texture. It comes in a leather bag. Loading film into the camera is very easy as well; just slot a box of film into the camera and shut the door.
It is suitable for either landscape or portrait orientation, having a shutter button for each position. It also has a front-mounted shutter button which we found appropriate to use as a mirror for accurate selfie framing.
Pros:
- We love its lightweight which makes it easy to carry about.
- It rendered a lot of details and produced accurate colors when we locked in focus with the proper mode.
Cons:
- The camera is relatively costly, and the per shot cost is equally nothing to write home about.
- We were disappointed by the optical viewfinder as we found it to be minuscule. You can view no further than a few millimeters away with it.
- We had to rely on the inbuilt flash to brighten things up as its lens has a small fixed f/12.7 aperture.
- Another issue we had with it was the size of the prints. It is just convenient to slip it into a wallet. Suffice it to say that based on this, Instax Mini Film cannot capture distant objects.
You can purchase this Polaroid Camera if your aim is just to share and preserve memories.
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It is round and has an LCD control panel. It has an auto flash with high resolution for low light shooting. The camera comes with 4 AA batteries. The Polaroid camera kit comes with five packs of Instax Instant Film.
A combination of the camera and film gives off grade A pictures and super performance. It had a close-up lens and programmed electronic shutter with a high speed of ISO 800 super-fine grain.
Pros:
- It produces pictures with high quality.
- The picture size is not small, neither is it too big. It is just decent, and we sure love it.
- It has little snap sound, giving you the ability to click away without drawing undue attention to yourself.
- It is portable and light in weight; easy to carry about.
- It is excellent for outdoor photography as it captures vivid landscape pictures with a vintage feel.
Cons:
- It is way too big, though surprisingly light for its large form.
- It is quite expensive, but it’s worth it if it’s your choice.
- The plastic cover is fragile; a drop can shatter the camera.
- When you take a shot at close range, the close-up lens makes the picture blurred.
This camera is ideal for professional photographers, camera enthusiasts, and art photographers.
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This Polaroid Camera is very easy to use. It automatically determines the adequate brightness required for a picture. It has a fixed shutter speed of 1/60 sec with a brightness adjustment dial which helps you choose different levels of exposure. It has a high key mode which enables it to shoot photos with extreme levels of intensity and softer atmosphere. It uses 2 AA batteries. It is not pocket-friendly as it is quite bulky.
Pros:
- We found it very easy and comfortable to operate.
- It is ideal for a close shot as its shooting range is 0.6m – 2.7m.
Cons:
- It produces small sized pictures.
- The film is very costly.
- It doesn’t have autofocus, which made it difficult for us to get a clear shot the first time.
- It doesn’t thrive in outdoor photography.
The Instax Mini is the best Polaroid Camera is ideal for teaching your child photography.
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It is a pocket-sized photo printer to use with your phone or tablet. It converts pictures from your phone to color prints.
The only expendable material required is Polaroid Zink paper. It is simple to set up and use. It is wireless and has an inbuilt rechargeable battery that lasts for just 25 points. It can connect to Android and iOS devices.
Pros:
- Both the printer and the prints are inexpensive as the only expendable material is the paper.
- We used it to create mini collages and photo ID cards.
- Our pictures came out colorful, smudge proof and dry as there is no ink involved.
Cons:
- Due to low battery life, in an event, you’ll have to plug it in to keep the prints coming.
- Its glossy body scratches quickly, so we advise that you get a pouch, not in the pack.
If posting pictures from your phone all around is your thing, then you should go for this.
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This prints business card sized pictures instantly. It has auto flash and auto adjusts in the little light with an electronic shutter range of 1/60 sec. It is pocket-friendly and has manual exposure compensation.
Pros:
- It is easy to carry about.
- The picture sizes are small but appropriate.
- We found it great at indoor photo shooting.
- It is ideal for kids and teens.
Cons:
- The Polaroid film is way costly; you might want to purchase the Fujifilm instead.
- It’s not ideal for outdoor photography.
- We had to deal with turning the flash back on after each shoot as it goes off on its own.
CONCLUSION
Having seen the features of some great Polaroid Cameras, it will be easy for you to make the best choice. Putting the sizes, prices, shutter range, portability and battery life into consideration makes you stand a better chance of making an excellent choice.
Fuji Instax 210 is our top pick any time and any day with the high-quality instant prints, cheap snap sound, and decent picture sizes, notwithstanding the camera size.
