Accordingly, why not try the instant photo pleasure instead? Unfortunately, the digital technology has killed Polaroid and plagued Fuji. And despite some of the projects in progress – ImpossiblProject’s Instant Lab or the Socialmatic Polaroid – it is hard to believe in a victorious comeback. And yet how pleasant it is to take just a piece of paper in hand immortalizing present events.
So, again yes, why not change our habits and adopt what some connoisseurs, artists, enthusiasts or just amateurs have already found pleasure in. Not to make a vintage, no, just to discover and dig up a lost pleasure that has been choked by the ever galloping technology.
In terms of camera, the choice should be between Fuji or Polaroid cameras. Fuji camera, Instax Mini and Wide, are still being manufactured and are fully functional.
Polaroid cameras have resurfaced from the past right into flea markets, Amazon, eBay or other online stores and retailers at varying prices and their quality is often to be careful with. Models are diverse, but we can simply distiguish them into those using Fuji films (these are essentially Polaroid Land Cameras 100-400) and those using Impossible Project films, purchaser of Polaroid technology (SX70, 600 ASA like SLR 680).
As far films are concerned, here again, the choice should be between Fuji films or Impossible Project films.
Fuji films are less expensive and guarantee naturally well-rendered, quality product photos. Photo printing is immediate (from 1 to 2 minutes), we can talk about “instant”. Talking about Fujifilm Instax Instant films, well they are relatively easy to find in stores, whereas peel-apart films (for Polaroid 100-400), most of the time you have to look for them online. Instax Mini’s photos are small and the Wide’s are larger.
Impossible Project films, whose technology is perfect, (while disappearing Polaroid has come back with some exclusive secrets) are more expensive (2.44$ for the photo), capricious (hard to anticipate the result of the photo mainly because of the high temperature sensitivity and take longer time to print (it takes over 45 minutes).
Yet, some improvements have been promised.
And then, it’s always important to add a significant subjective factor. Polaroid cameras have a glorious history (we are on the tracks of Andy Warhol, Patty Smith …), whereas it’s the case with Fuji (Fuji Instax 210 Camera is bulky, and to be honest, not that sexy as an instant camera should be).
For example, the same scene in two photos. The first taken with a Polaroid 240 (Fuji FP-100C film) and the second taken with Polaroid SLR680 (Impossible Project PX680 CP film) – a Gold Frame special series 12/2012). The temperature is approximate to 78.8 F … the Fuji film handles the photo whereas the Impossible Project film takes on more of a chocolate hue.
