Polaroid is not in the business of perfection. Its photographs, going back many decades, have a somewhat indescribable look, a graininess and rough-hewn quality so iconic that Instagram copied it (along with the logo) when it launched almost 15 years ago.
That legacy of imperfection continues with the Polaroid Flip, the company’s most accomplished and accessible instant camera, which finally delivers the imagery and usability goods at a “yes, I can afford this” price.
Where the $599 / £500 i-2 was a pro-level shooter for those who knew the ins and outs of exposure and focus, the Flip is simpler and does that work for you and might deliver better images because of it.
In some ways, the Polaroid Flip, which I had a chance to play with, is a throwback. The instant camera – available in black or white – features a fold-up flash that might remind people of the once ultra-popular 600 series. However, this one is better integrated into the smooth body design and offers far more throw power (up to 15 feet).
Where the i-2 has a three-element lens system, the Polaroid Flip features four lenses. They’re housed in an internal dial that automatically chooses the right lens for a shot. The camera does this thanks to another critical choice Polaroid made for the Flip: it uses sonar instead of LiDAR for focus and lens selection.
Sonar, which uses sound waves, is accurate and more forgiving than LiDAR. Polaroid memorably used sonar with its first analog instant camera, the SX-70. In that attachment, though, the circular sonar screen was giant. It’s thumb-tip-sized on the Flip.
The company focused on ease of use for this consumer-friendly but full-sized Polaroid print camera. There are minimal buttons and controls, with just enough visual feedback to keep photographers engaged instead of confused.
Aside from the shutter button, there is another large button on the side to eject the film cartridge (the camera uses Polaroid I-film cartridges, which do not include a battery), a large red shutter button on the face, a flash control button, and a small settings button to control shot style. You can shoot on a timer or even do a double exposure. On the back of the flash housing is a small, monochrome LED screen that shows the number of pictures remaining in the cartridge and your other camera settings.
While there isn’t a lot of feedback on how to frame or light your photos, the Flip does include a tiny red LED light in the rangefinder that lights up when you’re too close to a subject or the image exposure is poorly lit (too dark and you need the flash or maybe too backlit).
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It’s child’s play getting started with the Flip, which employs a familiar press-and-hold to set exposure and focus and then a full press to take the shot.
The photos slide out of the front and still take about 15 minutes to develop fully. There are 8 shots per cartridge, and a pack of two can cost $36. The Flip’s internal battery supports shooting up to 15 packs.
You can connect the camera to the Polaroid app, though I think the controls are limited and there is no direct way to get the images from the camera to your phone, but then why would you want to?
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Polaroid reps handed me a Flip at a pre-launch event, and I quickly noticed that while I liked the curved and familiar-feeling body, it was a bit heavier than even the Polaroid i-2. It wasn’t bad, though, and I was soon shooting still-life images, people, selfies, and trippy double exposures. In other words, I was in my happy place.
The camera is fast and fun to use, and my resulting photos were sharply focused on the subjects (you can get as close as about 46 cm) with impressive bokeh behind them. The results still look like Polaroid camera photos, never as sharp, clear, or deeply colorful as what you might get with your best iPhone, but that’s not the point of a Polaroid instant analog camera.
I have all these photos on my desk. I can hold them, share them, let people leave with them, and tack them on their walls. I guarantee these are the kinds of images that will make people feel something.
And now, they can do it for $199.99 / £199.99. That’s a great starting price, and it even ships with a strap. The film will cost you, so that’s a concern, but you won’t shoot as much as you do with your smartphone and will likely consider each of these prints somewhat precious.
It’s a special camera, for special times. At least, that’s my opinion.
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lance.ulanoff@futurenet.com (Lance Ulanoff)
